Leviticus 2:13

And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God commands Moses and the Israelite priesthood at the tabernacle regarding the preparation of grain offerings. This instruction immediately follows regulations for firstfruits offerings that are not burned as a pleasing aroma.

The words — The Hebrew תִמְלָח (tim.Lach) means "you will salt," and מֶלַח הַבְּרִית (Me.lach ha.Berit) translates literally to "salt of the covenant." These terms explicitly command the physical addition of salt to every grain offering.

The thread — Leviticus 2:13 requires salt in grain offerings, while Ezekiel 43:24 commands priests to sprinkle salt on burnt offerings. The New Testament later applies the salt imagery to believers in Matthew 5:13 and to gracious speech in Colossians 4:6.

Why it lands — The text mandates that no grain offering proceeds without salt. Readers must implement consistent physical obedience to the command rather than treating it as optional or purely symbolic.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְכָל־ve./kholand/ every קָרְבַּ֣ןka.re.Banpresent of מִנְחָתְךָ֮min.cha.te./Khagrain offering/ your בַּמֶּ֣לַחba./Me.lachwith <the>/ salt תִּמְלָח֒tim.Lachyou will salt וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not תַשְׁבִּ֗יתtash.Bityou must cause to cease מֶ֚לַחMe.lach[the] salt of בְּרִ֣יתbe.Rit[the] covenant of אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your מֵעַ֖לme./'Alfrom/ on מִנְחָתֶ֑ךָmin.cha.Te./khagrain offering/ your עַ֥ל'alwith כָּל־kol-every קָרְבָּנְךָ֖ka.re.ba.ne./Chapresent/ your תַּקְרִ֥יבtak.Rivyou will present מֶֽלַח׃ סMe.lachsalt

King James Version

And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 43:24 You must present them before the LORD; the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the LORD.
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Mark 9:49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
Numbers 18:19 All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.”
2 Chronicles 13:5 Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?
Ezra 7:22 up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.