This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons. — This offering, which is called the oblation of initiation, was, according to the practice which obtained during the second Temple, the mincha “of Aaron and his sons,” as the text before us declares; that is, of the high priest and of every common priest. The ordinary priest, however, only offered it once on the day of his consecration, whilst the high priest was bound to offer it every day after the regular holocaust, with its meat offering and before the drink offering (Sir. 45:14, with Josephus, Antiq. III. 10 § 7). It is to this practice that the apostle refers when he says, “For such a high priest became us... who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins, &c.” (Hebrews 7:27).
In the day when he is anointed. — That is, when he is anointed (comp. Genesis 2:4) or when his anointing ceremony is completed, and he entered upon the duties of his office, which was on the eighth day. (See Leviticus 8:35; Leviticus 9:1.)
A meat offering perpetual. — That is, in the case of the high priest this oblation is to be offered every day as long as he lived or held the pontifical office. This perpetual meat offering is to consist of a tenth part of an ephah, which is an omer, half of which he is to offer in the morning and half in the evening.
In a pan it shall be made. — Better, upon a flat plate. (See Leviticus 2:5.)
And when it is baken thou shalt bring it in. — Better, thou shalt bring it well soaked. That is, thoroughly saturated with oil.
And the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer. — That is, a meat offering consisted of small roasted cakes. After the flour was put into the pan, and was soaked in oil, it was divided into and baked in small pieces, apparently to represent the limbs into which the victim of the burnt offering was divided before it was burnt. (See Leviticus 1:8.) During the second Temple the following practice obtained. The high priest brought the whole tenth part of flour every morning. After sanctifying the whole, he divided it into halves with the measure kept in the sanctuary. He likewise brought three logs of oil, which he mingled with the flour, and kneaded six cakes of each half. After baking the cakes a little, he fried them upon the pan with some of the oil, taking care not to bake them too much, but that they should be between baked and raw, in accordance with the expression, tuphinei, which the authorities of those days explained in this manner but which is rendered here in the Authorised Version by baked, and by us roasted cakes. Hereupon the high priest divided the six cakes into twelve cakes being the same number as those of the shewbread, and offered six subdivided in two in the morning and six in the evening.