Numbers 28 27

Numbers 28:27 kjv

But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;

Numbers 28:27 nkjv

You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year,

Numbers 28:27 niv

Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

Numbers 28:27 esv

but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;

Numbers 28:27 nlt

Present a special burnt offering on that day as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It will consist of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs.

Numbers 28 verses

Numbers 28 27 Meaning

Numbers 28:27 specifies the particular animal sacrifices required as a burnt offering for the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost. These included two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, demonstrating a significant and precise offering to the Lord, in addition to other required sacrifices for the feast. This offering symbolized complete dedication, atonement for unintentional sin, and worship to God, acknowledging His bountiful provision, particularly the harvest.

Numbers 28 27 Context

Numbers 28-29 provides a comprehensive legislative manual for the sacred offerings Israel was to present throughout the year. It follows the establishment of the Levitical priesthood and serves as a detailed outline for daily, weekly (Sabbath), monthly (New Moon), and annual (Feasts) sacrifices. Verse 27 is specifically situated within the instructions for the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew, or Pentecost in Greek), which followed the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Historically, this feast was deeply connected to the agricultural cycle of ancient Israel, specifically marking the conclusion of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. It was a time for thanksgiving for God's provision of food and remembrance of the covenant established at Mount Sinai, where the Torah was given, seven weeks after the Exodus. The elaborate and precise requirements for these offerings ensured proper worship and distinction from the fertility rites and haphazard sacrifices of surrounding pagan nations who often offered unholy sacrifices to their idols, contrasting with Yahweh's demand for unblemished, specific offerings at set times. This precise detailed list reinforced a disciplined worship life centered on the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple, emphasizing God's meticulous nature and Israel's required holy devotion.

Numbers 28 27 Word analysis

• also (Hebrew: גַּם, gam):

  • Significance: An adverb implying "in addition to," "moreover." It signifies that these animals are not the only offerings for the Feast of Weeks, but are added to others, such as the two wave loaves and the associated sacrifices for them (Lev 23:17-19), as well as the continual burnt offering. It highlights the extensive nature of the required worship.

• two young bulls (Hebrew: פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר, pārîm bəney vāqār):

  • pārîm (bulls): Refers to full-grown bulls or bullocks.
  • bəney vāqār (sons of the herd): A common Hebrew idiom to denote young animals belonging to a particular category, ensuring they are of appropriate age and stock.
  • Significance: Bulls were the most costly and significant animals for sacrifice. They were typically offered for major national sins or for solemn, important communal occasions. Their inclusion emphasizes the weight and national importance of the Feast of Weeks and the magnitude of the communal dedication and atonement required. They represent strength, economic value, and purity.

• one ram (Hebrew: אַיִל אֶחָד, ’ayil ’eḥāḏ):

  • ’ayil (ram): A male sheep, mature.
  • ’eḥāḏ (one): The number signifying singularity, often purity or unity.
  • Significance: Rams were also substantial offerings, though less costly than bulls. They were often used in sin offerings, guilt offerings, and especially in consecration rites (e.g., of priests in Ex 29) due to their association with atonement and dedication. Its singularity in contrast to the two bulls and seven lambs draws attention to its unique role in this offering.

• seven male lambs (Hebrew: כְּבָשִׂים זְכָרִים, kəvāsîm zəḵārîm):

  • kəvāsîm (lambs): Young sheep, generally docile and symbolic of innocence.
  • zəḵārîm (male): Stipulates male animals, a consistent requirement for most high-value offerings, as they are seen as representing strength and potential for procreation within the herd/flock.
  • Significance: Lambs were common and foundational offerings, symbolizing purity and readiness for sacrifice. The number seven is highly significant in biblical numerology, representing completeness, perfection, divine holiness, and covenant (e.g., seven days of creation, seven-day festivals, seventy weeks). Offering seven lambs accentuates the completeness of their dedication and worship, resonating with the seven weeks leading to the feast.

• a year old (Hebrew: בְּנֵי שָׁנָה, bəney shānāh):

  • bəney shānāh (sons of a year): An idiom meaning "one year old."
  • Significance: This specification ensures the animals are in their prime, at peak health and purity, without any physical blemish that might develop with age or use. It reflects the principle of offering only the best and most perfect to God, mirroring the unblemished nature required of the sacrifice. This age was common for the Passover lamb as well, suggesting a standard for important communal offerings.

• for a burnt offering (Hebrew: עֹלָה, ‘ōlāh):

  • ‘ōlāh: Literally means "that which goes up" or "ascends," derived from the root ‘ālāh (to ascend).
  • Significance: The burnt offering was entirely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing total dedication and surrender to God, and was presented as a "soothing aroma" (rêaḥ nîḥōaḥ) to the Lord. It served primarily for general atonement, covering unintentional sins, and as an act of pure worship and consecration. The smoke ascending heavenward signified the worshipper's entire self offered to God. It highlights the purpose of these elaborate animal sacrifices—not just material presentation but complete devotion and propitiation.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old": This precise enumeration (2-1-7) highlights the highly structured and quantitative nature of divine commands concerning worship. It also implies a communal effort, as such large-scale offerings would have required significant resources from the Israelite community, reinforcing their corporate identity in worship and dependence on God's blessings for such resources. The consistent "a year old" across all types emphasizes the stringent requirements for purity and quality in God's worship, that He deserves the very best.

Numbers 28 27 Bonus section

The specific arrangement and types of animals in Numbers 28:27 — bulls, ram, lambs — not only denote monetary value and solemnity but also hint at different aspects of Israelite corporate life being dedicated to God. Bulls were often linked to corporate sin or the leadership (e.g., high priest or entire community), while rams featured prominently in consecration and guilt offerings. The numerous lambs (seven) could emphasize the individual or foundational aspects within the community, collectively expressing comprehensive purity and acceptance before God. Furthermore, these offerings for the Feast of Weeks were presented in addition to other specified daily and festival offerings (Num 28:23-24, 30), underscoring the richness and magnitude of communal worship during this particular holy convocation. This cumulative aspect highlights the extraordinary nature of this feast as a climactic expression of gratitude for the harvest and the spiritual giving of the Law. The underlying principle throughout the Old Testament sacrificial system, epitomized in this verse, is that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb 9:22), and that the required sacrifices were both substitutionary (paying the penalty for sin) and representative (representing the worshiper's devotion), laying groundwork for understanding Christ's ultimate sacrifice.

Numbers 28 27 Commentary

Numbers 28:27 succinctly provides the specific animal quota for the communal burnt offering during the Feast of Weeks. This precise listing underlines several critical aspects of Israelite worship and theology. First, the detailed and unvarying nature of the command demonstrates the sovereignty and holiness of God, who dictates how He is to be approached. The quality (male, a year old, implicitly unblemished) and quantity (two bulls, one ram, seven lambs) are exact, signifying that worship is not arbitrary but must align with divine prescription.

Secondly, these offerings were burnt offerings (‘ōlāh), fully consumed by fire, symbolizing total dedication, an acknowledgment of God's complete ownership, and atonement for unintentional communal sin. They represented the community's wholehearted surrender and worship in response to God's gracious provision of the harvest, making it an act of thanksgiving and spiritual devotion. The use of varied animals (bulls, ram, lambs) indicates a comprehensive and all-encompassing sacrifice, reflecting the fullness of the harvest and the depth of their gratitude.

Moreover, the prescribed number, especially "seven male lambs," is significant. The number seven in Hebrew thought connotes completion and divine perfection, fitting for a harvest festival celebrating the conclusion of a significant agricultural period and anticipating a new cycle of God's faithfulness. This feast also came to be associated with the giving of the Law at Sinai, linking God's provision in creation (harvest) with His revelation in the covenant. Ultimately, these meticulously detailed rituals, while externally observed, pointed to an internal disposition of faith and looked forward to the ultimate, perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which truly takes away sins and presents believers as a pleasing offering to God (Heb 9-10; Eph 5:2). The New Testament outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), directly fulfilling the Feast of Weeks, signified the firstfruits of a spiritual harvest through Christ, eclipsing the shadows of animal sacrifices with spiritual reality.

• Example for Practical Usage: Modern believers are called to offer themselves as "living sacrifices" (Rom 12:1). Just as the ancient Israelites offered their best and adhered to precise divine commands in worship, so believers today are called to offer their whole lives (time, talents, resources, and very being) in humble obedience and worship, recognizing God's sovereign authority and gracious provision.