Numbers 29
OGCNumbers 29:1-6
**F. OFFERINGS FOR THE FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS (Numbers 29:1-6)
TEXT**
Numbers 29:1. And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. 2. And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: 3. and their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a lamb, 4. And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 5. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: 6. Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 29:1. In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work: it is a day to you for blowing the horn. 2. And you shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven yearling lambs without defect. 3. And their meal offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of a measure for a bull, and two-tenths of a measure for a ram, and one-tenth of a measure for one lamb, 4. and one-tenth of a measure for each lamb through the seven lambs: 5. one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 6. besides the burnt offering of the month and its grain offering, and the daily burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their provisions, for a sweet aroma, a sacrifice made with fire to the Lord.
COMMENTARY
The Israelites used two calendars to govern the year. The religious year began with the month Abib, and was the month in which the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread occurred. The civil year began in the seventh month of the seventh year, the month of Tishri, and included the Feast of the Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of the Trumpets announced the beginning of the civil year, and received its name from the traditional practice of sounding the Shopharim, or rams-’ horns, which were blown on numerous occasions. The horns themselves were used in commemoration of the delivery of Isaac on Mt. Moriah when the ram was offered in his stead (Genesis 22:13).
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
Explain the chronological relationship of the two calendars of the Israelite people.
What feasts occurred in the first month of the civil year?
Which feasts occurred in the first month of the religious year?
Identify the shopharim, and tell for what they were used.
Of what were the shopharim symbolic?
Numbers 29:7-11
G. OFFERINGS FOR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT vv. 7-11 TEXT
Numbers 29:7. And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein: 8. But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savor; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish. 9. And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, 10. A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 11. One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 29:7. And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves: you shall do no work. 8. And you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord for a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven yearling lambs, without defect: 9. And their grain offering, flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of a measure for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 10. one-tenth of a measure each for the seven lambs; 11. one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
COMMENTARY
Special offerings were required on the Day of Atonement, as specified in Leviticus 16:2-28. Additionally, the offering duplicated that of the first day of the month, and the people were required to fast and abstain from work, as on the sabbath day.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
Read up on the Day of Atonement, and list the events which were unique to this feast.
How did the nation learn on this day whether their offerings, and the intercession of the High Priest, were accepted by the Lord?
Numbers 29:12-40
H. OFFERINGS FOR THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES vv. 12-40 TEXT
Numbers 29:12. And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: 13. And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish: 14. And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams. 15. And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs; 16. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
- And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot: 18. And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 19. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offering.
- And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 21. And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 22. And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
- And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 24. Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 25. And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
- And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot: 27. And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 28. And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
- And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 30. And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 31. And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
- And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 33. And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 34. And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
- On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein: 36. But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish: 37. Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 38. And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering. 39. These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings. 40. And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the Lord commanded Moses.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 29:12. And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work, and you shall keep a feast unto the Lord for seven days: 13. you shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice with fire, of a sweet aroma to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling lambs without defect. 14. And their grain offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of a measure for each bull of the thirteen bulls; two-tenths of a measure for each ram of the two rams, 15. and one-tenth of a measure for each lamb of the fourteen lambs, 16. and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
- Then on the second day: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without defect; 18. and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; 19. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering.
- And on the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without defect; 21. and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, their number according to the ordinance; 22. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
- And on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without defect: 24. their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; 25. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
- Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without defect; 27. and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, and for the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance: 28. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
- And on the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without defect: 30. and their grain offering and their drink offering for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number by the ordinance; 31. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offerings.
- And on the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs without defect; 33. and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams and for the lambs, according to their number by the ordinance: 34. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
- On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work. 36. But you shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven yearling lambs without defect; 37. their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram and for the lambs, according to their number by the ordinance; 38. and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. 39. You shall present these to the Lord at your appointed times, besides your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings. 40. And Moses told the children of Israel according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses.
COMMENTARY
The unusual Feast of the Tabernacles began at sunset on the fourteenth of Tishri, and required the later Israelites to commemorate the period in the wilderness by forsaking their homes to live in temporary booths. The offerings began with thirteen bulls on the first day of the feast, and the number decreased by one daily. PC attributes to this fact a significance of diminishing joy in the feast into ordinary joys of daily life. In total, during the entire feast five times as many bulls and twice as many rams and lambs were offered as in the spring festival. On the eighth day the sacrifice reverted to the number offered on the first and tenth days of the month. The feast ended at sunset of this day.
Coming as it did at the end of the harvest of fall fruits, the festival was to reflect the happiness gained through divine blessings in the increase of the fields. Altogether, the sacrifices commanded at these feasts totaled 1071 lambs, 113 Bulls, 37 rams, 30 goats, 112-bushels of flour, about 370 gallons of oil, and about 340 gallons of wine. Besides these, any individuals or families could offer spontaneous or votive offerings unto the Lord.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
How was the Feast of the Tabernacles celebrated, and what did it commemorate?
What reason is suggested for the diminishing number of bulls sacrificed on consecutive days?
Give the total number of various animals, and the quantities of other commodities offered during the special feasts of the Jews.
Were their offerings limited to this number?