Bible Commentaries

Numbers 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first [day] of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

Ver. 1. And in the seventh month.] This Sabbath month, as it were, had as many feasts in it as were celebrated in all the year besides. So that as the Sabbath is the queen of days, so was this of months.

It is a day of blowing.] {See Trapp on "Leviticus 23:24"}

Numbers 29:7 And ye shall have on the tenth [day] of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work [therein]:

Ver. 7. And ye shall have.] See Leviticus 16:19, {See Trapp on "Leviticus 16:19"}

Numbers 29:12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:

Ver. 12. And on the fifteenth.] See Leviticus 23:34-35, &c., {See Trapp on "Leviticus 23:34"} &c There the feasts were prescribed, and here the sacrifices belonging to them are described.

Numbers 29:17 And on the second day [ye shall offer] twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

Ver. 17. And on the second day ye shall offer twelve, &c.] In every of these seven days sacrifices, one bullock is abated: hereby the Holy Ghost might teach them their duty, to grow in grace and increase in sanctification, that their sins decreasing, the number of their sacrifices, whereby atonement was made for their sins, should also decrease daily. Or it might signify a diminishing and wearing away of the legal offerings, &c., as one well observeth; Hac caeremonia significabat Deus gratiam suam de die in diem crescere, ita nempe ut minuatur vetus homo, et novus augeatur, &c., saith Alsted, - till the very ruins of Satan’s castles be, as most of our old castles are, almost brought to ruin.

Numbers 29:18 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, [shall be] according to their number, after the manner:

Ver. 18. After the manner.] That is, in manner and form aforesaid. The manner is that which makes or mars the action; as a good suit may be marred in the making, so a good duty: there may be malum opus in bona materia. Jehu’s zeal was rewarded as an act of justice, quoad substantiam operis; and punished as an act of policy, quoad modum agendi, for the perverse end. Yea, David, for failing in a ceremony only, though with an honest heart, suffered a breach instead of a blessing. [1 Chronicles 15:13] Idolaters also went on in their own manner as their idol priests prescribed. "The manner of Beersheba liveth"; [Amos 8:14] that is, the form of rites of the worshipping in Beersheba, as the Chaldee paraphraseth.