Good News Translation has restructured and shortened this verse considerably. The future tense at the beginning of this verse becomes an imperative. The qualifying word cereal is omitted because it is unnecessary in the larger context. Similarly, made of these things has been left implicit. Finally the temporal clause starting with when… has also been made into an imperative to make a more natural-sounding sentence. The final independent clause of Revised Standard Version becomes a relative clause in the dynamic rendering. While the meaning remains the same and flows much more naturally in Good News Translation, some may feel that this structure tends to downplay the role of the priest in bringing the offering to the altar.

Made of these things: this may be understood in two different ways. It may be taken to refer only to the last-mentioned kind of grain sacrifice and meaning “made in this way” or made of these things (that is, the way or the materials described in verse 7). If this interpretation is adopted, this verse would be a continuation of the paragraph started in verse 7, as in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible, and many other versions. Although this interpretation is probably best, some scholars understand it to refer to any of the three ways mentioned in the preceding verses. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, translates “made in any of these ways” and makes this a new paragraph. An American Translation and New American Bible read the same but without making a new paragraph. This solution is also adopted by certain other versions. Moffatt begins the verse “all these cereal offerings….”

The preparation and cooking would have been done at home, and then the finished product was brought to the Tent of the LORD’s presence for the ceremonial offering. There is a change from second person singular to third person singular in the second part of this verse in the original, and this corresponds with the change of place from the home of the offerer to the Tent.

To the LORD: some translations have rendered this phrase “to the sanctuary,” since that is where the LORD was thought to be present in a special way (see 1.5). And it should be remembered that in many languages it is necessary to say “to me” when direct discourse is being used.

Presented to the priest: that which is offered to God could not be presented directly by the lay person. It was necessary to have the priest as an intermediary in making this presentation.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is similar to the last part of verse 2 above, but the following slight differences are important and should be noted by the translator: (1) This verse has the additional clause shall take from the cereal offering … and. (2) The words its memorial portion are a complement of the verb take from in this additional phrase rather than of the verb “to burn” as in verse 2b. The receptor-language translation should reflect these differences.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is identical with verse 3 above and should be translated in the same way, unless there is something in the immediate context that requires slightly different wording in the receptor language.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verses 11-16 present a somewhat disjointed text in which subjects introduced are tied together by an association of ideas instead of being handled in a logical, systematic way. Grammatically there is a switch from the second person plural (in verses 11-12) to the second person singular (in verses 13-15). Because of the nature of modern English, this shift is not seen in our translations, but in King James Version it is apparent in the use of “ye” for the plural and “thou/thy” for the singular. This kind of shift is common in Old Testament texts and is thought by some scholars to reflect different source documents. However, what is important in translation is to decide whether or not the persons referred to by these pronouns are the same or different. Since they are thought to be the same, the translation must reflect that fact and avoid confusing the reader. Some languages will use the singular throughout while others will have the plural. Naturalness in the receptor language will determine the translator’s choice.

No cereal offering … shall be made with leaven: the word for leaven (“yeast”) here is not the same as in verse 4 above. The previous verse has a word meaning “bread made without yeast.” In this verse two other words are used. The first literally means “that which is sour” (a very similar word is used in Hebrew for “vinegar”), and the second is the name of the product (yeast) that causes things to ferment or to become sour. The first term is translated in New English Bible as “anything that ferments,” which brings out the general nature of the word in Hebrew. The second term is then specifically translated leaven. After understanding the ideas involved, translators should simply translate them as naturally as possible in their language.

Honey: this word is used both of honey from bees and a kind of concentrated fruit syrup made from raisins or dates. In the context of this chapter on grain offerings, the second meaning is preferred by some scholars, but most simply translate it honey. Honey and yeast are to be understood here as two separate items and not as a mixture. However, they are mentioned together probably because they both involve fermentation. Some languages distinguish between honey found in the forest and that which is bought in stores. In this context the term for natural wild honey is clearly more appropriate.

The point of forbidding the offering of yeast and honey was that they could not be burned. Things that ferment, like the blood of the animals offered in sacrifice (see 17.11), were thought to have a life of their own and were therefore excluded from those items that could be offered by fire to God.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is in contrast with the preceding one because it does not involve burning. Therefore it may be well to introduce it with a conjunction like “However” or “But.”

You may bring them: as in Revised Standard Version, many versions interpret this verb as giving permission rather than actually requiring that the first fruits be brought to the LORD. Others, however, see it as a strict requirement. In addition to Good News Translation and a number of French versions, the following English renderings should be noted: “you shall bring them” (New American Standard Bible) and “you shall present them” (New English Bible). It is also worthy of note that while the English version of Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible have “you may offer them,” both the 1955 and the 1973 French version of La Bible de Jérusalem have “you shall offer them.” In many languages the passive of Good News Translation will not be a possible solution. If this is the case, probably an expression indicating permission as in Revised Standard Version is best.

Them: this pronoun seems to refer to the grain offerings made with yeast or honey mentioned in verse 11. They are acceptable as first fruits but are not to be burned on the altar.

First fruits: the first fruits were regularly offered by the people of Israel at their yearly harvest festival which is sometimes known as the Festival of Weeks (Lev 23.15-22). The first grain harvested, like the first born animal or child, was thought to belong particularly to the LORD. The word used here is not the same as in verse 14. In this case it means simply “beginning” but refers to grain in this context. In other contexts it is used to refer to wine, oil, and honey as well as to grain (2 Chr 31.5). In these cases they seem not to have been burned, even partially, on the altar. Probably they were simply given to the priests to be presented to God before they ate them.

For a pleasing odor: because this is repetitious and is a part of what is being negated, Good News Translation has seen fit to omit it. Other languages may also prefer to leave this information implicit.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Season … with salt: the origin and meaning of this custom of putting salt on offerings to God is not certain. But it was an ancient ritual practice in other groups as well as among the Jews. Salt was used to symbolize consecration and making something permanent. The basic idea probably came from the fact that salt was used to conserve food (in contrast with the fermentation brought about by honey and yeast). A “covenant of salt” meant a permanent agreement (see Num 18.19 and 2 Chr 13.5) which could not be broken or modified. Good News Translation has made explicit the fact that putting salt on offerings made to God “represents the covenant.” An even more explicit translation may say something like “because salt is a sign of the permanent covenant which God (or, I) made with you” or “since salt is a sign that the covenant which God (or, I) made with you will last forever.”

Covenant: the concept of covenant is central to the thought of the Old Testament. The term has to do with a compact or formal agreement between two parties. Each party commits himself to undertake certain things on behalf of the other. And this commitment was sealed by an oath. The word used here originally had to do with “binding” or an “obligation.”

You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be lacking from your cereal offering: this is a redundant and rather awkward way of saying the same thing as the first clause of this verse, but with the addition of the expression the salt of the covenant with your God. The two are reduced to one and translated simply at the beginning of the verse in Good News Translation as “Put salt on every grain offering.” But in some languages the repetition may be acceptable. In fact, it may serve to emphasize the importance of the statement. The expression the salt of the covenant with your God will need to be clarified so that the reader understands that salt represents the mutual commitment between God and his people Israel. Some languages may say “do not leave the salt out of your offerings to God because the salt should remind you of your agreement with God.”

With all your offerings: the final statement becomes a parenthetical one in Good News Translation. This sets it off as a more general requirement than has been given up to this point. Translators should make it clear that the requirement is not limited to grain offerings, but that all offerings are to be accompanied by salt. In some languages a good model may be “Indeed, you must put salt on all your offerings.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The words of this verse are reordered in Good News Translation so that cereal is represented by “grain” later on in the verse, and the expressions cereal offering and first fruits are not repeated as in Revised Standard Version. This produces a shorter and clearer sentence that should probably be followed in other dynamic translations.

First fruits: this is the more technical term for the first grain gathered at the beginning of the harvest period. But the meaning is essentially the same as the word translated “first fruits” in verse 12.

Crushed new grain from fresh ears, parched with fire: the text is difficult and may be understood in two different ways. Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible give the impression that there were two possible kinds of offerings—either roasted grain or ground meal. Revised Standard Version and most other versions seem to indicate that only one kind of offering was involved—meal from fresh grain that is first roasted and then ground or pounded. Either interpretation is acceptable.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is essentially the same as 1b above. However, the subject in this case is second person singular in keeping with the section beginning at verse 13. In verse 1, however, it is third person singular and refers to “anyone.”

Note that the final clause, it is a cereal offering, has been omitted by Good News Translation as being redundant. But in many languages such repetition may be quite natural and should be retained.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .