Numbers 18:19

offer = heave up as a heave offering. See note on Exodus 29:27 .

covenant of salt. Hebrew covenant = berith, from barah. to cut ; hence, to eat. As salt was scarce and precious. and used with all eating, so it was put, by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for eating, just as the breaking of bread was. See Isaiah 58:7 (Authorized Version "deal"); Jeremiah 16:7 (Authorized Version "tear"). Lamentations 4:4 .Ezekiel 18:7 (Authorized Version "given"). Hence, when wages were paid in kind, by finding the worker in food, "salt" was put (by Figure of speech Metonymy) for wages generally; so that a worker was spoken of as being worth, or not worth, his "salt". "A covenant of salt" was therefore a covenant made by sacrifice, which was first cut in two (Genesis 15:10-18 . Jeremiah 34:18 , Jeremiah 34:19 ) and then eaten, thus solemnizing an inviolable covenant.