Numbers 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.