You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to see the salt as just seasoning, but here it symbolizes the enduring, incorruptible nature of God's covenant. The priests' act of "casting" salt, not just sprinkling, emphasizes that this preservation and faithfulness are abundant and essential to every offering before the Lord.
You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this vision of the restored temple, Ezekiel has just witnessed instructions for the consecration of the altar. Following those specifics, this verse details the ongoing ritual for offerings, emphasizing the priests' role in presenting them to the Lord. The inclusion of salt, a requirement from the Law, signifies purification and the enduring nature of the covenant, connecting this future worship back to God's ancient promises.
Why would salt, a common seasoning, be so crucial to ancient sacrifices? It wasn't just for flavor!
In Ezekiel's vision, the sprinkling of salt on the burnt offerings is a powerful symbolic act.
More Than Seasoning
Unlike the smaller amount of salt used in grain offerings (Leviticus 2:13), the text here suggests a more generous application. Salt wasn't just about taste; it represented something deeper.
A Perpetual Covenant
Ancient Near Eastern cultures understood salt as a symbol of permanence and faithfulness. When covenants were made, salt often sealed the agreement, signifying an unbreakable bond. Offering sacrifices with salt underscored the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people and the lasting value of the sacrifice.
Purity and Preservation
Salt also has properties of purification and preservation. In the context of sacrifice, it pointed to the need for purity in worship and symbolized the desire for the offering to be well-pleasing and incorruptible before the Lord.
What does it mean for an offering to be 'wholly consumed' and what does that reveal about God?
The burnt offering, described in Ezekiel 43:24, was unique among the Old Testament sacrifices.
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A Complete Devotion
Unlike other offerings where parts might be eaten by priests or worshippers, the entirety of the burnt offering was consumed by fire on the altar. This complete destruction symbolized the worshipper's total surrender and devotion to God.
God's Undivided Claim
This radical consumption pointed to God's sovereign right over all things. It was a declaration that nothing less than everything was acceptable to Him. The fire from God, consuming the offering, also signified His acceptance and presence with His people.
Foreshadowing Christ's Sacrifice
This complete offering finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. His sacrifice was not partial; He gave His all. As Hebrews 10:14 states, 'For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being made holy.'
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God (YHWH), revealed to Israel as the Self-Existent One who keeps His promises and dwells in the midst of His people.
olah · Hebrew Noun
A sacrifice wholly consumed by fire, symbolizing the total dedication and surrender of the offerer to God, as well as an atonement that produces a 'pleasing aroma' to the Lord.
melach · Hebrew Noun
A substance often associated with the covenant, symbolizing preservation, purity, and permanence in one's relationship with God; it was required to be added to sacrifices to signify the 'covenant of salt.'
Ezekiel's detailed vision of a future Temple and its rituals, including the specific instruction to sprinkle salt on sacrifices, arises from the deep trauma of the Temple's destruction and the exile. It speaks to a people longing for God's presence and seeking to understand how worship could be restored, even with the loss of the original Temple.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of Judah's elite are exiled to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity and the loss of the Jerusalem Temple.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, conquer Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and exile more of the population. This event is a profound crisis for Jewish identity and worship.
c. 571 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Prophecies
Ezekiel, an exiled priest, receives visions of God's glory departing and returning to a future Temple, offering hope amidst despair and outlining divine justice and restoration.
c. 538 BC
Cyrus Cylinder Issued
Cyrus the Great allows exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples, initiating the return from Babylonian exile.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
Under Zerubbabel, the returned exiles complete the construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, a symbol of renewed covenant and worship.
This passage directly states the requirement to salt all grain offerings, establishing the foundational practice that Ezekiel's vision expands upon for burnt offerings.
Jesus speaks of being salted with fire, connecting the idea of salt to purification and preservation in a spiritual context, echoing its use in sacrifices.
This verse mentions a covenant of salt in relation to the priesthood, highlighting the symbolic connection between salt, covenant, and God's appointed ministers, similar to the priestly role in Ezekiel.
Hebrews 10:14This New Testament passage contrasts the Levitical sacrifices with Christ's perfect, singular offering, helping us understand that the rituals in Ezekiel point towards the ultimate atonement found in Jesus.
barnesEzekiel 43:24: "And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD."
Salt is here added to the "burnt-offering" to express still more the idea of purification. In the second temple no sacrifice was complete without the use of salt, and the rabbis assert that there was a great heap of salt close to the altar, always ready for use, and that the inclined plane to the altar was kept covered with salt.…
ellicottEzekiel 43:24: "And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD."
(24) Cast salt. —The word means throw or pour, indicating a more copious use of salt than the seasoning ordained by the law ( Leviticus 2:13 ).
It's easy to see the salt as just seasoning, but here it symbolizes the enduring, incorruptible nature of God's covenant. The priests' act of "casting" salt, not just sprinkling, emphasizes that this preservation and faithfulness are abundant and essential to every offering before the Lord.
In this vision of the restored temple, Ezekiel has just witnessed instructions for the consecration of the altar. Following those specifics, this verse details the ongoing ritual for offerings, emphasizing the priests' role in presenting them to the Lord. The inclusion of salt, a requirement from the Law, signifies purification and the enduring nature of the covenant, connecting this future worship back to God's ancient promises.
In this vision of the restored temple, Ezekiel has just witnessed instructions for the consecration of the altar. Following those specifics, this verse details the ongoing ritual for offerings, emphasizing the priests' role in presenting them to the Lord. The inclusion of salt, a requirement from the Law, signifies purification and the enduring nature of the covenant, connecting this future worship back to God's ancient promises.
"You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD." — It's easy to see the salt as just seasoning, but here it symbolizes the enduring, incorruptible nature of God's covenant. The priests' act of "casting" salt, not just sprinkling, emphasizes that this…
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Last reviewed October 2026