"Offer" and
"Offerings".
This Is
Appendix 43 From The Companion Bible.
There
are some twenty-four Hebrew words, more or less synonymous, which are
translated "offer" and "offering"
in the Hebrew Old Testament. These Hebrew words are also translated in
other ways, so that it is important for the truth-seeker to know, in
every passage, which word is used.
The
various words are noted in the margin, except when they are clearly
translated by their distinctive meanings, such as burnt-offering,
peace-offering, heave-offering, etc.
The VERB "to offer".
Karab means to draw near, but in the
Hiphil conjugation to make to approach, or draw
near : hence, to bring near. See Korban
No. II. i. below.
- Nagash = to come near, after having
been so brought, that is to say, to enjoy the presence which the Korban
(see below II. i.) has secured. Compare Jeremiah 30:21
where we have both words. Hence used of coming near
with offerings. Compare Greek engizo, Hebrews 7:19,
and prosphero, Matthew 2:11;
5:23;
8:4.
Mark 1:44.
Luke 5:14.
John 16:2.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews it is used twenty times in a
sacrificial sense, except Hebrews 12:7,
"God brings you near as sons". See also
Hebrews 9:14,
28.
Used also of the sinner's approach to God by offering, Hebrews 4:16;
7:25;
10:1, 22;
11:6.
- Asah, to make ready or prepare
a victim for sacrifice; to make a victim a specific offering. Hence,
to offer. First occurrence in Exodus 10:25
(sacrifice). Then Exodus 29:36,
38, 39
(offer), etc.
- Zabach, to slay [and offer up]; hence to
offer what has been slain; to sacrifice. Hence No. xii.
below.
- Shahat, to kill or slay (as a butcher);
used of men as well as of animals. Judges 12:6.
1Kings
18:40.
First occurrence Genesis 22:10;
37:31.
Then Exodus 12:6.
- 'Alah = to offer up, especially a burnt
offering, from its name in II. ii. below.
- Katar = to burn or turn into
vapour. Used of the incense which = Kethoreth,
but also of the 'Olah (II. ii) and parts of the Minchah
(II. iii.) and the Zebach (II. xii.) because these
ascended to Jehovah.
- Saraph is used of burning up (or rather, down)
the sin-offering, because nothing ascended up to God in that
offering.
- Rum, to offer up as
a heave-offering.
-
The NOUN "offering".
- Korban a gift, or an admittance-offering:
from
I. i. above. It is the present brought, to this day in the East, in
order to secure an audience, or to see the face of the superior, and
find access to his presence. Hence called to-day, "the face-offering
". When the admittance has been secured and entrance has
been obtained, then the real offering or present has to be given.
Hence Korban is essentially an admittance-offering;
securing the entree. Compare the verb, Judges 3:18.
Compare its use in New Testament, Matthew 5:23;
8:4;
23:18.
Mark 7:11.
Hebrews 5:1.
- 'Olah = the burnt offering:
so called from the Hiphil of the verb 'alah, to cause to
ascend [as the flame and smoke ascend by burning]. In
Greek holocausta, which conveys its meaning as being wholly
burnt.
- Minchah = the Meal offering =
a present, assuch. Hence a gift-offering, not necessarily to secure
admittance, but to secure favour. It might be sacrifice by blood, or
more generally and later, without blood. It is used of the offerings
of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3,
4, 5),
of Jacob's present to Esau (Genesis 32:13-21),
etc. In Exodus and Leviticus it acquires a special limitation, and
is the only word rendered "meat", or better (with Revised
Version), "meal-offering" (though it has a wider
signification than literal "meal").
- Shelem = the Peace offering, from
the root Shalam, which conveys the idea of peace on
the ground of perfection of compensation or recompense. Hence
connected with the thought of rendering payment of vows or praises
because of peace enjoyed. Sometimes combined with Zebach (No.
xii, below). It is eucharistic rather than propitiatory.
- Chattath = the Sin offering from
chatt'a to sin coming short of, by missing
the mark in sins of commission. In the Piel it means to purge
from such sin (Psalm 51:7).
In the 'Olah (II. ii) the blood went upward, in
the chattath it went downward and outward
"without the camp". The former was burnt up on the
altar, the latter went down on the ground.
- 'Asam = the Trespass offering. Relates
to sins of omission, while chattath relates to
sins of commission = sin in general; 'Asham sin
in relation to Mosaic Law; sins of error arising from ignorance or
negligence.
- Nedabah
= Free-will or Voluntary offerings. See
Leviticus 22:18,
etc. It refers not to the nature or mode of the
offering, but to the motive. Not the same as Leviticus 1:4,
"voluntary will", which = "for his acceptance".
- Terumah
= the Heave offering. So
called because it was lifted up on high in presentation to
Jehovah for Himself alone. See I. ix. above and Exodus 29:27.
- Tenuphah
= the Wave offering,
because it was waved to and fro (not up and down like No. viii), and
presented for the four quarters of the earth.
- Nesek = the Drink offering. From
nasak, to pour out. Compare Psalm 2:6
(set). Philippians 2:17.
2Timothy
4:6.
- 'Ishsheh = any
offering made by fire (compare Exodus 29:18.
Leviticus 24:7,
9).
- Zebach = any offering slain
(from No. II. iv, above). The proper word for a victim, slain
and offered. The Hebrew name for altar (mizbeah) is
derived from the same root, and denotes the place of slaughter.
Compare Genesis 22.
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