Leviticus 2:11
in Leviticus 2No grain offering that you present to the LORD may be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as an offering made by fire to the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
No meal-offering, which ye shall offer unto Jehovah, shall be made with leaven; for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
KJV
No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire.
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This verse in Leviticus 2
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThey quote the passage which says that "the lips of a strange woman drop as honeycomb," which is sweet indeed in the eater's mouth but is afterward found more bitter than gall. This, they argue, is the reason that neither honey nor wax is offered in the sacrifices of the Lord, and that oil, the product of the bitter olive, is burned in his temple.
This site's exposition
shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven
on Leviticus 2:11-12
Two things are barred from the fire and the chapter gives no reason for either. Adam Clarke points to the place honey held in the sacrifices of the surrounding nations, and John Calvin reads the leaven by way of Matthew 16:11, where Christ tells the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. What the text states is narrower than either reading. Both may be brought as an oblation of the firstfruits and neither may go on the altar, and Leviticus 23:17 will require the two wave loaves of the fiftieth day to be baken with leaven.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Under no circumstances is there an offering of honey. "Whatever happens," it says, "will be impure." Honey is a sign of pleasure and sweetness, and believe me, sensual pleasure always brings death; sensuality as such is never pleasing to God.
The Reformation1 voice
Nor can it be doubted but that. Christ alluded to this when He warned His disciples to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees," (Matthew 16:11;) understanding by that word the fictions whereby they had corrupted religion.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Nor any honey - Either, 1. because it hath the same effect with leaven in paste or dough, making it sour, and swelling. Or, 2. in opposition to the sacrifices of the Gentiles, in which the use of honey was most frequent. Or, 3. to teach us, that God's worship is not to be governed by men's fancies and appetites but by God's will.
Pure hands must be lifted up without wrath, and all our gospel feasts kept with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Honey was forbidden, though Canaan flowed with it, because to eat much honey is not good ( Prov. xxv.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
No meat offering which ye shall bring unto the Lord shall be made with leaven,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord--Nothing sweet or sour was to be offered. In the warm climates of the East leavened bread soon spoils, and hence it was regarded as the emblem of hypocrisy or corruption. Some, however, think that the prohibition was that leaven and honey were used in the idolatrous rites of the heathen.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
No meat-offering - shall be made with leaven - See the reason of this prohibition in the note on Exo 12:8 (note). Nor any honey - Because it was apt to produce acidity, as some think, when wrought up with flour paste; or rather because it was apt to gripe and prove purgative. On this latter account the College of Physicians have totally left it out of all medicinal preparations. This effect which it has in most constitutions was a sufficient reason why it should be prohibited here, as a principal part of all these offerings was used by the priests as a part of their ordinary diet; and these offerings, being those of the poorer sort, were in greater abundance than most others. On this account, the griping, and purgative quality of the honey must render it extremely improper. As leaven was forbidden because producing fermentation, it was considered a species of corruption, and was therefore used to signify hypocrisy, malice, etc., which corrupt the soul; it is possible that honey might have had a moral reference, also, and have signified, as St. Jerome thought, carnal pleasures and sensual gratifications. Some suppose that the honey mentioned here was a sort of saccharine matter extracted from dates. Leaven and honey might be offered with the first-fruits, as we learn from the next verse; but they were forbidden to be burnt on the altar,
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
NO MEAL-OFFERING, WHICH YE SHALL BRING UNTO THE ETERNAL, SHALL BE MADE WITH LEAVEN. Here He prohibited the bringing of a meal-offering in leaven form.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמִּנְחָ֗ה | haminchah | <the> grain offering | H4503 → | 211 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙ | takrivu | you will present | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לַיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֵעָשֶׂ֖ה | teaseh | it will be made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| חָמֵ֑ץ | chametz | leaven | H2557 → | 11 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׂאֹר֙ | seor | leaven | H7603 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דְּבַ֔שׁ | devash | honey | H1706 → | |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַקְטִ֧ירוּ | taktiru | you must make to smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
| מִמֶּ֛נּוּ | mimenu | any of it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| אִשֶּׁ֖ה | ʾisheh | a fire offering | H801 → | 65 times |
| לַֽיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַמִּנְחָ֗ה<the> grain offering
haminchahH4503 →211 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙you will present
takrivuH7126 →280 times
לַיהוָ֔הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תֵעָשֶׂ֖הit will be made
teasehH6213 →2628 times
חָמֵ֑ץleaven
chametzH2557 →11 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כָל־any
khol-H3605 →5413 times
שְׂאֹר֙leaven
seorH7603 →
וְכָל־and any
vekholH3605 →5413 times
דְּבַ֔שׁhoney
devashH1706 →
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תַקְטִ֧ירוּyou must make to smoke
taktiruH6999 →116 times
מִמֶּ֛נּוּany of it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
אִשֶּׁ֖הa fire offering
ʾishehH801 →65 times
לַֽיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 4:2Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:22–24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- 1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
- Romans 6:11
So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
- Titus 3:3–8
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- Ephesians 6:6
And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
- Ephesians 4:22–24
Through
Galatians 5:9A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
- Mark 8:15
“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:33
Through
Mark 8:15“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 5:6–8
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?
- 1 Corinthians 5:6–8
About Leviticus
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, LETTER 128.2; Jerome, HOMILY 75; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.