Numbers 29:32

Numbers 29:1 INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 29 In this chapter an account is given of the various offerings on the several remarkable days in the seventh month of the year; at the feast of blowing the trumpets on the first day of the month, Numbers 29:1, at the great fast or day of atonement, which was the tenth of the month, Numbers 29:7, and at the feast of tabernacles, which began on the fifteenth day of the same month, and continued eight days, and the sacrifices of every day are particularly mentioned; of the first day, Numbers 29:12, of the second day, Numbers 29:17, of the third day, Numbers 29:20, of the fourth day, Numbers 29:23, of the fifth day, Numbers 29:26, of the sixth day, Numbers 29:29, of the seventh day, Numbers 29:32, and of the eighth day, Numbers 29:35, which sacrifices were to be offered, besides their vows and freewill offerings, of which Moses gave a faithful account, according to the command of God, Numbers 29:39. Ver. 1. And in the seventh month,.... The month Tisri, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of our September and October; a month famous for days to be religiously observed, having more of them in it than any other month in the year: on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation; see Leviticus 23:24, ye shall do no servile work; therefore, in the place referred to, is called a sabbath: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you; of which, See Gill on "Leviticus 23:24". Numbers 29:2

29:12-40 Soon after the day of atonement, the day in which men were to afflict their souls, followed the feast of Tabernacles, in which they were to rejoice before the Lord. Their days of rejoicing were to be days of sacrifices. A disposition to be cheerful does us good, when it encourages our hearts in the duties of God's service. All the days of dwelling in booths they must offer sacrifices; while we are here in a tabernacle state, it is our interest, as well as our duty, constantly to keep up communion with God. The sacrifices for each of the seven days are appointed. Every day there must be a sin-offering, as in the other feasts. Our burnt-offerings of praise cannot be accepted of God, unless we have an interest in the great sacrifice which Christ offered, when he made himself a Sin-offering for us. And no extraordinary services should put aside stated devotions. Every thing here reminds us of our sinfulness. The life that we live in the flesh must be by the faith of the Son of God; until we go to be with him, to behold his glory, and praise his mercy, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. To whom be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

And ye shall offer a burnt offering,.... That is, on the first of the seven days, which was as follows: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year, they shall be without blemish; a very large sacrifice indeed, for these were offered besides one kid of the goats, for a sin offering, and the two lambs of the daily sacrifice, which were not omitted on account of this extraordinary offering; so that there were no less than thirty two animals sacrificed on this day: the meat and drink offerings for each, according to the kind of them, were as usual, and as before frequently observed; and the same sacrifices, meat offerings, and drink offerings, were offered on the six following days of the feast, only with this difference, that there was one bullock less every day; which it is thought may denote the decrease of sin in the people, and so an increase of holiness, or rather the gradual waxing old and vanishing away of the ceremonial law, and the sacrifices of it; and these bullocks ending in the number seven, which is a number may lead us to think of the great sacrifice these all typified, whereby Christ has perfected them that are sanctified.

Stress is laid on the number seven, the holy symbolic covenant number, by way of intimation that the mercies of the harvest accrued by virtue of God's covenant. The diminishing number of bullocks sacrificed on the preceding days of the Feast (compare Numbers 29:13 , Numbers 29:17 , etc.), is adjusted simply to obtain the coincidence before us on the seventh day; but some have thought that the gradual evanescence of the Law until the time of its absorption in the Gospel is here presignified in the Law itself.

The feast of Tabernacles, the special regulations for the celebration of which are contained in Leviticus 23:34-36 and Leviticus 23:39-43 , was distinguished above all the other feasts of the year by the great number of burnt-offerings, which raised it into the greatest festival of joy. On the seven feast-days, the first of which was to be celebrated with sabbatical rest and a holy meeting, there were to be offered, in addition to the daily burnt-offering, every day a he-goat for a sin-offering, and seventy oxen in all for a burnt-offering during the seven days, as well as every day two rams and fourteen yearling lambs, with the requisite meat-offerings and drink-offerings. Whilst, therefore, the number of rams and lambs was double the number offered at the Passover and feast of Pentecost, the number of oxen was fivefold; for, instead of fourteen, there were seventy offered during the seven days. This multiplication of the oxen was distributed in such a way, that instead of there being ten offered every day, there were thirteen on the first day, twelve on the second, and so on, deducting one every day, so that on the seventh day there were exactly seven offered; the arrangement being probably made for the purpose of securing the holy number seven for this last day, and indicating at the same time, through the gradual diminution in the number of sacrificial oxen, the gradual decrease in the festal character of the seven festal days.

The reason for this multiplication in the number of burnt-offerings is to be sought for in the nature of the feast itself. Their living in booths had already visibly represented to the people the defence and blessing of their God; and the foliage of these booths pointed out the glorious advantages of the inheritance received from the Lord. But this festival followed the completion of the ingathering of the fruits of the orchard and vineyard, and therefore was still more adapted, on account of the rich harvest of splendid and costly fruits which their inheritance had yielded, and which they were about to enjoy in peace now that the labour of agriculture was over, to fill their hearts with the greatest joy and gratitude towards the Lord and Giver of them all, and to make this festival a speaking representation of the blessedness of the people of God when resting from their labours. This blessedness which the Lord had prepared for His people, was also expressed in the numerous burnt-offerings that were sacrificed on every one of the seven days, and in which the congregation presented itself soul and body to the Lord, upon the basis of a sin-offering, as a living and holy sacrifice, to be more and more sanctified, transformed, and perfected by the fire of His holy love (see my Archol. i. p. 416).

[Reformed Biblical] not by abstaining so long from all servile works, but by offering extraordinary sacrifices each day. Numbers 29:13 ## Thirteen young bullocks; more sacrifices than at any other feast, partly because this feast was in the close of the year, when it was meet to supply the defects of the year past, and when they had gathered in all their fruits, Deu_16:13 ,15 and therefore ought to make the larger returns and acknowledgment to God; partly because it was God’s pleasure so to order it, for reasons known to himself, in whose will we ought to acquiesce. And the same reason holds why these sacrifices grew fewer and fewer every day. Numbers 29:14 Numbers 29:15 Numbers 29:16 Numbers 29:17 Numbers 29:18 ## Of which see for meat-offerings, Num_29:3 ,4,9,10 ; and for drink- offerings, Num_28:7 ,14 Numbers 29:19 Numbers 29:20 Numbers 29:21 Numbers 29:22 Numbers 29:23 Numbers 29:24 Numbers 29:25 Numbers 29:26 Numbers 29:27 Numbers 29:28 Numbers 29:29 Numbers 29:30 Numbers 29:31 Numbers 29:32 Numbers 29:33 Numbers 29:34 Numbers 29:35 Numbers 29:36 This was the last and great day of the feast, as it is called Joh_7:37, and yet the sacrifices were fewer than any other day, to teach them not to trust to the multitude of their sacrifices, nor to expect remission of sins from them, but from the one and only sacrifice of Christ. Numbers 29:37 Numbers 29:38 Numbers 29:39

[Reformed Biblical] named or called , to wit, by Moses and by God’s appointment, to manage this affair, and others as there was occasion. Compare Num_16:2 26:9 . ## Heads of thousands. See Exo_18:21 Num_10:4. Numbers 1:17 Numbers 1:18 Numbers 1:19 Numbers 1:20 ## By their generations, Heb. to wit, their generations , i.e. the persons begotten of Reuben’s immediate children, who are here subdivided into families, and they into houses, and they into particular persons. Numbers 1:21 Numbers 1:22 Numbers 1:23 Numbers 1:24 Numbers 1:25 Numbers 1:26 Numbers 1:27 ## Far more than any other tribe, in accomplishing of Jacob’s prophecy, Ge 49 . Numbers 1:28 Numbers 1:29 Numbers 1:30 Numbers 1:31 Numbers 1:32 Numbers 1:33 ## Above eight thousand more than Manasseh, towards the accomplishment of that promise, Gen_48:20, which the devil in vain attempted to defeat by stirring up the men of Gath against them, 1Ch_7:21 ,22 Numbers 1:34 Numbers 1:35 Numbers 1:36 Numbers 1:37 The smallest number, except one, though Benjamin had more immediate children than any of his brethren, Gen_46:21; whereas Dan had but one immediate son, Gen_46:23, yet now his number is the biggest but one of all the tribes, and is almost double to that of Benjamin. Such great and strange changes God easily can, and frequently doth, make in families, 1Sa_2:5. And therefore let none boast or please themselves too much in their numerous offspring.