17 `And on the second day twelve bullocks, sons of the herd, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;
seven days ye bring near a fire-offering to Jehovah, on the eighth day ye have a holy convocation, and ye have brought near a fire-offering to Jehovah; it `is' a restraint, ye do no servile work.
and have brought near a burnt-offering, a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance, to Jehovah; thirteen bullocks, sons of the herd, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year; perfect ones they are;
`And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones; and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance; and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and its libation. `And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones; their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance; and one kid of the goats, a sin-offering, apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation. `And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones; and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance; and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and its libation. `And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones; and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance; and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation. `And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones; and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance; and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation. `On the eighth day a restraint ye have, ye do no servile work; and ye have brought near a burnt-offering, a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance, to Jehovah; one bullock, one ram, seven lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones; their present, and their libations, for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance; and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and its libation. `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.' And Moses saith unto the sons of Israel according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
Sacrifice and present Thou hast not desired, Ears Thou hast prepared for me, Burnt and sin-offering Thou hast not asked.
Not for thy sacrifices do I reprove thee, Yea, thy burnt-offerings `Are' before Me continually. I take not from thy house a bullock, From thy folds he goats.
And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock -- horned -- hoofed.
`Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated `with' burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired.
For I did not speak with your fathers, Nor did I command them in the day of My bringing them out of the land of Egypt, Concerning the matters of burnt-offering and sacrifice, But this thing I commanded them, saying: Hearken to My voice, And I have been to you for God, And ye -- ye are to Me for a people, And have walked in all the way that I command you, So that it is well for you.
For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.
I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice -- living, sanctified, acceptable to God -- your intelligent service;
and after the second vail a tabernacle that is called `Holy of holies,' having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all round about with gold, in which `is' the golden pot having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tables of the covenant, and over it cherubim of the glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat, concerning which we are not now to speak particularly. And these things having been thus prepared, into the first tabernacle, indeed, at all times the priests do go in, performing the services, and into the second, once in the year, only the chief priest, not apart from blood, which he doth offer for himself and the errors of the people, the Holy Spirit this evidencing that not yet hath been manifested the way of the holy `places', the first tabernacle having yet a standing; which `is' a simile in regard to the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which are not able, in regard to conscience, to make perfect him who is serving, only in victuals, and drinks, and different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances -- till the time of reformation imposed upon `them'. And Christ being come, chief priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands -- that is, not of this creation -- neither through blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, did enter in once into the holy places, age-during redemption having obtained; for if the blood of bulls, and goats, and ashes of an heifer, sprinkling those defiled, doth sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of the Christ (who through the age-during Spirit did offer himself unblemished to God) purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 29
Commentary on Numbers 29 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 29
Nu 29:1-40. The Offering at the Feast of Trumpets.
1. in the seventh month—of the ecclesiastical year, but the first month of the civil year, corresponding to our September. It was, in fact, the New Year's Day, which had been celebrated among the Hebrews and other contemporary nations with great festivity and joy and ushered in by a flourish of trumpets. This ordinance was designed to give a religious character to the occasion by associating it with some solemn observances. (Compare Ex 12:2; Le 23:24).
it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you—This made it a solemn preparation for the sacred feasts—a greater number of which were held during this month than at any other season of the year. Although the institution of this feast was described before, there is more particularity here as to what the burnt offering should consist of; and, in addition to it, a sin offering is prescribed. The special offerings, appointed for certain days, were not to interfere with the offerings usually requisite on these days, for in Nu 29:6 it is said that the daily offerings, as well as those for the first day of the month, were to take place in their ordinary course.
7-11. ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation—This was the great day of atonement. Its institution, together with the observance to which that day was devoted, was described (Le 16:29, 30). But additional offerings seem to be noticed, namely, the large animal sacrifice for a general expiation, which was a sweet savor unto the Lord, and the sin offering to atone for the sins that mingled with that day's services. The prescriptions in this passage appear supplementary to the former statement in Leviticus.
12-34. on the fifteenth day—was to be held the feast of booths or tabernacles. (See Le 23:34, 35). The feast was to last seven days, the first and last of which were to be kept as Sabbaths, and a particular offering was prescribed for each day, the details of which are given with a minuteness suited to the infant state of the church. Two things are deserving of notice: First, that this feast was distinguished by a greater amount and variety of sacrifices than any other—partly because, occurring at the end of the year, it might be intended to supply any past deficiencies—partly because, being immediately after the ingathering of the fruits, it ought to be a liberal acknowledgment—and partly, perhaps, because God consulted the weakness of mankind, who naturally grow weary both of the charge and labor of such services when they are long-continued, and made them every day less toilsome and expensive [Patrick]. Secondly, it will be remarked that the sacrifices varied in a progressive ratio of decrease every day.
18. after the manner—according to the ritual order appointed by divine authority—that for meat offerings (Nu 29:3-10), and drink offerings (Nu 28:7, 14).
35-40. On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly—The feast of tabernacles was brought to a close on the eighth day, which was the great day (Joh 7:37). Besides the common routine sacrifices, there were special offerings appointed for that day though these were fewer than on any of the preceding days; and there were also, as was natural on that occasion when vast multitudes were convened for a solemn religious purpose, many spontaneous gifts and services, so that there was full scope for the exercise of a devout spirit in the people, both for their obedience to the statutory offerings, and by the presentation of those which were made by free will or in consequence of vows.
39. These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts—From the statements made in this and the preceding chapter, it appears that the yearly offerings made to the altar at the public expense, without taking into account a vast number of voluntary vow and trespass offerings, were calculated at the following amount:—goats, fifteen; kids, twenty-one; rams, seventy-two; bullocks, one hundred thirty-two; lambs, 1,101; sum-total of animals sacrificed at public cost, 1,241. This, of course, is exclusive of the prodigious addition of lambs slain at the passover, which in later times, according to Josephus, amounted in a single year to the immense number of 255,600.