then he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil;
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed here is that the meat offering wasn't just about flour, but also oil, which symbolized blessing and favor. This combination points to a holistic offering—not just giving food, but acknowledging God's abundant provision and seeking His good pleasure.
then he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil;
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is giving Moses precise instructions for offerings, specifying amounts of flour and oil for sacrifices. This passage clarifies the exact proportions for a grain offering that would accompany other sacrifices, ensuring uniformity whether the offering was a votive, freewill, or part of a festival. It emphasizes that these precise regulations applied equally to Israelites and any foreigners living among them who wished to worship the Lord.
Did you know that many sacrifices weren't just about the animal? This verse reveals that God intentionally prescribed specific additions, even to seemingly simple offerings.
In this passage, we see that when an individual brought an offering (whether for a vow, a freewill offering, or a solemn feast), it wasn't complete without a grain offering and a drink offering.
The Law of Offerings:
God was meticulous about the details of worship, teaching the Israelites that every aspect, even the seemingly secondary elements like flour, oil, and wine, had profound meaning and were to be offered with care and proportion.
Imagine a time when who you were - native or foreigner - could dictate your access to God. This passage challenges that by emphasizing a unified approach to worship.
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The instructions here aren't just for the Israelites; they extend to all who dwell among them.
One Law for All:
Understand the original words
minchah · Hebrew Noun
An offering consisting of processed agricultural produce (flour), symbolizing the dedication of the fruit of one’s labor to God.
This passage introduces the concept of the 'grain offering' (or 'meat offering'), explaining its components of fine flour and oil, directly paralleling the ingredients mentioned in Numbers 15:4 and highlighting its purpose as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Exodus 29:40This verse specifies the amount of flour and oil to be offered with the daily lamb sacrifice, establishing a precedent for the proportions of these elements that are then applied to other offerings in Numbers 15.
Leviticus 23:13This passage details the grain and drink offerings for the Passover feast, showing how specific quantities of flour, oil, and wine were consistently associated with the sacrifices during Israel's appointed times.
Numbers 15:14-16This section emphasizes that the same laws and ordinances, including the prescribed offerings of flour and oil, applied equally to Israelites and to foreigners living among them, underscoring unity in worship before the Lord.
calvinNumbers 15:1-16: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:
Et facere voletis oblationem ignitam Jehovae holocaustum vel sacrificium, ut solvatis votum aut sponte vestra, ant in solennitatibus vestris, ut faciatis odorem quietis Jehovae de bobus aut ex pecudibus:
Th…
ellicottNumbers 15:4: "Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil."
(4) A meat offering of a tenth deal of flour . . . — The meal offering and the drink offering which are here ordered to be brought when a lamb was offered in performance of a vow, or as a free will offering, or at the solemn feasts, are the same as those which were appointed to be offered with the morning and evening lamb. ( Exodus…
What's easily missed here is that the meat offering wasn't just about flour, but also oil, which symbolized blessing and favor. This combination points to a holistic offering—not just giving food, but acknowledging God's abundant provision and seeking His good pleasure.
God is giving Moses precise instructions for offerings, specifying amounts of flour and oil for sacrifices. This passage clarifies the exact proportions for a grain offering that would accompany other sacrifices, ensuring uniformity whether the offering was a votive, freewill, or part of a festival. It emphasizes that these precise regulations applied equally to Israelites and any foreigners living among them who wished to worship the Lord.
God is giving Moses precise instructions for offerings, specifying amounts of flour and oil for sacrifices. This passage clarifies the exact proportions for a grain offering that would accompany other sacrifices, ensuring uniformity whether the offering was a votive, freewill, or part of a festival. It emphasizes that these precise regulations applied equally to Israelites and any foreigners living among them who wished to worship the Lord.
"then he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil;" — What's easily missed here is that the meat offering wasn't just about flour, but also oil, which symbolized blessing and favor. This combination points to a holistic offering—not just giving food, bu…
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Last reviewed October 2026