Topical Bible: Libations

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Topical Encyclopedia

Libations, in the context of the Bible, refer to the practice of pouring out liquid offerings, typically wine, as an act of worship or devotion. This ritual is deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern religious practices and is mentioned several times throughout the Scriptures. In the biblical narrative, libations are often associated with sacrifices and offerings, serving as a symbolic act of dedication and consecration to God.

Old Testament References

The practice of libations is first introduced in the Old Testament, where it is closely linked with the sacrificial system established by God for the Israelites. In Genesis 35:14, Jacob sets up a pillar at the place where God had spoken to him and pours out a drink offering on it, along with oil, as an act of worship and remembrance: "Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil."

The Mosaic Law further institutionalizes the use of libations in the religious life of Israel. In Exodus 29:40-41, God commands the Israelites to accompany their daily burnt offerings with a drink offering: "With the first lamb, offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter hin of wine as a drink offering. Offer the second lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD."

Libations are also mentioned in the context of the various feasts and festivals. In Numbers 28-29, detailed instructions are given for the offerings to be made during these sacred times, including the specific quantities of wine to be poured out as drink offerings.

Symbolism and Significance

The pouring out of libations in the Old Testament carries rich symbolic meaning. It represents the offering of one's life and resources to God, acknowledging His sovereignty and provision. The act of pouring out wine, a valuable commodity, signifies the worshiper's willingness to give back to God from the blessings received.

Libations also serve as a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and His people. By including drink offerings in the sacrificial system, God emphasizes the importance of wholehearted devotion and the need for His people to live in obedience and gratitude.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not emphasize the ritual of libations as prominently as the Old Testament, the concept of being "poured out" is used metaphorically to describe the apostle Paul's ministry and life. In Philippians 2:17, Paul writes, "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." Here, Paul likens his sacrificial service to a drink offering, highlighting his dedication to the work of the Gospel and his willingness to give his life for the sake of others.

Similarly, in 2 Timothy 4:6, Paul reflects on his impending martyrdom with the words, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand." This imagery underscores the totality of Paul's commitment to Christ and the Gospel, echoing the Old Testament practice of libations as an act of complete devotion.

Conclusion

The practice of libations in the Bible, while rooted in ancient ritual, carries profound theological significance. It serves as a powerful symbol of dedication, sacrifice, and covenantal relationship with God, themes that resonate throughout the biblical narrative and find their ultimate fulfillment in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Strong's Hebrew

5262a. nesek -- a drink offering
... Word Origin from nasak Definition a drink offering NASB Word Usage drink (1), drink
offering (29), drink offerings (29), libations (1). 5262, 5262a. ...
/hebrew/5262a.htm - 5k

Library

But if any have Endured Much violence and the Strong Pressure of ...
... Those who by the violence of the tyrant seemed to eat meat that had been offered
to idols, or to drink wine from the Greek libations,"for it happened ...
/.../peter/the writings of peter of alexandria/canon xiv but if any.htm

Acts of Sharbil, who was a Priest of Idols, and was Converted to ...
... priesthood of Sharbil and Barsamya, [3152] Trajan C??sar commanded the governors
of the countries under his dominion that sacrifices and libations should be ...
/.../unknown/the decretals/ancient syriac documents acts of.htm

What Constantine the Great Effected About the Oak in Mamre; He ...
... of Palestine in no measured terms, because they had neglected their duty, and had
permitted a holy place to be defiled by impure libations and sacrifices; and ...
/.../chapter iv what constantine the great.htm

In the Course of the Second Year, the Persecution against us ...
... were first issued to him, commanding by a general decree that all the people should
sacrifice at once in the different cities, and offer libations to the idols ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/chapter iii in the course.htm

And After. (xxx, xxxi, xxxix-Xliv. )
... But we shall surely perform every word, which has gone forth from our mouth:(672)
to burn to the Queen of Heaven and pour her libations, as we and our fathers ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/4 and after xxx xxxi.htm

The Acts of Barnabus.
... And thence we came to Amathus and there was a great multitude of Greeks in the
temple in the mountain, low women and men pouring libations. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the acts of barnabus/the acts of barnabus.htm

Examination of Justin by the Prefect.
... of the lawless partisans of idolatry, wicked decrees were passed against the godly
Christians in town and country, to force them to offer libations to vain ...
/.../chapter i examination of justin by.htm

God Desires not Sacrifices, but Righteousness.
... And that God is not appeased by the libations and incense of evil-doers, but awards
vengeance in righteousness to each one, Philemon [2604] again shall bear ...
/.../justin on the sole government of god /chapter iv god desires not sacrifices.htm

The Vain Pretensions of False Gods.
... Not unto such as me. But when I come. With golden vessels for libations, I. The
dew shall sprinkle, and yet needs must warn. Apollo of his deeds; for when he weds ...
/.../justin on the sole government of god /chapter v the vain pretensions of.htm

How the Angels Transgressed.
... writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by
teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations, of which things ...
/.../chapter v how the angels transgressed.htm

Thesaurus

Libations (29 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Libations (29 Occurrences). Exodus 25:29 You shall make
its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls to pour out offerings with. ...
/l/libations.htm - 16k

Pouring (21 Occurrences)
... this city, and they have set this city on fire, and have burned it, and the houses
on whose roofs they made perfume to Baal, and poured out libations to other ...
/p/pouring.htm - 13k

Prepare (199 Occurrences)
... Numbers 28:31 apart from the continual burnt-offering and its present ye prepare
'them' (perfect ones they are for you) and their libations. (YLT NIV). ...
/p/prepare.htm - 36k

Fire-offering (45 Occurrences)
... ones, sons of a year, and one bullock, a son of the herd, and two rams; they are
a burnt-offering to Jehovah, with their present and their libations, a fire ...
/f/fire-offering.htm - 21k

Idolize (1 Occurrence)
... Jeremiah 44:19 and when we are making perfume to the queen of the heavens, and pouring
out to her libations -- without our husbands have we made for her cakes ...
/i/idolize.htm - 7k

Presents (38 Occurrences)
... in your appointed seasons, apart from your vows, and your free-will offerings, for
your burnt-offerings, and for your presents, and for your libations, and for ...
/p/presents.htm - 18k

Fragrance (63 Occurrences)
... ones, sons of a year, and one bullock, a son of the herd, and two rams; they are
a burnt-offering to Jehovah, with their present and their libations, a fire ...
/f/fragrance.htm - 27k

Liberal (11 Occurrences)

/l/liberal.htm - 12k

Libation (29 Occurrences)

/l/libation.htm - 15k

Provoked (70 Occurrences)
... this city, and they have set this city on fire, and have burned it, and the houses
on whose roofs they made perfume to Baal, and poured out libations to other ...
/p/provoked.htm - 28k

Resources

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Libations (29 Occurrences)

Exodus 25:29
You shall make its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls to pour out offerings with. You shall make them of pure gold.
(See RSV)

Exodus 37:16
He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold.
(See RSV)

Leviticus 23:18
And ye have brought near, besides the bread, seven lambs, perfect ones, sons of a year, and one bullock, a son of the herd, and two rams; they are a burnt-offering to Jehovah, with their present and their libations, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah.
(YLT)

Leviticus 23:37
These 'are' appointed seasons of Jehovah, which ye proclaim holy convocations, to bring near a fire-offering to Jehovah, a burnt-offering, and a present, a sacrifice, and libations, a thing of a day in its day,
(YLT)

Numbers 6:15
and a basket of unleavened things of flour, cakes mixed with oil, and thin cakes of unleavened things anointed with oil, and their present, and their libations.
(YLT)

Numbers 28:14
and their libations are a half of the hin to a bullock, and a third of the hin to a ram, and a fourth of the hin to a lamb, of wine; this 'is' the burnt-offering of every month for the months of the year;
(YLT)

Numbers 28:31
apart from the continual burnt-offering and its present ye prepare 'them' (perfect ones they are for you) and their libations.
(YLT)

Numbers 29:6
apart from the burnt-offering of the month, and its present, and the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and their libations, according to their ordinance, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering to Jehovah.
(YLT)

Numbers 29:18
and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the sheep, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:19
and one kid of the goats, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and their libations.
(YLT)

Numbers 29:21
and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:24
their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:27
and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:30
and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:33
and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:37
their present, and their libations, for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;
(YLT)

Numbers 29:39
These ye prepare to Jehovah in your appointed seasons, apart from your vows, and your free-will offerings, for your burnt-offerings, and for your presents, and for your libations, and for your peace-offerings.'
(YLT)

2 Kings 16:15
And king Ahaz commandeth him -- Urijah the priest -- saying, 'On the great altar perfume the burnt-offering of the morning, and the present of the evening, and the burnt-offering of the king, and his present, and the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their present, and their libations; and all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice, on it thou dost sprinkle, and the altar of brass is to me to inquire 'by'.'
(YLT)

2 Chronicles 29:35
Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of Yahweh was set in order.
(See NAS RSV)

Ezra 7:17
therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that 'is' in Jerusalem,
(YLT)

Psalms 16:4
Multiplied are their griefs, 'Who' have hastened backward; I pour not out their libations of blood, Nor do I take up their names on my lips.
(YLT RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 7:18
The sons are gathering wood, And the fathers are causing the fire to burn, And the women are kneading dough, To make cakes to the queen of the heavens, And to pour out libations to other gods, So as to provoke Me to anger.
(YLT)

Jeremiah 32:29
And come in have the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city, and they have set this city on fire, and have burned it, and the houses on whose roofs they made perfume to Baal, and poured out libations to other gods, so as to provoke Me to anger.
(YLT)

Jeremiah 44:17
for we certainly do everything that hath gone out of our mouth, to make perfume to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her libations, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our heads, in cities of Judah, and in streets of Jerusalem, and -- we are satisfied with bread, and we are well, and evil we have not seen.
(YLT RSV)

Jeremiah 44:18
And from the time we have ceased to make perfume to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her libations, we have lacked all, and by sword and by famine we have been consumed,
(YLT RSV)

Jeremiah 44:19
and when we are making perfume to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out to her libations -- without our husbands have we made for her cakes to idolize her, and to pour out to her libations?'
(YLT RSV)

Jeremiah 44:25
Thus spake Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, saying: Ye and your wives both speak with your mouth, and with your hands have fulfilled, saying: We certainly execute our vows that we have vowed, to make perfume to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her libations, ye do certainly establish your vows, and certainly execute your vows.
(YLT RSV)

Ezekiel 20:28
And I bring them in unto the land, That I did lift up My hand to give to them, And they see every high hill, and every thick tree, And they sacrifice there their sacrifices, And give there the provocation of their offering, And make there their sweet fragrance, And they pour out there their libations.
(YLT)

Hosea 9:4
They won't pour out wine offerings to Yahweh, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of Yahweh.
(See RSV)

Subtopics

Libations

Related Terms

Liberality (7 Occurrences)

Liberally (4 Occurrences)

Libertines (1 Occurrence)

Expensive (6 Occurrences)

Deviseth (12 Occurrences)

Noble (61 Occurrences)

Nobleman (5 Occurrences)

Nobles (71 Occurrences)

Open-handed (2 Occurrences)