Numbers 29 20

Numbers 29:20 kjv

And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;

Numbers 29:20 nkjv

'On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

Numbers 29:20 niv

"?'On the third day offer eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.

Numbers 29:20 esv

"On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,

Numbers 29:20 nlt

"On the third day of the festival, sacrifice eleven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.

Numbers 29 verses

Numbers 29 20 Meaning

This verse details a specific requirement for the fifth day of the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), instructing that a single male goat is to be offered as a sin offering. This particular sacrifice is clearly specified as an addition, beyond the regular burnt offering, and its standard accompanying grain and drink offerings that are performed daily throughout the year. It highlights the importance of atonement for unintentional sins even during a period of national joyous celebration and thanksgiving.

Numbers 29 20 Context

Numbers 29:20 is found within a meticulously detailed section outlining the prescribed offerings for the Festival of Tabernacles, occurring in the seventh month. This chapter provides a schedule of daily sacrifices, distinguishing them from the standing national offerings. The Festival of Tabernacles was one of the three annual pilgrim festivals where all males were commanded to appear before the Lord. It was a joyous celebration, marking the completion of the harvest and commemorating God's provision and faithful presence with Israel during their wilderness wanderings (living in booths/sukkot). The specific instructions for a "male goat for a sin offering" each day (despite the festive nature) underline that even during national thanksgiving, Israel, as a covenant community, required regular purification for unintentional sins or impurities, maintaining holiness before their righteous God. The numerical structure of decreasing bulls over the festival period, but a consistent single sin offering each day, emphasizes this continuous need for atonement and cleansing throughout the joyful celebration.

Numbers 29 20 Word analysis

• and: Hebrew wāw (וְ). A simple conjunction, connecting this specific offering to the ongoing list. It signals an addition, a further element in the daily sacrificial requirements for the festival.
• one: Hebrew ʾeḥāḏ (אֶחָ֤ד). Literally "one," specifying the precise quantity of the goat. This singularity for the sin offering contrasts with the larger numbers of bulls, rams, and lambs, emphasizing a specific, singular purpose for this particular atonement.
• male goat: Hebrew śāʿîr ʿizzîm (שְׂעִ֥יר עִזִּֽים). Literally "hairy one of goats" or "a buck goat." This animal was a commonly designated species for sin offerings due to its perceived fitness for the purification rites. Its use consistently underscores its specific role in purification from unintentional sins.
• for a sin offering: Hebrew ləḥaṭṭāʾṯ (לְחַטָּ֔את). Ḥaṭṭāʾṯ translates to "sin offering" or "purification offering." Its purpose was to atone for unintentional transgressions against God's law or to purify individuals/community from ritual impurity, restoring right relationship and purity. It distinguishes this sacrifice from others like burnt offerings (general devotion) or peace offerings (fellowship).
• besides: Hebrew miləbaḏ (מִלְּבַד). Meaning "apart from," "in addition to." This word clearly indicates that the specified male goat is an extra offering, not substituting the regular, constant offerings. It emphasizes the unique, specific requirements of the festival days.
• the regular burnt offering: Hebrew hāʿōlāh haṭṭāmîḏ (הָעֹלָה֙ הַתָּמִ֔יד). Tāmîd means "continual" or "regular." This refers to the daily burnt offering of two lambs (one in the morning, one in the evening) commanded in Exodus 29 and Numbers 28. It represents a perpetual act of devotion and propitiation for the entire nation, signifying an ongoing relationship and covering.
• and its grain offering: Hebrew ûminḥāṯāh (וּמִנְחָתָהּ֙). Minḥāh (grain offering) typically accompanied burnt offerings. It was an offering of produce or flour, symbolizing the dedication of one's livelihood and the acknowledgement of God as the provider of all sustenance.
• and its drink offering: Hebrew wəniskāh (וְנִסְכָּֽהּ). Nesek (drink offering) also commonly accompanied burnt and grain offerings. Typically wine poured out, it signified joyous devotion, praise, and total dedication to God.

Words-group Analysis

• "one male goat for a sin offering": This phrase highlights the specific national need for atonement and purification during the joyful harvest festival. Despite celebrating God's bounty, the community acknowledged its ongoing susceptibility to unintentional sin and required ritual cleansing to remain holy before God.
• "besides the regular burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering": This distinction clarifies that the festival-specific sin offering is an additional requirement. The "regular burnt offering" (the tamid) represented Israel's constant covenant faithfulness and atonement. The festival additions layer on unique theological emphases pertinent to that specific holy time, here demonstrating that communal purity for God's presence was paramount even during festivities.

Numbers 29 20 Bonus section

• Symbolism of Declining Bull Numbers: Throughout the Feast of Tabernacles (Numbers 29:12-34), the number of bulls offered decreases daily, from thirteen on day one to seven on day seven, while the number of rams, lambs, and the male goat for the sin offering remains consistent. This pattern is often interpreted as representing a complete cycle or totality of the offering, emphasizing comprehensive coverage and sustained worship rather than just an increasing or decreasing need.
• Focus on Communal Atonement: While the sin offering laws in Leviticus address individual and leader's unintentional sins, the daily sin offering during the festivals, particularly Tabernacles, focuses on the sin of the entire congregation. This highlights the corporate responsibility for holiness and the need for ongoing national purification to sustain God's presence in their midst.
• Anticipation of New Covenant Fulfillment: The inability of these animal sacrifices to truly perfect the worshipper (Heb 10:1-4) is profoundly clarified in the New Testament. Numbers 29:20, with its recurring daily need for a sin offering, thus powerfully foreshadows the definitive, "one sacrifice for sins forever" made by Jesus Christ, which truly cleanses the conscience and perfectly brings us near to God (Heb 9:11-14; 10:12).

Numbers 29 20 Commentary

Numbers 29:20 delineates a critical aspect of Israel's national worship: the requirement for a specific sin offering even amidst their most joyous festival. The "one male goat for a sin offering" on the fifth day of Tabernacles demonstrates the pervasive understanding of sin's reality, even among a covenant people in celebratory worship. This was not a sacrifice for high-handed, rebellious sin, but for unintentional errors and impurities that could hinder the community's access to God's presence. Its inclusion "besides the regular burnt offering"—the daily, year-round sacrifices of constant devotion and national atonement—highlights a layering of expiation. While the tamid (regular offering) covered daily general and national shortcomings, the festival-specific sin offerings reinforced the need for concentrated communal purification. This continual provision for sin, orchestrated by God Himself, points forward to the ultimate, perfect, and singular "Lamb of God" (Christ Jesus), whose blood truly takes away sins once for all, achieving the purification and reconciliation that animal sacrifices could only anticipate.