II.II.1.  In the Pentateuch the sacrificial ritual is indeed copiously described, but nowhere in the Old Testament is its significance formally explained; this is treated as on the whole self-evident and familiar to every one.  The general notion of a sacrifice is in the Priestly Code that of qorban, in the rest of the Old Testament that of minha, 1 ie., “gift;”

*************************************** 1.  Genesis iv. 3-5, Numbers xvi. 15; 1Samuel ii. 17, 29, xxvi. 19; Isaiah i. 13; Malachi i. 10-13, ii. 12, 13, iii. 3, 4.  In the Priestly Code minha is exclusively a terminus technicus for the meal-offering.  The general name in the LXX and in the New Testament is DWRON (Matthew v. 23-24, viii. 4, xv. 5, xxiii. 18, 19).  Compare Spencer, “De ratione et origine sacrificiorum” (De Legibus Hebraeorum ritualibus, iii.2), by far the best thing that has ever been written on the subject. ***************************************

the corresponding verbs are haqrib and haggish, i.e., “to bring near.”  Both nouns and both verbs are used originally for the offering of a present to the king (or the nobles) to do him homage, to make him gracious, to support a petition (Judges iii. 17 seq.; 1Samuel x. 27; 1Kings v. 1 [A.V. iv.21]), and from this are employed with reference to the highest King (Malachi i.8).

DWRA QEOUS PEIQAI, DWR’ )AIDOIOUS BASILHAS

The gift must not be unseasonably or awkwardly thrust upon the recipient, not when the king’s anger is at white heat, and not by one the sight of whom he hates.

With respect to the matter of it, the idea of a sacrifice is in itself indifferent, if the thing offered only have value of some sort, and is the property of the offerer.  Under qorban and minha is included also that which the Greeks called anathema.  The sacred dues which at a later date fall to the priest were without doubt originally ordinary offerings, and amongst these are found even wool and flax (Deut. xviii. 4; Hos. ii. 7, 11 [A.V. 5, 9] ).  But it is quite in harmony with the naivete of antiquity that as to man so also to God that which is eatable is by preference offered; in this there was the additional advantage, that what God had caused to grow was thus rendered back to Him.  In doing this, the regular form observed is that a meal is prepared in honour of the Deity, of which man partakes as God’s guest.  Offering without any qualifying expression always means a meat or drink offering.  On this account the altar is called a table, on this account also salt goes along with flesh, oil with meal and bread, and wine with both; and thus also are we to explain why the flesh, according to rule, is put upon the altar in pieces and (in the earlier period) boiled, the corn ground or baked.  Hence also the name “bread of Jehovah” for the offering (Leviticus xxi.22).  It is of course true that “in his offering the enlightened Hebrew saw no banquet to Jehovah:”  but we hardly think of taking the enlightened Protestant as a standard for the original character of Protestantism.