Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMcClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Offerings
Subjects in this Topic:
SEE OFFERING.
I. Waving before Jehovah ( äֵðַé ìַôְðֵé éְäåֹä or úְּðåּôָä ) occurs as a special ceremony by the priests in the Jewish ritual not only in connection with meat-offerings (Exo_29:24 [Lev_8:27]; Num_5:25), in the case of the first-fruits and the first-born (Lev_23:11 sq.), but also of bloody offerings, whether (especially in thank- offerings) of single pieces only, as the breast or right shoulder or fore-leg (Exo_29:26 sq.; Lev_7:30; Lev_7:34; Lev_9:21; Lev_10:14; Num_6:20), or of the whole animal (a lamb, Lev_19:12; Lev_19:24; Lev_23:23), which was waved before Jehovah in token of presentation; and this principle extended even to the persons of the Levites as an initiatory rite to their office (Num_8:11; Num_8:15). The waving in case of meat-offerings or pieces of animals was performed upon (with) the hands (Exo_29:24; Lev_8:27; according to the rabbins, it was held upon the hands of the offerers, beneath which were placed those of the priest [Tosi4phta, Menach. 7:17], so as to fiulfil the requirement of Exo_29:24; Num_6:19-20; while whole animals were waved by the hands of the priest alone [Mishna, Menach. 5:6]); each having previously been laid upon the altar; in the case of whole animals this was done before slaughtering them (Lev_14:12; Leviticus cf., 24 sq.). It consisted, according to the rabbins (Mishna, Meienach. 5:6), like the porricere of the Romans (Macrob. Sat. 3:2), also the obmovere or commovere (Cato, Res Rust. 134) in certain respects (Zorn, Biblioth. Antiq. 1:74), of a forward and backward motion upward of the articles; while living objects were simply moved to and fro. Whether the motion was ever to the right and left is uncertain, although the import of the word äֵðַé (see Isa_30:28; Deuteronomy 20:25) would justify such an opinion, which, moreover, would be highly significant. The act, at all events, indicates a festive surrender to Jehovah as a personal service like the peace-offering; beyond this all is speculation (Bahr, Symbol. 2:376 sq.; see Reland, Antiq. Sacr. page 276). See WAVE- OFFERING.
II. Heaving ( äֵøַéí or úְּøåּîָä ) is associated with the tossing (Exo_29:27), as the heave-shoulder ( äִúְּøåּîָä ùׁåֹ÷ ) occurs almor, with the wave-breast (Exo_29:27; Lev_7:30; Lev_7:32; Lev_7:34), and what is called (Exo_38:24) wave-gold is also called heave-gold (Num_31:52). Indeed, the Jews scarcely distinguish between the two ( úְּøåּîֶä and úְּðåּôָä ) as ritualistic acts, but explain each as an upward and downward motion (Mishna, Menach. 5:6), a sort of elevatio. Both would thus stand as generally expressive of supreme consecration to God as the universal Owner and Giver (see Gesenius, Thesaur. page 866; Bahr, Symbolik, 2:355 sq.; 377). Some moderns incorrectly regard the two acts as identical (Jahn, Archaol. 3:38), or take "heaving" ( äֵøַéí ) in the vague sense of offerre or auferre (like Gesenius, Thesaur. page 1277), and connect äåּøִí , Exo_29:27, with îֵàֵéì äִîַּìּàַéí , contrary to the accents and the parallelism; but see Kurtz, Mos. Opfer, page 146 sq. SEE HEAVE-OFFERING.