Meaning of WAVE OFFERINGS

The ritual of waving the offerings took place in:

(a) The sacrifices of thanksgiving.
The victim's right shoulder was raised before the Lord, and his chest was waved. The priest could then eat this consecrated meat.

(b) The first sheaf of the harvest, waved and offered to God on the second day of the Passover. This sheaf symbolized the resurrection and also the consecration of the entire harvest (Lev. 23:10, 11).

(c) The two loaves made of the new flour, and the two lambs of the thanksgiving sacrifice were waved and offered during Pentecost, fifty days after the sheaf of firstfruits (Lev. 23:15, 20).

(d) The waved guilt sacrifice offered by the Israelite healed of leprosy (Lev. 14:12, 21): symbolic rite of purification and new consecration to God.

(e) The offering of jealousy (barley flour, Num. 5:15, 25). (See BITTER WATERS.)
In private thanksgiving sacrifices, the waved breast and the shoulder offered by elevation reverted to the priest. The offerer and his followers ate the rest of the animal (Lev. 7:30-34; 10:14, 15; Num. 18:18).

In the thanksgiving sacrifice of the Nazarite, the priest received, in addition to the ordinary remuneration, the cooked shoulder of the ram (Num. 6:17-20).

At Pentecost, the two lambs and the firstfruits loaves remained in the power of the priest (Lev. 23:20). The ritual performed by the priest consisted of placing his hands under the hands of the one presenting the offering, and waving the offering (Ex. 29:24, 25; Num. 6:19, 20).

The Talmud and rabbinic tradition indicate that there were four successive movements: from front to back, from back to front, rocking from bottom to top and from top to bottom (lifting).