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Wave Offering in Leviticus and Its Significance

The wave offering (Hebrew: tenufah) was a ritual act in ancient Israelite worship, frequently accompanying peace offerings, where specific parts of a sacrifice or other dedicated items were presented to the Lord through a waving motion [3, 4]. This offering signified a solemn presentation to God, after which the waved items often became the property of the priests [4].

Scriptural notices of the wave offering appear in various books, including Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers [3]. For instance, Leviticus 7:34 states that "the breast of the wave-offering, and the leg of the heave-offering" were taken from the peace offerings of the Israelites and given to Aaron and his sons as a perpetual statute [2]. Similarly, Leviticus 10:15 mentions the breast of the wave-offering being brought before the Lord [1]. The act of waving involved moving the offering "to and fro" [9], distinct from the heave offering, which involved an "up and down" motion [6]. Some rabbinic traditions suggest that the priest would place the fats of the offering upon the hand of the owner, with the breast and thigh above them, and then wave them [7].

Various items were designated as wave offerings. These included the breast of peace offerings [5, 2], the breast and sometimes the right shoulder of the priest's consecration ram [5, 9], and the left shoulder of a Nazarite's peace offering [5]. Firstfruits were also presented as wave offerings, such as a sheaf of barley at the Feast of Pentecost and wheat bread at the Passover [4, 5]. The jealousy offering and the leper's trespass offering also involved waving [5]. In the consecration of the Levites, Aaron was to "wave" them before the Lord as a wave offering, signifying their dedication to God's service [10, 11].

The theological significance of the wave offering is interpreted in different ways. Some scholars suggest that the waving motion symbolized the offering belonging to the "Lord of the whole earth" [10]. The items waved were considered tribute imposed by God and then given to the priests as their rightful share [8]. One Methodist commentary speculates that the "to and fro" motion of the wave offering, combined with the "up and down" motion of the heave offering, might have symbolically represented the figure of the cross, anticipating Christ's sacrifice [9]. The phrase "to be accepted for you" (Leviticus 23:11) in connection with the wave offering of the sheaf is interpreted by some as meaning the offering should be made willingly [13]. The requirement for waving applied not only to those born Jewish but also to converts and emancipated slaves who brought offerings [12].

Sources

  1. Leviticus “Leviticus 10:15 (YLT) — the leg of the heave-offering, and breast of the wave-offering, besides fire-offerings of the fat, they do bring in to wave a wave-offering before Jehovah, and it hath been to thee, and to thy sons with thee, by a statute age-during, as Jehovah hath commanded.'”
  2. Leviticus “Leviticus 7:34 (YLT) — `For the breast of the wave-offering, and the leg of the heave-offering, I have taken from the sons of Israel, from the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, and I give them to Aaron the priest, and to his sons, by a statute age-during, from the sons of Israel.'”
  3. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Wave Offering — This rite, together with that of "heaving" or "raising" the offering was an inseparable accompaniment of peace offerings. In such the right shoulder, considered the choicest part of the victim, was to be ("heaved," and viewed as holy to the Lord, only eaten therefore by the priest: the breast was to be "waved," and eaten by the worshipper. The scriptural notices of these rites are to be found in (Exodus 29:24,28; Leviticus 7:30,34; 8:27; 9:21; 10:14,15; 23:10,15,20; Numbers 6:20; 18:11,18,26-29) etc. In conjecturing the meaning of this rite, regard mus”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Wave offerings — Parts of peace-offerings were so called, because they were waved by the priests (Ex. 29:24, 26, 27; Lev. 7:20-34; 8:27; 9:21; 10:14, 15, etc.), in token of a solemn special presentation to God. They then became the property of the priests. The first-fruits, a sheaf of barley, offered at the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:17-20), and wheat-bread, the first-fruits of the second harvest, offered at the Passover (10-14), were wave-offerings.”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wave Offering — Placed in the hand of the priest and waved before the Lord -- Ex 29:24; Le 8:27. Consisted of The fat, right shoulder, &c of the priest's consecration ram. -- Ex 29:22,23; Le 8:25,26. The breast of the priest's consecration ram. -- Ex 29:26; Le 8:29. The breast of all peace offerings. -- Le 7:30; 9:18,21; 6:17,20. Left shoulder, of Nazarite's peace offering. -- Nu 6:17,19. The first fruits of barely harvest. -- Le 23:10,11. The first fruits of wheaten bread. -- Le 23:20. The Jealousy offering. -- Nu 5:25. The leper's trespass offering. -- Le 14:12,24.”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Heave offering — Heb. terumah, (Ex. 29:27) means simply an offering, a present, including all the offerings made by the Israelites as a present. This Hebrew word is frequently employed. Some of the rabbis attach to the word the meaning of elevation, and refer it to the heave offering, which consisted in presenting the offering by a motion up and down, distinguished from the wave offering, which consisted in a repeated movement in a horizontal direction, a "wave offering to the Lord as ruler of earth, a heave offering to the Lord as ruler of heaven." The right shoulde”
  7. Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Leviticus 7:30: THE FAT UPON THE BREAST. It appears from this verse according to its plain meaning that the breast was waved with the fat, but not the thigh. Thus the verse which states, And the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave-offering , 147 Further, 9:21. means that afterwards [after he had waved the fats with the breasts], he waved them [i.e., the breasts and the thigh] by themselves. But our Rabbis have said 148 Menachoth 61 b. that the priest placed the fats upon the hand of the owner of the offering, with the breast and thigh above them, [and wav”
  8. Leviticus (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Leviticus 7:34: The wave-breast and heave-leg Jehovah had taken of the children of Israel, from off the sacrifices of their peace-offerings: i.e., had imposed it upon them as tribute, and had given them to Aaron and his sons, i.e., to the priests, "as a statute for ever," - in other words, as a right which they could claim of the Israelites for all ages (cf. Exo 27:21). - With Lev 7:35, Lev 7:36, the instructions concerning the peace-offerings are brought to a close. "This (the wave-breast and heave-leg) is the share of Aaron and his sons from the firings of Jehovah in the ”
  9. Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 29:27: The breast of the wave-offering, and the shoulder of the heave-offering - As the wave-offering was agitated to and fro, and the heave-offering up and down, some have conceived that this twofold action represented the figure of the cross, on which the great Peace-offering between God and man was offered in the personal sacrifice of our blessed Redeemer. Had we authority for this conjecture, it would certainly cast much light on the meaning and intention of these offerings; and when the intelligent reader is informed that one of the most judicious critics in the whol”
  10. Numbers (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Numbers 8:11: And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord,.... Or "wave" (r) them, as a wave offering, which was moved to and fro, backwards and forwards; not that they were actually so waved and moved to and fro by Aaron, which could not be done by him; though it is possible he might make such a motion himself, and they might do the like after him, thereby signifying that they belonged unto the Lord of the whole earth; and some think this testified their readiness to serve the Lord; to which may be added their constant employment in his service, being always in motion, doin”
  11. Numbers (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Numbers 8:11: 8:11 The reference to Aaron’s raised hands suggests that Israel offered the Levites to the Lord as a “wave offering”—the type of offering lifted up to the Lord (cp. Lev 7:30). The Levites were dedicated to duties that made them “living and holy sacrifices” (cp. Rom 12:1).”
  12. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 61b.11: It is taught in another baraita : With regard to the phrase: “The children of Israel,” I have derived only that the requirement of waving applies to the children of Israel, i.e., those who were born Jewish. From where is it derived that the same applies to converts and to emancipated Canaanite slaves? The verse states, immediately after that phrase: “He who offers [ hammakriv ] his sacrifice of peace offerings” (Leviticus 7:29), which indicates that the halakha of waving applies to anyone who brings his offering to the Temple, including converts and emancipa”
  13. Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 23:11: Some say that whenever the Torah uses the term li-retzonekhem it means to be accepted from you, 152 That is, so that God will accept it from you. for Scripture reads, And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you (li-retzonekhem) (v. 11). The meaning of the aforementioned is that you shall wave it willingly. 153 In other words, li-retzonkhem means willingly. This means you shall offer a he-lamb 154 Along with the sheaf. This seems to contradict what came before, for up to now li-retzonkhem was interpreted as meaning to be accepted for ”
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