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Numbers 28

1

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2

Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.

3

And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.

4

The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;

5

And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil.

2
6

It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

7

And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering.

1
8

And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

9

And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:

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This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

11

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

12

And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;

13

And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

14

And their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.

15

And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

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And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord.

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And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

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In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:

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But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish:

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And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;

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A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:

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And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

23

Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

24

After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

25

And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.

26

Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:

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But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;

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And their meat offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram,

29

A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

30

And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.

31

Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings.

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Numbers 28

The complete sacrificial calendar prescribes a perpetual offering system (olat tamid, 'continual burnt offering') consisting of daily lambs at morning and evening, augmented by additional offerings on the Sabbath (two extra lambs), each new month (bull, ram, seven lambs), Passover (seven days of offerings), Firstfruits (one day of celebration), Trumpets (the first day of the seventh month), and Tabernacles (continuing through the eighth day). The calendar's structure—daily (tamid), weekly (Sabbath), monthly, annual—establishes a rhythm of perpetual devotion that orders Israel's temporal experience and makes sacrifice the constitutive practice of covenant community. Each offering is accompanied by specific grain and drink offerings, creating a standardized ritual language that allows variation within structure; the numbers increase progressively (one lamb becomes seven, seven becomes thirteen for Tabernacles), suggesting that sacred time is marked by intensifying devotion. The detailed enumeration of offerings—the chapter prescribes precise numbers of bulls, rams, lambs, and the corresponding grain and drink quantities—transforms abstract devotion into concrete, measurable practice and establishes accountability within the priesthood for maintaining the calendar's exactness. The calendar's placement after the second census and Joshua's commissioning but before the Day of Atonement (chapter 29) suggests that Israel's future in Canaan will be structured by this perpetual rhythm of offerings, making sacrifice the default practice of a settled community. The connection between Passover (remembrance of exodus) and Firstfruits (celebration of harvest) to Tabernacles (commemoration of wilderness wandering) creates a narrative arc within the calendar itself, making the cycle a yearly reenactment of salvation history. Numbers 28's systematic approach to sacrifice models how covenant community is maintained not through extraordinary acts but through ordinary, repetitive devotion, establishing that faithfulness is quantifiable and that the covenant's continuation depends on the priesthood's precise execution of the calendar.

Numbers 28:1

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying — The divine voice now turns to the calendar of sacrifices that will structure Israel's worship in the land. This comprehensive system establishes the rhythm of sacred time.

Numbers 28:2

Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season — The foundation of the sacrificial system is the divine ownership: these are 'my offerings' and 'my bread.' The sacrifices feed the divine altar (metaphorically, as YHWH does not literally eat) and produce a 'sweet savour' (nicho'ach, a soothing or pleasing scent). The temporal structure 'in their due season' emphasizes that the sacrifices follow a fixed, unchangeable calendar. The second generation will inhabit a land organized around sacred time.

Numbers 28:3

And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without blemish day by day, for a continual burnt offering — The tamid, the continual burnt offering, is the foundation of the daily sacrifice system. Two perfect lambs (one in the morning, one in the evening) are offered daily, without fail. This establishes an unbroken covenant connection between Israel and the LORD: every dawn and every dusk, the smoke rises from the altar. The second generation will inherit not just land but sacred routine.

Numbers 28:4

The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even — The temporal doubling (morning and evening) frames the day with worship. The lambs bracket the community's waking hours.

Numbers 28:5

And a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil — Each morning and evening lamb is accompanied by a grain offering (minchah) of fine flour mixed with oil. The specific measurements (a tenth of an ephah, a quarter of a hin) establish precision in worship. Nothing is haphazard; everything follows divine specification.

Numbers 28:6

It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD — The tamid is explicitly linked to Mount Sinai, where the covenant was first established. This sacrifice system is not new but embedded in the original covenant revelation. The 'sweet savour' terminology repeats, emphasizing that the regular sacrifice produces divine pleasure and maintains covenant relationship.

Numbers 28:7

And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou pour the drink offering of strong drink unto the LORD — A drink offering (libation) of wine accompanies each lamb. The fourth of a hin of wine is poured out in the holy place, literally spilled before the LORD. This libation represents the community's willingness to pour out their substance before God's altar.

Numbers 28:8

And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD — The evening offering mirrors the morning offering exactly, establishing symmetry and constancy. The repetition emphasizes that the covenant requires unfailing, consistent worship.

Numbers 28:9

And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof — On the Sabbath, the regular two lambs are doubled (four total), with corresponding increases in grain and drink offerings. The Sabbath is thus marked as a doubled day of worship, more intense than ordinary days. The second generation will learn that the Sabbath is not merely rest but intensified covenant communion.

Numbers 28:10

This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering — The Sabbath offering is in addition to the daily tamid, not instead of it. The pattern of addition shows how the sacred calendar layers increasing intensity: daily, then Sabbath, then monthly, then seasonal.

Numbers 28:11

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot — At the new moon (rosh chodesh), the offerings increase in both number and prestige: two bullocks (animals of greater value than lambs) and one ram accompany seven lambs. The new moon marks the lunar division of time, and the increased offering acknowledges the LORD's sovereignty over the calendar itself.

Numbers 28:12

And three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram — The grain offerings scale with the size of the animal: larger animals receive more grain. The specificity demonstrates that the sacrificial system is mathematically precise, reflecting divine order.

Numbers 28:13

And a several tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; and a drink offering of the fourth part of an hin of wine unto one lamb — Each lamb is accompanied by its own grain and drink offering. The word 'several' (l'echad, 'for each one') emphasizes individual accountability and attention. Even in the large new moon offering, each animal is individually honored.

Numbers 28:14

This is the month burnt offering for every month of the year — The new moon offering is constant throughout the year, establishing a monthly rhythm of intensified worship. The second generation will inhabit a land where the calendar itself is sacred.

Numbers 28:15

And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the LORD shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering — The new moon offering includes a sin offering: one goat presented as a means of expiation and covenant restoration. The inclusion of a sin offering with positive sacrifices shows the ancient understanding that covenant relationship requires both positive gifts (burnt offerings) and negative expiation (sin offerings). The two work together to maintain covenant standing.

Numbers 28:16

And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD — The Passover, the foundational remembrance of the Exodus deliverance, is situated within the sacrificial calendar. The Passover marks time zero: the deliverance from Egypt. All subsequent sacred calendar is measured from this event.

Numbers 28:17

And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten — The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Passover, extending the festival to seven days. The eating of bread without leaven recalls the haste of departure from Egypt: there was no time for dough to rise. The second generation, born in the wilderness, will observe this festival to maintain connection with their ancestors' liberation.

Numbers 28:18

In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein — The first day of Unleavened Bread is a holy assembly day, with no ordinary labor permitted. Sacred time displaces work time, establishing the priority of worship.

Numbers 28:19

But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire as a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be without blemish — The first day of Unleavened Bread includes a substantial burnt offering matching the new moon pattern: two bullocks, one ram, seven lambs. The festival is marked by intensified sacrificial activity.

Numbers 28:20

And their meat offering shall be of fine flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram — The grain offerings accompany the animals in precise measure, following the established pattern.

Numbers 28:21

A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every one of the seven lambs — Each lamb receives individual grain offering, maintaining the principle of individual attention.

Numbers 28:22

And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you — The sin offering on the first day of Unleavened Bread functions to purify the community, ensuring that the festival is celebrated in a state of covenant righteousness.

Numbers 28:23

Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual offering — All these additional offerings are beside, not instead of, the daily tamid. The sacred calendar adds without subtracting, creating an ascending intensity of worship.

Numbers 28:24

After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering — The pattern of the first day repeats throughout the seven days of Unleavened Bread. Seven days of intensified offering creates a week-long festival, structuring Israel's connection to the deliverance narrative.

Numbers 28:25

And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work — The seventh day of Unleavened Bread, like the first day, is holy and work-free. The seven-day festival is bookended by holy assemblies.

Numbers 28:26

Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be completed, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work — The Festival of Firstfruits (Shavuot, Weeks) is placed fifty days after Passover, marked by the bringing of the first grain harvest to the LORD. The new grain offering acknowledges that all fertility comes from the LORD's hand. The second generation will inhabit a land where the agricultural cycle is sanctified.

Numbers 28:27

But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year — The Firstfruits festival includes the familiar pattern of two bullocks, one ram, seven lambs, indicating this festival's importance in the sacred calendar.

Numbers 28:28

And their meat offering of fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals to one ram — The grain offerings scale with animal size, maintaining proportion and precision.

Numbers 28:29

A several tenth deal to every one of the seven lambs — Individual attention remains the principle: each lamb receives its own offering.

Numbers 28:30

And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you — The sin offering purifies the community during the Firstfruits festival, ensuring covenant righteousness. The pattern of burnt offering plus sin offering establishes a dual function: positive worship (burnt offering) combined with expiation (sin offering).

Numbers 28:31

Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings — The Firstfruits offerings are additional to the daily tamid, adding sacred intensity to the calendar. The phrase 'without blemish' is reiterated, reminding that perfection is required. The second generation will learn that worship demands the best of what they possess.