Numbers 29
Introduction
Numbers 29 concludes the festival calendar that began in Numbers 28, turning from the regular offerings and spring festivals to the three great observances of the seventh month: the Feast of Trumpets (the first day), the Day of Atonement (the tenth day), and the Feast of Tabernacles (the fifteenth through twenty-second days). The seventh month (Tishri) was the most sacred month in Israel's liturgical year, containing more holy days than any other. While Leviticus 23 describes these festivals in terms of their theological meaning and communal observance, Numbers 29 focuses specifically on the offerings required for each day — the sheer volume of animals, grain, and oil that Israel was to present before the LORD.
The chapter is notable for its meticulous repetition and its extraordinary escalation of sacrifice. The Feast of Tabernacles alone requires the slaughter of seventy-one bulls over eight days, with the first seven days featuring a descending sequence of bulls (thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven) totaling exactly seventy. This is far more than any other festival in Israel's calendar, underscoring the supreme importance of this harvest celebration. The chapter closes with a summary statement (vv. 39-40) that frames all of these festival offerings as the required baseline — Israel's vow offerings and freewill offerings were still to be given on top of everything prescribed here. The costliness of worship before the holy God is a central theme of the entire sacrificial system, and this chapter brings it to its climax.
The Feast of Trumpets (vv. 1-6)
1 "On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you must not do any regular work. This will be a day for you to sound the trumpets. 2 As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 3 together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil — three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 4 and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven male lambs. 5 Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6 These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
1 "On the first day of the seventh month, you shall hold a sacred assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. It shall be a day of trumpet blasts for you. 2 You shall offer as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, without defect, 3 along with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil — three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, 4 and one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs. 5 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement on your behalf. 6 These are in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the regular daily burnt offering and its grain offering, together with their prescribed drink offerings — a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
Notes
The first day of the seventh month is known in later Jewish tradition as רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה ("Head of the Year"), though the Torah itself does not use that title. The biblical name for this day is יוֹם תְּרוּעָה ("Day of Blasting/Shouting"), derived from the word תְּרוּעָה, which can refer to the blowing of trumpets, a war cry, or a shout of joy. The parallel passage in Leviticus 23:23-25 similarly calls it "a memorial of blasting" but gives no further explanation of its purpose — it is the most enigmatic of Israel's appointed times. The shofar blast would later become the defining symbol of this day.
The offerings prescribed here — one bull, one ram, seven lambs, and one goat — are identical to the offerings for the Feast of Weeks (Numbers 28:26-30) and the new moon of the seventh month. This is a relatively modest sacrifice compared to the Feast of Tabernacles later in the chapter. Yet the day carries special weight as the beginning of the most sacred month, and verse 1 emphasizes that no regular work was to be done — the same restriction applied to the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement.
Verse 6 makes explicit that these festival offerings are cumulative. The daily burnt offerings prescribed in Numbers 28:3-8 continued without interruption, and since the first of the month was also a new moon, the monthly offerings of Numbers 28:11-15 were also required. On this single day, Israel would offer a total of three bulls, three rams, and sixteen lambs as burnt offerings, plus two goats as sin offerings — a substantial dedication of resources.
The phrase רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ ("a pleasing aroma") recurs throughout chapters 28-29 and goes back to Noah's sacrifice in Genesis 8:21. It is an anthropomorphic expression that communicates God's acceptance and delight in the offering, not that God literally smells the smoke. Paul applies this language to Christ's self-sacrifice in Ephesians 5:2.
The Day of Atonement (vv. 7-11)
7 On the tenth day of this seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you shall humble yourselves; you must not do any work. 8 Present as a pleasing aroma to the LORD a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 9 together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil — three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 10 and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs. 11 Include one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings.
7 On the tenth day of this seventh month, you shall hold a sacred assembly, and you shall afflict yourselves; you shall not do any work at all. 8 You shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD as a pleasing aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old — they must be without defect. 9 Their grain offerings shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, 10 and one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs. 11 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and their drink offerings.
Notes
The command וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם ("and you shall afflict your souls/yourselves") is the distinctive mark of Yom Kippur, repeated from Leviticus 23:27-32 and Leviticus 16:29-31. The verb עִנָּה means to humble, afflict, or deny oneself, and was understood to include fasting as well as abstaining from bathing, anointing, wearing leather sandals, and marital relations. This is the only fast day mandated in the Torah. The translation "afflict yourselves" preserves the stronger force of the Hebrew, while "humble yourselves" (BSB) captures the inward posture.
The work prohibition here is absolute: כָּל מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ ("you shall not do any work at all"), without the qualifier "regular" or "ordinary" that appears for other festivals. This matches the Sabbath command and underscores the supreme holiness of this day.
The offerings here — one bull, one ram, seven lambs, one goat — are identical in number to the Feast of Trumpets (vv. 2-5). But verse 11 adds an important distinction: this goat sin offering is "in addition to the sin offering of atonement." That phrase refers to the elaborate atonement ritual described in Leviticus 16, where the high priest enters the Most Holy Place with the blood of a bull and a goat, and a second goat (the scapegoat) is sent into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people. The offerings prescribed here in Numbers 29 are the communal burnt offerings for the day, layered on top of the Leviticus 16 ritual and the daily offerings.
The Day of Atonement stands at the theological center of Israel's sacrificial system. The author of Hebrews draws extensively on the Yom Kippur ritual to explain Christ's atoning work, arguing that Jesus entered the true Most Holy Place "once for all" with his own blood, securing eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-14). The annual repetition of these sacrifices pointed to their insufficiency and to the need for a final, perfect offering (Hebrews 10:1-4).
The Feast of Tabernacles: Day 1 (vv. 12-16)
12 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days. 13 As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a food offering, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 14 along with the grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil with each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah with each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth of an ephah with each of the fourteen lambs. 16 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
12 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall hold a sacred assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. You shall celebrate a feast to the LORD for seven days. 13 You shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering of pleasing aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old — all without defect. 14 Their grain offerings shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each of the two rams, 15 and one-tenth of an ephah for each of the fourteen lambs. 16 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
Notes
The Feast of Tabernacles (חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת, "Festival of Booths") was the grandest of Israel's three pilgrimage festivals. It celebrated the autumn harvest and commemorated Israel's wilderness wanderings, when the people lived in temporary shelters (Leviticus 23:42-43). The word חַג comes from a root meaning "to dance" or "to circle," and it was the most joyful of all the festivals — Deuteronomy 16:13-15 commands Israel to "rejoice" during this feast.
The scale of the first day's offering is staggering: thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs, and one goat. By comparison, the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement each required only one bull, one ram, and seven lambs. The number of lambs has doubled from seven to fourteen, and the bulls have jumped from one to thirteen. The accompanying grain offerings would require enormous quantities of fine flour and oil — roughly 39/10 of an ephah for the bulls alone, plus 4/10 for the rams and 14/10 for the lambs.
The number thirteen is unusual and initiates the famous descending pattern: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 bulls over seven days, totaling exactly 70. Rabbinic tradition (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 55b) connected the 70 bulls to the 70 nations listed in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, understanding that Israel offered sacrifices on behalf of the entire world during this festival. While this interpretation is not explicit in the biblical text, the extraordinary number of offerings does set Tabernacles apart as a festival of cosmic scope.
The two rams and fourteen lambs remain constant each day throughout the seven-day festival, as does the single goat sin offering. Only the bulls decrease. This fixed-plus-variable structure creates a liturgical rhythm of both stability and progression, moving toward the climactic eighth day.
The Feast of Tabernacles: Days 2-7 (vv. 17-34)
17 On the second day you are to present twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 18 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 19 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
20 On the third day you are to present eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 21 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 22 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
23 On the fourth day you are to present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 24 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 25 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
26 On the fifth day you are to present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 27 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 28 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
29 On the sixth day you are to present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 30 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 31 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
32 On the seventh day you are to present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 33 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 34 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
17 On the second day: twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old, without defect, 18 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 19 Also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
20 On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, without defect, 21 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 22 Also one goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
23 On the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, without defect, 24 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 25 Also one goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
26 On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, without defect, 27 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 28 Also one goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
29 On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, without defect, 30 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 31 Also one goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
32 On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, without defect, 33 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 34 Also one goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
Notes
The six days recorded here follow the identical formula established on day one, with only the number of bulls changing: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7. The Hebrew text uses nearly word-for-word repetition for each day, a deliberate literary structure that mirrors the liturgical repetition of the festival itself. Each day's offerings were not abbreviated in practice, and the text does not abbreviate them either — every day receives its own solemn recitation.
The complete tally for the seven days of Tabernacles:
| Offering | Daily | Total (7 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Bulls | 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 | 70 |
| Rams | 2 | 14 |
| Male lambs | 14 | 98 |
| Male goats (sin) | 1 | 7 |
The grand total is 70 bulls, 14 rams, 98 lambs, and 7 goats — 189 animals over seven days, not counting the daily burnt offerings that continued simultaneously. No other festival in Israel's calendar approaches this scale.
The number 70 is loaded with symbolic significance throughout Scripture. There are 70 nations in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), 70 members of Jacob's family who went down to Egypt (Genesis 46:27), 70 elders appointed to assist Moses (Numbers 11:16-17), and 70 years of Babylonian exile prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12). The rabbinic tradition that the 70 bulls were offered on behalf of the 70 nations is echoed in the Talmud's striking comment: "If the nations of the world had known how much they benefited from the Temple, they would have surrounded it with fortresses to protect it" (Sukkah 55b). Whether or not this was the original intent, the text clearly presents Tabernacles as a festival of extraordinary, even extravagant generosity toward God.
The descending pattern may also symbolize the movement from fullness toward completion — from the abundance of the harvest season toward the intimate simplicity of the eighth day. The steady reduction creates an arc that draws the worshiper's attention forward, building anticipation for what comes next.
The phrase כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם ("according to their prescribed amounts" or "according to the ordinance") appears in verses 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 37, referring back to the grain and drink offering ratios established in Numbers 28:7-8 and Numbers 28:14 and specified in detail for day one (vv. 14-15). The word מִשְׁפָּט here means "regulation" or "prescribed rule" rather than its more common sense of "justice" — a reminder that worship in Israel followed a precise, divinely ordered pattern.
The Eighth Day Assembly and Conclusion (vv. 35-40)
35 On the eighth day you are to hold a solemn assembly; you must not do any regular work. 36 As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a food offering, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 37 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 38 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 39 You are to present these offerings to the LORD at your appointed times, in addition to your vow and freewill offerings, whether burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, or peace offerings." 40 So Moses spoke all this to the Israelites just as the LORD had commanded him.
35 On the eighth day, you shall hold a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 You shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering of pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old, without defect, 37 with their grain offerings and drink offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs, according to the prescribed amounts. 38 Also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. 39 These you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed times, apart from your vow offerings and your freewill offerings — whether burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, or peace offerings." 40 And Moses told the Israelites everything, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Notes
The eighth day is called עֲצֶרֶת, translated "solemn assembly." This word comes from the root עָצַר, meaning "to restrain" or "to hold back," suggesting a day of restraint, conclusion, or gathering in. In later Jewish tradition this day became known as Shemini Atzeret ("the Eighth Day of Assembly"), treated as a distinct festival from Tabernacles proper. The rabbis understood it as God saying to Israel, after the great week of celebration: "Stay with me one more day" — an intimate conclusion after the vast public festival (Sukkah 55b).
The dramatic reduction in offerings is the most striking feature of this day. After seven days in which 70 bulls were sacrificed in a grand descending sequence, the eighth day requires only one bull, one ram, and seven lambs. The offerings match those of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement — the "baseline" festival offering. This sharp contrast suggests that the eighth day is not simply the end of Tabernacles but something qualitatively different: a quiet, intimate gathering after the grandeur of the preceding week.
In John 7:37-38, Jesus stood and spoke "on the last and greatest day of the feast," declaring: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." Scholars debate whether "the last day" refers to the seventh day of Tabernacles or the eighth day (Shemini Atzeret). If it is the eighth day, the intimate, restrained character of the day's offerings provides a fitting backdrop for Jesus' personal invitation. The water-pouring ceremony that accompanied the Feast of Tabernacles (described in the Mishnah, Sukkah 4:9) may have been the immediate context for Jesus' declaration about living water.
Verses 39-40 form the conclusion not just of this chapter but of the entire festival calendar spanning Numbers 28 and Numbers 29. The word מוֹעֲדִים ("appointed times") is the same term used in Leviticus 23:2 to introduce the entire festival calendar: "These are the appointed times of the LORD." The festivals are not arbitrary celebrations but divinely scheduled encounters between God and his people.
The mention of נֶדֶר ("vow offerings") and נְדָבָה ("freewill offerings") in verse 39 is significant. All of the offerings prescribed in chapters 28-29 represent the mandatory minimum — the communal obligation of the nation. But beyond these required sacrifices, individuals could bring additional offerings from personal devotion or in fulfillment of vows. The prescribed offerings established the floor, not the ceiling, of Israel's worship. This principle reappears in Numbers 30, which immediately follows with laws governing the binding nature of vows.
The total animal count for the entire seventh month is extraordinary. Combining all three festivals with the regular daily and monthly offerings, the seventh month required more sacrifices than any other period in Israel's year. This concentration of worship in a single month — atonement, harvest celebration, and national remembrance — made the seventh month the spiritual climax of Israel's calendar, just as the seventh day (Sabbath) was the climax of the week and the seventh year (Sabbath year) was the climax of the agricultural cycle. The pattern of sevens pervades every level of Israel's life.