OFFERING (AS. offrung, ofrung, from of frian. from Lat. offerrc, to offer, from ob, toward, before + fore, to bear; connected with Gk. tp4et2r, pherein, Skt. bhar, Goth. bairan, OHG., AS. tenon, Eng. bear). .A term primarily ap plied to the different forms of sacrifices in the Hebrew ritual. Offerings are of various kinds, as the burnt offering ('61iih), peace offering (she/eni), thank offering (tOdah), free-will offer ing (nidaboh), meal offering (minehah). sin of fering ( ehatt ) , guilt offering ( 'asho ), drink offering (ncsek). The common Hebrew word for an offering in the sense of a ritualistic sacrifice is /fort/an, which designates the sacrifice as some thing 'brought near' to the deity, or to the altar, and as such /zorb(in is occasionally used to desig nate a sacred gift in general. (See CORBAN.) Another term for offering in a more secular sense is missehRls, which is primarily a 'tribute' offered either by way of a compliment or for the purpose of retaining the good-will of an individual or a deity. In the Old Testament ritual ininehfih
has acquired the technical sense of a meal (or bloodless) sacrifice, in contrast to zebach (slaugh ter). which is invariably a 'bloody' sacrifice. An other specific form of religious offerings, though distinct from sacrifices, is the heave offering (te'rritnah ), denoting (a) that which is 'lifted off' or separated and used of the gifts taken from the soil (first-fruits, tithes, firstlings) : (b) con tributions of money and spoils of war offered for sacred purposes: (c) portions of the sacrifices and other dues belonging to the priests. Sec SACRIFICE; FIRST FRUITS ; OFFERTORY.