1And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no labor of work. It is a day of shouting with trumpet blasts to you. 2You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma unto Jehovah: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year, that are whole. 3Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 4and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5and one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6besides the burnt offering with its grain offering of the month, the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire unto Jehovah. 7On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work. 8You shall offer a burnt offering unto Jehovah as a soothing aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year. They shall be ones that are whole. 9Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 10and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 11and one kid of the goats as a sin offering; besides the sin offering for atonement, the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. 12On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no labor of work, and you shall hold a feast unto Jehovah seven days. 13You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a soothing aroma unto Jehovah: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year. They shall be ones that are whole. 14Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams, 15and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; 16and one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 17On the second day twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year, that are whole, 18and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 19and one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. 20On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year, that are whole, 21and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 22and one goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 23On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year, that are whole, 24and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 25and one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 26On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year, that are whole, 27and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 28and one goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 29On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year, that are whole, 30and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 31and one goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 32On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year, that are whole, 33and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 34and one goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 35On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall do no labor of work. 36You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a soothing aroma unto Jehovah: one bull, one ram, seven lambs of the first year, that are whole, 37and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance; 38and one goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. 39These you shall offer unto Jehovah at your appointed times (besides your vows and freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings. 40Thus Moses said to the children of Israel, according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 There were more sacred solemnities in the seventh month than in any other month of the year, not only because it had been the first month till the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt (which, falling in the month Abib, occasioned that to be thenceforth made the
beginning of the months in all ecclesiastical computations), but because still it continued the first month in the civil reckonings of the jubilees and years of release, and also because it was the time of vacation between harvest and seedtime, when they had most leisure to attend the sanctuary, which intimates that, though God will dispense with sacrifices in consideration of works of necessity and mercy, yet the more leisure we have from the pressing occasions of this life the more time we should spend in the immediate service of God. 1. We have here the appointment of the sacrifices that were to be offered on the first day of the month, the day of
blowing the trumpets, which was a preparative for the two great solemnities of holy mourning on the day of atonement and of holy joy in the feast of tabernacles. The intention of divine institutions is well answered when one religious service helps to fit us for another and all for heaven. The
blowing of the trumpets was appointed,
Lev 23:24. Here the people are directed what sacrifices to offer on that day, of which there was not then any mention made. Note, Those who would know the mind of God in the scripture must compare one part of the scripture with another, and put those parts together that have reference to the same thing, for the latter discoveries of divine light explain what was dark and supply what was defective in the former,
that the man of God may be perfect. The sacrifices then to be offered are particularly ordered here (
Num 29:2-
Num 29:6), and care taken that these should not supersede the daily oblation and that of the new moon. It is hereby intimated that we must not seek occasions to abate our zeal in God's service, nor be glad of an excuse to omit a good duty, but rather rejoice in an opportunity of accumulating and doing more than ordinary in religion. If we perform family-worship, we must not think that this will excuse us from our secret devotions; nor that on the days we go to church we need not worship God alone and with our families; but we should
always abound in the work of the Lord. 2. On the
day of atonement. Besides all the services of that day, which we had the institution of, Lev. 16, and which, one would think, required trouble and charge enough, here are burnt-offerings ordered to be offered,
Num 29:8-
Num 29:10. For in our faith and repentance, those two great gospel graces which were signified by that day's performances, we must have an eye to the glory and honour of God, which was purely intended in the burnt-offerings; there was likewise to be a
kid of the goats for a sin-offering, besides the great sin-offering of atonement (
Num 29:11), which intimates that there are so many defects and faults, even in the exercises and expressions of our repentance, that we have need of an interest in a sacrifice to expiate the guilt even of that part of our holy things. Though we must not repent that we have repented, yet we must repent that we have not repented better. It likewise intimated the imperfection of the legal sacrifices, and their insufficiency to take away sin, that on the very day the
sin-offering of atonement was offered, yet there must be another sin-offering. But
what the law could not do, in that it was weak, that Christ has done.
12 Soon after the day of atonement, that day in which men were to afflict their souls, followed the feast of tabernacles, in which they were to rejoice before the Lord; for those that
sow in tears shall soon
reap in joy. To the former laws about this feast, which we had,
Lev 23:34, etc., here are added directions about the
offerings by fire, which they were to offer unto the Lord during the
seven days of that feast, Lev 23:36. Observe here, 1. Their days of rejoicing were to be days of sacrifices. A disposition to be cheerful does us no harm, nor is any bad symptom, when it is so far from unfitting us for the duties of God's immediate service that it encourages and enlarges our hearts in them. 2. All the days of their dwelling in booths they must offer sacrifices. While we are here in a tabernacle-state, it is our interest as well as duty constantly to keep up communion with God; nor will the unsettledness of our outward condition excuse us in our neglect of the duties of God's worship. 3. The sacrifices for each of the seven days, though differing in nothing but the number of the bullocks, are severally and particularly appointed, which yet is no vain repetition; for God would thus teach them to be very exact in those observances, and to keep an eye of faith fixed upon the institution in every day's work. It likewise intimates that the repetition of the same services, if performed with an upright heart, and with a continued fire of pious and devout affection, is no weariness to God, and therefore we ought not to snuff at it, or to say,
Behold, what a weariness it is to us! 4. The number of bullocks (which were the most costly part of the sacrifice) decreased every day. On the first day of the feast they were to offer thirteen, on the second day but twelve, on the third day eleven, etc. So that on the seventh they offered seven; and the last day, though it was the great day of the feast, and celebrated with a holy convocation, yet they were to offer but one bullock; and, whereas on all the other days they offered two rams and fourteen lambs, on this they offered but one ram and seven lambs. Such was the will of the Law-maker, and that is reason enough for the law. Some suggest that God herein considered the infirmity of the flesh, which is apt to grudge the charge and expense of religion; it is therefore ordered to grow less and less, that they might not complain as if God had
made them to serve with an offering, Isa 43:23. Or it is hereby intimated to them that the legal dispensation should wax old, and vanish away at last; and the multitude of their sacrifices should end in one great sacrifice, infinitely more worthy than all of them. It was on the last day of the feast, after all these sacrifices had been ordered, that our Lord Jesus stood and cried to those who still thirsted after righteousness (being sensible of the insufficiency of these sacrifices to justify them)
to come unto him and drink, John 7:37. 5. The meat-offerings and drink-offerings attended all the sacrifices,
according to their number, after the manner. Be there ever so much flesh, it is no feast without bread and drink, therefore these must never be omitted at God's altar, which was his table. We must not think that doing much in religion will be accepted if we do not do it well, and after the manner that God has appointed. 6. Every day there must be a sin-offering presented, as we observed in the other feasts. Our burnt-offerings of praise cannot be accepted of God unless we have an interest in the great sacrifice of propitiation which Christ offered when for us he made himself a sin-offering. 7. Even when all these sacrifices were offered, yet the continual burnt-offering must not be omitted either morning or evening, but each day this must be offered first in the morning and last in the evening. No extraordinary services should jostle out our stated devotions. 8. Though all these sacrifices were required to be presented by the body of the congregation, at the common charge, yet, besides these, particular persons were to glorify God with their vows and their free-will offerings,
Num 29:39. When God commanded that this
they must do, he left room for the generosity of their devotion, a great deal more they
might do, not inventing other worships, but abounding in these, as
2Chr 30:23,
2Chr 30:24. Large directions had been given in Leviticus concerning the offerings of all sorts that should be brought by particular persons according to the providences of God concerning them and the graces of God in them. Though every Israelite had an interest in these common sacrifices, yet he must not think that these will serve instead of his vows and his free-will offerings. Thus our ministers' praying with us and for us will not excuse us from praying for ourselves.