Numbers 28 11

Numbers 28:11 kjv

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

Numbers 28:11 nkjv

'At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish;

Numbers 28:11 niv

"?'On the first of every month, present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.

Numbers 28:11 esv

"At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;

Numbers 28:11 nlt

"On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the LORD of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.

Numbers 28 verses

Numbers 28 11 Meaning

Numbers 28:11 prescribes the specific communal burnt offerings to be presented to the Lord at the beginning of each new month, known as the New Moon festival. These offerings include two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs, each required to be a year old and without blemish. This verse details Israel's obligation to consecrate their time, specifically the monthly cycle, to God through designated sacrifices, emphasizing the meticulousness required in their worship and the ongoing need for atonement and fellowship with Him.

Numbers 28 11 Context

Numbers chapters 28 and 29 meticulously detail the specific offerings and their precise quantities required for all regular communal sacrifices throughout the year. This comprehensive schedule begins with daily and Sabbath offerings (28:1-10) and then outlines those for the monthly New Moons (28:11-15) before moving on to the annual pilgrim festivals like Passover, Weeks, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles (28:16-29:40). This section, situated after the census and preparations for entering the Promised Land, served to instruct the new generation of Israelites on their ongoing cultic duties. Historically, the setting for this instruction is on the plains of Moab, as Israel stands poised to enter Canaan, highlighting that these sacrificial obligations were to be maintained as a perpetual statute in their settled life, affirming God's continued covenant presence and Israel's need for consistent national atonement and worship. It reinforces the importance of maintaining proper religious practice and reminds them of God's sovereignty over time and their lives.

Numbers 28 11 Word analysis

• At the beginnings (בְּרָאשֵׁי - bᵉraʼshey): This phrase literally means "in the heads of" or "at the chief/first part of." It refers to the start of each lunar month, highlighting the significance of the inaugural day. In the ancient world, many cultures observed the moon, but for Israel, it marked divinely ordained liturgical timing, emphasizing Yahweh's claim over time.
• of your months (חָדְשֵׁיכֶם - chodsheykhem): From chodesh, meaning "new moon" or "month." The lunar calendar governed the Hebrew religious year. The "your" indicates these are specific observances for Israel, distinguishing their worship of Yahweh from any pagan moon veneration.
• you shall present (תַּקְרִיבוּ - takribu): From the verb karab, "to bring near, to offer, to approach." This is a command, conveying obligation and an act of worshipful proximity to God. It highlights that the initiative for offering comes from the people as a divine requirement.
• a burnt offering (עֹלָה - 'olah): This Hebrew term means "that which goes up" or "what ascends." It refers to a whole burnt offering where the entire animal, excluding the hide, was consumed by fire on the altar. Symbolizes complete devotion, expiation, and propitiation.
• to the Lord (לַֽיהוָה - laYahweh): Explicitly states the sole recipient of the sacrifice is Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This dedicates the ritual act exclusively to Him, guarding against syncretism or offering to other deities.
• two young bulls (פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנַיִם - parim bᵉney vakar shnayim): Literally "bullocks sons of cattle, two." Bulls were the largest and most valuable animals for sacrifice, indicating the great importance and costly nature of the monthly offering. Their inclusion suggests a significant communal act of atonement or devotion.
• one ram (אַיִל אֶחָד - ʼayil ʼechad): A male sheep. Rams were also significant and substantial offerings, often prescribed in communal or special sacrifices.
• and seven male lambs a year old (כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה - kᵉvasim bᵉney shanah shiv'ah): Literally "lambs sons of a year, seven." Lambs were commonly used in daily and festival offerings. The number "seven" signifies completeness, perfection, or divine order, frequently appearing in cultic contexts (e.g., seven days of creation, seven lamps). Being "a year old" signifies them being in their prime and an acceptable age for sacrifice.
• without blemish (תְּמִימִם - tᵉmimim): From tamim, meaning "perfect, whole, complete, sound, without defect or spot." This was a foundational requirement for all sacrifices to a holy God, representing the purity demanded in approaching Him. It prefigures the sinless perfection of Christ, the ultimate sacrifice (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19).

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "At the beginnings of your months": This phrase highlights the rhythmic, cyclical nature of Israel's worship, ordained by God. It wasn't a spontaneous or irregular offering, but a foundational, consistent practice for the nation, setting the spiritual tone for each new month. This fixed liturgical calendar reinforces the idea of covenant continuity and God's sustained interaction with His people.
• "you shall present a burnt offering to the Lord": This succinctly states the action, type of offering, and the divine recipient. The direct command "you shall present" underlines the obligation upon the community. The 'olah (burnt offering) symbolizes total surrender and dedication, where the entire offering ascends to God, indicating a full commitment of the people to Yahweh monthly.
• "two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old without blemish": This detailed enumeration of specific animals and their flawless condition demonstrates the meticulousness and exactness demanded in divine worship. It speaks to the holiness of God, who requires only the perfect, the best, and a precise measure of dedication. The large quantity of animals represents a significant national expenditure, underlining the importance of New Moon observance for the community as a whole. This set structure served to distinguish the Yahwistic cult from the varied and often haphazard sacrificial practices of surrounding pagan nations.

Numbers 28 11 Bonus section

• While the New Moon was an important religious observance, it did not typically involve the same strict prohibition of work as the weekly Sabbath. Instead, it was marked by the specific sacrifices outlined here and often accompanied by the blowing of trumpets and a communal feast (Num 10:10; 1 Sam 20:5-6).
• The precise number and type of animals stipulated here for the New Moon differentiate it from other festival offerings, creating a unique signature for this particular observance within Israel's complex sacrificial calendar. This divine specification reflects the idea that God dictates the terms of worship, rather than humans deciding what is pleasing to Him.
• The New Moon observances acted as regular opportunities for the Israelites to express corporate dedication, gratitude, and atonement, maintaining national purity and fellowship with God throughout the year, anticipating the annual pilgrimage festivals.
• Prophetically, while the Old Testament New Moon festivals pointed to realities fulfilled in Christ (Col 2:16-17), there are hints in Ezekiel's temple vision and Isaiah's prophecies of a restored Israel where such "New Moon" observances, perhaps re-interpreted or transformed, will still be a part of universal worship before the Lord (Isa 66:23; Ezek 46:6).

Numbers 28 11 Commentary

Numbers 28:11 establishes the central elements of the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) festival's burnt offering, which served as a consistent monthly communal act of worship for Israel. Unlike the daily or Sabbath offerings, the New Moon sacrifice was considerably more substantial, requiring multiple, valuable animals: two bulls, one ram, and seven lambs. This signifies the monthly recalibration and renewal of the national covenant relationship with God, underscoring the deep importance of sanctifying the passage of time.

The requirement that all animals be "without blemish" is foundational to Mosaic law, stressing God's absolute holiness and the necessity of bringing Him only the unblemished, symbolizing purity, perfection, and the very best of Israel's resources. This practice also served a propitiatory function, continually covering communal impurities and ensuring a state of acceptability before the Holy God.

The consistency of this monthly ritual ingrained the truth that all time, even cyclical lunar cycles, was under God's sovereignty and was to be consecrated to Him. It also prevented complacency, requiring active participation and resource allocation from the people on an ongoing basis. In essence, Numbers 28:11 delineates a critical component of Israel's annual liturgical cycle, affirming their dependence on Yahweh and their commitment to sustained, costly, and perfect worship as a means of maintaining their unique covenant relationship.