Lexical Summary pathath: To open, to break, to loosen Original Word: פָתַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance participle A primitive root; to open, i.e. Break -- participle NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to break up, crumble NASB Translation break (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָּתַת] verb break up, crumble (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic  ; Ethiopic  ; Syriac  ); — Qal Infinitive absolute of bread of מָּתוֺת אֹתָהּ מִּתִּים ׃מִנְתָה Leviticus 2:6. Topical Lexicon Canonical Setting The verb occurs once, within the legislation for the grain offering (Leviticus 2:6). Its placement in the opening chapters of Leviticus situates it among the foundational prescriptions governing Israel’s worship life at Sinai. The instruction regulates what was to be done after the unleavened cakes or wafers were baked: they had to be intentionally broken before they were placed on the altar. Cultic Function in Leviticus The grain offering (minchah) expressed gratitude for daily provision and acknowledged the LORD as the source of Israel’s sustenance. The breaking of the cakes served two practical purposes: 1. It facilitated the mixing of oil throughout the entire sacrifice, ensuring every fragment was permeated with the costly liquid that symbolized joy and divine favor. “Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.” (Leviticus 2:6) Symbolic Meaning of Breaking The deliberate fragmentation of the cakes portrayed humility and surrender. Whole loaves could symbolize self-sufficiency, but crumbled pieces illustrated dependence upon God for every “fragment” of life (Deuteronomy 8:3). The outward act reinforced the inward posture called for in Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” Christological Foreshadowing In the Last Supper Jesus “took bread, and after giving thanks He broke it” (Matthew 26:26). The deliberate breaking in Leviticus anticipates the Messiah’s own voluntary self-giving: “This is My body, which is for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24). As oil permeated each fragment, so the Holy Spirit descended on the Son without measure (John 1:33), saturating His entire ministry. The grain offering, therefore, becomes a silent witness to the Incarnation—perfect humanity empowered by the Spirit and wholly yielded to the Father. Wider Biblical Resonances • The widow of Zarephath’s handful of flour (1 Kings 17:12-16) mirrors the theme of limited resources multiplied when offered to God. Practical Ministry Insights 1. Worship incorporates tangible acts that teach theological truth. Leaders should not neglect physical symbols that reinforce spiritual realities. Devotional Application Each time the bread of Communion is broken, worshipers are invited to remember both the Levitical shadow and its fulfillment in the cross. Personal brokenness—repentance, yieldedness, and dependence—invites the Spirit’s oil to flow, turning even small offerings of service into fragrant memorials before the Lord (Philippians 4:18). Forms and Transliterations פָּת֤וֹת פתות pā·ṯō·wṯ paTot pāṯōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 2:6 HEB: פָּת֤וֹת אֹתָהּ֙ פִּתִּ֔ים NAS: you shall break it into bits and pour KJV: Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour INT: shall break bits and pour 1 Occurrence |
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