The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers
Numbers 28
Chapter XXVIII · Vol. I, pp. 460–462
1 The Lord's offerings are to be observed. 3 The continual burnt-offering. 9 The offering on the sabbath, 11 on the new moons, 16 at the passover, 26 in the day of first-fruits.
1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, a My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for b a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.1
a Le. i.-vii. xxiii.; 21.6,8. Mal. 1.7,12. Ep. 5.2. 1 Pe. 2.5. He. 13.15,16.
b Heb. a savour of my rest, Ge. 8.21. Le. 1.9.
1 The Israelites were now about to enter Palestine. They might therefore think that under the new circumstances in which they would there be placed the same close attention to the letter and forms of the ceremonial law which was observed in the wilderness, would not now be required. To remove any such impression the leading commands were given afresh, and some new and more precise instructions were added.—P.
3 And thou shalt say unto them, c 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,2 for a continual burnt-offering.
4 The d one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;3
d Ex. 29.39. Eze. 46.13-15. Col. 2.17. Jn. 1.29. Re. 13.8. 1 Pe. 1.19, 20. Pr. 8.23. He. 9.26.
3 Heb. between the two evenings.
5 And e a tenth part of an ephah[≈ 2.2 litres · 3.9 pints] of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin[≈ 930 ml · 1.6 pints] of beaten oil.
e Le. 2.1. ch. 15.4. Ex. 29.40. Jn. 6.35, 53-57: Ga. 2.20.
6 It is a continual burnt-offering, f which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.
7 And g the drink-offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin[≈ 930 ml · 1.6 pints] for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink-offering.
8 And the other lamb shalt thou offer h 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.
h Ex. 29.41,42. Ga. 4.4, 5. He. 9.26. Ep. 5.2. Is. 42.21. ver. 6.
9 And i on the sabbath-day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth-deals[≈ 4.4 litres · 7.7 pints] of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, and the drink-offering thereof.
i Ex. 20.8-11. Eze. 20.12. 1 Co. 1,23,24. Re. 1.10.
10 This is the burnt-offering of every sabbath, k besides the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.4
k ver. 3, 6, 15, 23, 24, 31; ch. 29.6,11,19,22,25, 28,31,34,38.
4 This is the first mention of a special offering for the Sabbath. On that day the ordinary daily offering was just doubled. Instead of two lambs four were sacrificed.—P.
11 And l in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt-offering unto the LORD; twom young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;
l 1 Sa. 20.5,6. Am. 8.5. 2 Ki. 4.23. Ps. 40.6-8; 81.3. Ga. 4.4,5. Ro. 8.3.
m ver. 19,27. Eze. 45.18. He. 10.10-14. Re. 5.9. 2 Co. 5.21.
12 And n three tenth-deals[≈ 6.6 litres · 1.5 gallons] of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth-deals[≈ 4.4 litres · 7.7 pints] of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;
n ch. 15.2-15.
13 And a several tenth-deal[≈ 2.2 litres · 3.9 pints] 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[≈ 1.9 litres · 3.3 pints] of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin[≈ 1.2 litres · 2.2 pints] unto a ram, and a fourth part of an hin[≈ 930 ml · 1.6 pints] unto a lamb: this is the burnt-offering of every month throughout the months of the year.
15 And one o kid of the goats for a sin-offering unto the LORD shall be offered, besides the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.
o Le. 16.15. ch. 15.24. Ro. 8.3. 2 Co. 5.21. 1 Pe. 2.24. Is. 53.6,11,12.
16 And p in the fourteenth day of the first month5 is the passover of the LORD.
p Ex. 12.2-11, 43-49. De. 16.1. Le. 23.5-8. ch. 9.3. Eze. 45.21. 1 Co. 5.7.
5 These various seasons of offering to God are well worthy of special note. They are, (1) Daily, morning and evening, ver. 4-8. (2) Weekly, an additional burnt-offering, besides the ordinary morning and evening sacrifice, ver. 9, 10. (3) Monthly, when, at every new-moon, eleven animals were sacrificed, ver. 11-15, an occasion chosen, not merely because of the remarkable 'note of time' afforded by the moon, but to guard against the idolatry of the moon, so widely spread through heathen countries. (4) Two annual: (1) The passover, ver. 16, 25. (2) The feast of first-fruits, ver. 26-31, in each of which eleven animals were likewise offered to God. Seven lambs, to represent all time, of which seven is the completion, and to acknowledge that as every day requires our 'daily bread,' so does it require God's mercy and forgiveness. Two bullocks (a yoke), to represent how all our own worldly unions in care and toil lead to sin, and require atonement. One ram, setting forth the sacrifice of the one head of the flock, Jn. 10.15. One kid, or one goat, each for a sin-offering, to illustrate and impress the important truth that the real sin-offering is one, He. 10.14.—C.
17 And q in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
18 In the r first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:
r Le. 23.7. Ex. 12.16. He. 4.3,10; 10.25; 12.22-24.
19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire, for a burnt-offering unto the LORD; s two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you t without blemish.
s ver. 11,27. Eze. 45.23,25.
t ver. 3, 9, 11, 31; ch. 29.2,8,13, &c. Ex. 12.5. Le. 1.3; 22.19-25. Lu. 1.35. 2 Co. 5.21. 1 Pe. 2.22. He. 7.26.
20 And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth-deals[≈ 6.6 litres · 1.5 gallons] shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth-deals[≈ 4.4 litres · 7.7 pints] for a ram;
21 A several tenth-deal[≈ 2.2 litres · 3.9 pints] shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
22 And one goat for a sin-offering, to make an atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these besides 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 u besides the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.
u ver. 10.
26 Also y in the day of the first-fruits, when ye bring a new meat-offering unto the LORD, after your weeks6 be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:
y Ex. 23.16; 34.22. De. 16.7-11. Ac. 2.1. 1 Co. 16.8. Le. 23.15-21. Joel 2.28-32.
6 That is, the seven weeks which they were to number from the morrow after the Sabbath, Le. 23.15, i.e. after the first day of unleavened bread. Then they offered another sort of first-fruits, viz. of the barley harvest, which began at the passover, when they were to bring a sheaf of their first-fruits unto the priest, Le. 23.10; the presenting of which was an introduction to harvest, and procured them liberty to begin to put in the sickle.—I.
27 But ye shall offer the burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; z two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;
z ver. 11,19.
28 And their meat-offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth-deals[≈ 6.6 litres · 1.5 gallons] unto one bullock, two tenth-deals[≈ 4.4 litres · 7.7 pints] unto one ram;
29 A several tenth-deal[≈ 2.2 litres · 3.9 pints] unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
30 And one a kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.7
a Le. 16.15. ch. 15.24. Ro. 8.2. 2 Co. 5.21. 1 Pe. 2.24; 3.18. Is. 53.1-6, 11, 12.
7 It is observable that there is not so much as one peace-offering ordered in all this chapter, which was a sort of sacrifice that was most for the benefit of those that brought them to the altar; but all burnt-offerings (except a few sin-offerings), which were wholly for the honour of God, and acknowledgment of his sovereign dominion over them, and of the duty they owed him. And as the sin-offerings were shadows of that great sacrifice of God's own Son, which was one day to be offered for the sins of men, out of his own infinite love to them; so the whole burnt-offerings (which were always of the most perfect creatures, the finest flour, the choicest fruits of the earth, and the best liquor) were shadows of that excellent degree of piety, which the Son of God intended to bring into the world, which would move men, out of love to God, to give themselves wholly up to him, and devote all they had, even their own lives, to his service.—Patrick.
Notes
[Ver. 1. It is remarkable that Moses does not refer back to these commands as already given, but proceeds to deliver them as if promulgated for the first time: the reason is obvious—Moses not only means to show the things to be observed, but to exemplify God's method of teaching; which, like all other teaching, consists largely of repetition, see Jn. 14.26. It is also worthy of remark that the book of Leviticus is generally delivered as a directory how the ordinance is to be observed; here we have a positive command that it must be observed in due season. The phrase due season renders it probable that during the journeyings in the wilderness religious ordinances had been greatly neglected; indeed there is a constant tendency, even in spiritual men, to 'weary in well-doing,' and many an admonition and promise do they require to persuade them that in due season they shall reap if they faint not, Ga. 6. 9.—Note, Regularity in closet and family worship is a necessary monitor and adjuvant to piety, and furnishes a most important and practical test in self-examination. C.]
Reflections.—Fully, yea, infinitely answerable is Jesus Christ and his fulness to the wants of every day, every week, every month, every year, every ordinance, and every case. Let me therefore spend each hour, each period of my time, in beholding him as my God-honouring, sin-pardoning, peace and comfort procuring sacrifice! let me always live on him, and to him; and bless the Lord that, these shadows being done away, he is set before us evidently as crucified in the gospel.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.