"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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