Bible Commentaries

NUMBERS CHAPTER 29

The sacrifice at the feast of the trumpets; its burnt-offering, and sin-offering, Numbers 29:1-4. Of the feast of atonement; its offerings, Numbers 29:5-11. Of the feast of tabernacles, during seven days; their offerings; the eighth day a great holiday Numbers 29:12-38.

In the seventh month; so it was in their ecclesiastical account, in which the month Abib was the first; but as to civil matters, this was the first month.

A day of blowing the trumpets; whereby the people were admonished solemnly to prepare themselves for the feasts, which were as many in this month as in all the year besides.

A burnt-offering, besides the offerings of every month and day, as is expressed, Numbers 29:6.

Of the month; belonging to every new moon, of which see Numbers 28:11,12 2 Chronicles 2:4.

According to their manner; according to the order, rites, and ceremonies appointed by God.

Your souls, i.e. yourselves, by fasting and abstinence from all delightful things, and by compunction and bitter sorrow for your sins, and the judgments of God either deserved by you, or inflicted upon you for your sins. See Leviticus 16:29,30 23:27.

The sin-offering of atonement, by which the high priest made atonement; of which see Leviticus 16:9,29,30.

The feast of booths; of which see Leviticus 23:34,35 Deu 16:13.

Seven days; not by abstaining so long from all servile works, but by offering extraordinary sacrifices each day.

Thirteen young bullocks; more sacrifices than at any other feast, partly because this feast was in the close of the year, when it was meet to supply the defects of the year past, and when they had gathered in all their fruits, Deuteronomy 16:13,15 and therefore ought to make the larger returns and acknowledgment to God; partly because it was God’s pleasure so to order it, for reasons known to himself, in whose will we ought to acquiesce. And the same reason holds why these sacrifices grew fewer and fewer every day.

Of which see for meat-offerings, Numbers 29:3,4,9,10; and for drink-offerings, Numbers 28:7,14

This was the last and great day of the feast, as it is called John 7:37, and yet the sacrifices were fewer than any other day, to teach them not to trust to the multitude of their sacrifices, nor to expect remission of sins from them, but from the one and only sacrifice of Christ.

Your free-will offerings; your ordinary sacrifices shall not be omitted because of the extraordinary, which ye offer on special occasions.