Numbers
Chapter 29
In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall gather for worship and do no work of a worker. It shall be a day on which you sound the trumpets.
You must offer as a burnt offering: one young bull, one ram, seven one-year-old lambs without any defect.
The accompanying grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil is to be six pounds for the bull, four pounds for the ram,
There must also be a he-goat for the sacrifice for sin, for the atonement over you.
and two pounds for each of the seven lambs.
All this must be done in addition to the monthly burnt offering with its grain offering, the daily offering with its grain offering, and the accompanying wine offering according to the law, as a burnt offering and sweet-smelling offering to the Lord.
You shall gather for worship on the tenth day of this seventh month. You must fast and refrain from all work.
You must offer a burnt and sweet-smelling offering to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs of your choice without any defect.
The accompanying grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil is six pounds for the bull, four pounds for the ram,
and two pounds for each of the seven lambs.
A he-goat must be offered for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the sacrifice for the feast of Atonement and the daily burnt offering with its accompanying grain and wine offerings.
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to gather for worship and do no work of a worker. For seven days, you are to celebrate a feast for the Lord.
You must offer as a burnt and sweet-smelling offering to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect.
The accompanying grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil is to be six pounds for each of the thirteen bulls, four pounds for each of the two rams,
two pounds for each of the fourteen lambs,
also one he-goat as a sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering and its grain and wine offerings.
On the second day: twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect;
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams, and lambs;
also one he-goat for sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect,
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams, and lambs;
also one he-goat for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect:
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams, and lambs;
also one he-goat for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect:
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams, and lambs;
also one he-goat for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect;
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams, and lambs;
also one he-goat for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen one-year-old lambs without any defect;
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams, and lambs;
also one he-goat for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
On the eighth day, you shall all gather for worship and do no work of a worker.
You shall offer as a burnt offering and sweet-smelling offering to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven one-year-old lambs without any defect;
the accompanying grain offering and wine offering, as required, in proportion to the number of bulls, rams
and lambs; also one he-goat for the sacrifice for sin. This is in addition to the daily burnt offering with its grain and wine offerings.
You are to do this for the Lord at your solemn feasts, besides whatever burnt offerings, grain offerings, and wine offerings you present as your free-will offerings.”
Commentaries
Offerings to Be Presented to the Lord.
These two chapters cover nearly everything previously outlined in Leviticus 23 regarding various offerings to the Lord during major festivals. However, we notice a few new features: 28:9f mentions, for the first time in the “legislative corpus of worship,” an offering that must be made on the Sabbath. This practice has no parallel in the Pentateuch but is found in Ezekiel (Ez 46:4f). This suggests that this law originated during the exile and possibly continued until the New Testament period. The second new feature concerns laws about sacrifices on the first day of each month, specifically on the day of the new moon. The feast associated with this day is referenced without detailed instructions in Numbers 10:10; 1 Samuel 20:5; Isaiah 1:13; Psalm 81:4.
Note that, generally, an animal offering is accompanied by a vegetable offering. The purpose of these regulations, from a theological and pastoral perspective, is to ensure that people continually recognize the Lord’s full sovereignty through the act of offering a portion of what the Lord has given them. The Israelites needed to remember that it was not they who provided something to the Lord; rather, it was the Lord who had given to them. In response, they returned a part of what they received. Unfortunately, this understanding was not always clear. Some believed that the Lord needed these offerings or that the Israelites could gain divine favor through them. At least, that can be inferred from Psalm 50.