This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.

LEVITICUS 6:20KJV
Know the Bible

Leviticus 6:20 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 6:20 mean?

Leviticus 6:20 describes a special grain offering that Aaron and his sons, the priests, must bring to the LORD on the day one of them is anointed for service. The offering is a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, divided in half—half given in the morning and half at night—as a continual practice.

God is speaking to Moses, giving instructions about priestly duties in the tabernacle. This verse sets out a daily ritual for newly anointed priests, showing that their service begins and continues with an act of dedication. The specific amount and timing of the offering highlight the ongoing, daily nature of the priests’ commitment to God.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 6:20

  • "offering" (קָרְבָּן, qorban): This word means something brought near or presented, emphasizing that the priests' act is about drawing close to God.
  • "anointed" (מָשַׁח, mashach): This word refers to being set apart or consecrated with oil, marking the start of a priest’s special role.
  • "perpetual" (תָּמִיד, tamid): This word means continual or ongoing, showing that this offering is not a one-time event but a lasting requirement for every new priest.

Why Leviticus 6:20 matters

  • Leviticus 6:20 clarifies that the priests themselves needed to make offerings, not just the people, showing their own need for dedication and purity.
  • The verse connects the act of being anointed (set apart for God’s service) with a daily, repeated act of worship, underlining the seriousness and constancy of the priestly role.
  • By specifying both morning and evening, the verse ties the priests’ service to the daily rhythm of worship in Israel, linking their personal dedication to the community’s ongoing relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“half” Hebrew H4276 · used in 14 verses

  • Exodus 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary:(a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
  • Numbers 31:29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.
  • Joshua 21:25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities.

“part” Hebrew H6224 · used in 26 verses

  • Genesis 8:5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
  • Deuteronomy 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
  • Isaiah 6:13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

“ephah” Hebrew H374 · used in 29 verses

  • Exodus 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
  • 1 Samuel 1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
  • Ezekiel 46:7 And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

“flour” Hebrew H5560 · used in 52 verses

  • Genesis 18:6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
  • Numbers 7:13 And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • Numbers 28:9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: