Numbers 28 2

Numbers 28:2 kjv

Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.

Numbers 28:2 nkjv

"Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.'

Numbers 28:2 niv

"Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: 'Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.'

Numbers 28:2 esv

"Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.'

Numbers 28:2 nlt

"Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.

Numbers 28 verses

Numbers 28 2 Meaning

This verse initiates the detailed commands concerning the required offerings the Israelites were to present to the LORD. It underscores that these sacrifices, consisting of "food" and "food offerings," were to be brought at specific, divinely appointed times, and they were considered a "pleasing aroma" to God, signifying His acceptance and favor upon His obedient people and their worship.

Numbers 28 2 Context

Numbers chapter 28 initiates a precise and detailed enumeration of the communal sacrifices to be offered to the LORD throughout the Israelite calendar. This section, along with chapter 29, constitutes a divine instruction manual for national worship, following the censuses of the twelve tribes and the Levites, and the laws concerning inheritance and purification. Historically, these detailed regulations were given as Israel stood on the verge of entering the Promised Land, serving to establish a clear, structured system of worship for their settled life. It emphasized regularity, precision, and the collective responsibility of the nation in approaching their holy God, distinguishing Israelite worship from the capricious and often corrupt practices of surrounding pagan nations by emphasizing the command of the one true God and the specific timing He ordained.

Numbers 28 2 Word analysis

• "Command the Israelites" (דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, dabber el-b'nei Yisrael): This opening phrase signifies divine authority. "Command" (דַּבֵּר, dabber) is an imperative, indicating a direct, non-negotiable instruction from God through Moses to the entire community of Israel. It highlights that worship is not optional or arbitrary, but an ordered requirement of the covenant.
• "and say to them" (וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם, v'amarta alehem): Reinforces the direct, personal address from God to His people.
• "'See that you present" (וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם, u'shmartem, implies "and you shall guard/observe"): While some translations render "see that you present," the Hebrew verb is more literally "you shall observe" or "you shall guard." This emphasizes careful, diligent adherence to the commandment, reflecting its vital importance and requiring active mindfulness.
• "to me" (לִי, li): The emphasis is on the divine recipient. The offerings are exclusively directed to Yahweh, distinguishing Israel's worship from any form of idolatry or offerings to other gods.
• "at their appointed time" (בְּמֹֽעֲד֗וֹ, b'moado): This signifies specific, sacred times on the Israelite calendar, whether daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly feasts. It underscores divine order, predictability, and the disciplined nature of worship, preventing arbitrary offerings and ensuring that Israel's life was structured around God's timing.
• "the food for my offerings" (לַחְמִ֥י לְקָרְבָּנַ֖י, lachmi l'qorbani):
  • "food" (לַחְמִ֗י, lachmi): Literally "my bread" or "my food." This anthropomorphic expression helps convey that the offerings are God's portion, His right, and what He "receives" from His people. It implies a communion, not a literal eating by God.
  • "for my offerings" (לְקָרְבָּנַי֙, l'qorbani): From the root ק.ר.ב (qarab), "to draw near." These are things "brought near" to God, signifying the act of worship and approach to a holy God.
• "the food offerings" (אִשַּׁ֗י, 'ishai): Literally "my fire offerings." Derived from אֵשׁ ('esh), "fire." These are offerings specifically consumed by fire on the altar, emphasizing the transformative and ascending nature of the sacrifice reaching God.
• "as a pleasing aroma to me" (רֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ לִ֔י, reyach nikhoach li):
  • "pleasing aroma" (רֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֙חַ֙, reyach nikhoach): This idiomatic phrase, used extensively in the Old Testament, describes divine acceptance and satisfaction. It is not about the literal smell to God, but a metaphorical expression of His pleasure with the act of obedience and faith represented by the offering. It signifies that the offering (and the heart behind it) is accepted and brings favor.
  • "to me" (לִ֔י, li): Reiterates the singular focus and recipient of the acceptable worship.

Numbers 28 2 Bonus section

The concept of the offerings being "food for My offerings" or "My food" (לַחְמִ֛י lachmi) employs an anthropomorphism to communicate divine expectation and participation in the offering, helping finite humans grasp the intimacy of God's communion. It highlights that just as humanity sustains itself with food, the offerings "sustained" the relationship and covenant between God and Israel, by acknowledging His sovereignty and provision. This also underlines God's condescension in speaking in terms humans can comprehend, without suggesting a literal need on His part for sustenance. The repeated emphasis on specific times throughout Numbers 28-29 highlights that all of Israel's life, from daily rhythms to annual celebrations, was to be sanctified and oriented around their worship of Yahweh.

Numbers 28 2 Commentary

Numbers 28:2 stands as the foundational command for Israel's regular communal worship, setting the stage for the detailed calendar of sacrifices that follow. It succinctly expresses several vital theological truths. First, worship is divinely initiated and commanded, not a human invention; it is an obligation from God to His covenant people. Second, this worship must be conducted with precision and intentionality, "at their appointed time," highlighting God's demand for order and the sanctity of designated periods. Third, the offerings are uniquely God's own, presented "to Me," establishing an exclusive covenant relationship and distinguishing Israel from the idolatry of surrounding nations. Finally, the offerings are a "pleasing aroma," indicating divine acceptance and satisfaction, not because God literally needs sustenance, but because the obedience, faith, and reconciliation symbolized by the sacrifice are profoundly agreeable to Him. This sacrificial system, meticulously laid out, anticipated the ultimate, perfect, and single sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who offered Himself "as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:2), forever fulfilling the types and shadows presented in these Old Testament rituals.