Numbers 29 24

Numbers 29:24 kjv

Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

Numbers 29:24 nkjv

and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

Numbers 29:24 niv

With the bulls, rams and lambs, offer their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified.

Numbers 29:24 esv

with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities;

Numbers 29:24 nlt

Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering.

Numbers 29 verses

Numbers 29 24 Meaning

Numbers 29:24 specifies the exact quantity of drink offering that must accompany the animal sacrifices on the sixth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. For each bull offered on this day, twelve-tenths (which equals one and two-tenths) of an ephah of drink offering was to be presented. Similarly, for each of the two rams sacrificed, six-tenths of an ephah of drink offering was required. This verse emphasizes the meticulous precision and generous proportions commanded by God for the required worship rituals during His appointed feasts, highlighting the significance of all components of the sacrificial system.

Numbers 29 24 Context

Numbers 29 is part of a larger section (chapters 28-29) that meticulously outlines the offerings required for various appointed feasts and New Moon celebrations throughout the year. Specifically, Numbers 29 details the elaborate and abundant sacrifices to be made during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), a seven-day festival with an eighth-day assembly, starting from the fifteenth day of the seventh month (Lev 23:34). This feast was a joyous celebration of God's provision during their wilderness journey and a harvest thanksgiving. The passage lists daily animal offerings (burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and drink offerings) with diminishing numbers of bulls each day, accompanied by constant numbers of rams and lambs. Verse 24 falls within the instructions for the sixth day of this significant week-long festival, outlining the precise quantities for the drink offerings, demonstrating the consistent demand for meticulous worship and bountiful provision to Yahweh.

Numbers 29 24 Word analysis

• their (הֶם - hem): Refers to the collective responsibility of the Israelite community, through their priestly representatives, to provide these specific drink offerings. It underscores corporate worship and communal obedience to God's commands.
• drink offering (נִסְכָּם - niskaam from נֶסֶךְ - nesekh): A liquid libation, typically of wine, poured out upon the altar or around it. It was a required accompaniment to many burnt offerings and grain offerings (Num 15:5-10), signifying devotion, dedication, and thanksgiving poured out to God. Its presence highlights that a complete sacrifice was not merely animal and grain, but also liquid, representing a total dedication of various provisions.
• for the bull (לַפָּר - lap-pâr): Indicates that the specific measurement of drink offering applies to each bull being offered. The bull (ox) was the largest and most valuable animal for sacrifice, typically representing the highest level of offering due to its economic worth and size.
• twelve-tenths (עֲשׂירִת עֶשׂרִית - ‘ăśı̂rı̂t ‘eśrıt) Literally "a tenth and a tenth," often rendered as "twelve tenths" (or 1 and 2/10ths, or 1.2). This unusual phrasing emphasizes a very specific and substantial amount. In a context where a standard bull might require three-tenths of an ephah for its grain offering and wine for its drink offering (Num 15:9-10), this is a significantly larger proportion per bull, possibly reflecting the exceptional abundance and joyous nature of the Feast of Tabernacles.
• of an ephah (אֵיפָה - 'ephah): A standard Hebrew unit of dry or liquid measure, approximately 3/5 of a bushel or about 22 liters. Its use specifies a significant quantity of liquid (likely wine or oil), denoting generosity and abundance in the required offerings. The precise measurement of even accompanying offerings demonstrates God's demand for meticulous and exact obedience in worship, leaving nothing to guesswork.
• for each bull (לַפָּר הָאֶחָד - lap-pâr hâ-’eḥād): This repetition emphasizes that the stated quantity is per individual bull, regardless of how many bulls are offered on that day. This reiterates the meticulous nature of the instructions and the significant overall volume of offerings. It also underscores that each individual act of worship or sacrifice carries its own proportional requirement.
• for the two rams (לַשְּׁנֵי הָאֵילִם - lashēy hâ-'êylım): Refers to the pair of rams that were also part of the burnt offering on this day. Rams were standard sacrificial animals, more valuable than lambs but less so than bulls. Their inclusion shows a diversity in offerings that was part of God's prescribed worship.
• six-tenths (שִׁשְּׁתֵי עֶשְׂרוֹנִים - šiš-šêtı̂y ‘eśrônı̂m): Literally "six tenths." This quantity is precisely half of what is required per bull, demonstrating a proportional reduction commensurate with the size/value of the animal. It underscores the divine wisdom and consistency in the sacrificial regulations.
• for each ram (לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד - lâ-’ayıl hâ-’eḥād): Reinforces that this measure applies to each ram, not the pair combined, similar to the instructions for the bulls. This precise calculation highlights the divine demand for order, exactitude, and attention to detail in every aspect of Israel's worship.

Words-group Analysis:

• "their drink offering for the bull": This phrase ties the liquid offering directly to the main animal sacrifice, signifying that it was not an independent offering but an essential complement. It implies a complete and integrated act of worship, where one part supports and completes another. The drink offering, like the grain offering, enriched and amplified the burnt offering.
• "twelve-tenths of an ephah for each bull": This highlights the extravagant generosity and divine abundance commanded for this specific festival. It reflects not just precise measurement but also the bounteous nature of God's provision to Israel, which was to be mirrored in their thanksgiving and worship back to Him. It's a precise measure for a significant volume, emphasizing meticulous giving.
• "for the two rams, six-tenths for each ram": This group shows the consistent application of proportional giving and detailed instructions. The reduced quantity for the rams, precisely half of that for the bulls, demonstrates the careful planning and ordering within God's laws, reflecting an ordered, logical, and intentional system of worship. It speaks to divine proportionality in demanding sacrifices commensurate with the offering.

Numbers 29 24 Bonus section

The precise, diminishing count of bulls during the Feast of Tabernacles (from 13 on day 1 to 7 on day 7, Num 29:13-32) while other offerings remain constant (rams, lambs, male goat for sin offering) and grain/drink offerings adjust proportionally to the bulls and rams, reflects a profound theological point. Some rabbinic traditions interpret the decreasing number of bulls as a sacrifice for the seventy nations of the world (rooted in Gen 10:32 and Jewish interpretive tradition that the seventy bulls correspond to the seventy nations, hinting at Israel's role in interceding for all humanity). The meticulous decrease implies a structured process, possibly moving towards a spiritual perfection or completion as the feast progresses, culminating in the individual's joyous rest on the eighth day (Shemini Atzeret). This emphasis on order and decreasing sacrifices does not imply a decrease in zeal or importance, but rather a carefully orchestrated progression of worship commanded by the Divine Architect Himself, a blueprint for a life devoted to Him. The drink offering, poured out, also hints at lives poured out in service and devotion, as exemplified by New Testament figures like Paul (Phil 2:17), foreshadowing a higher form of spiritual libation in the Christian life.

Numbers 29 24 Commentary

Numbers 29:24 offers a microcosm of God's character as revealed in the Law: one of perfect order, precise instruction, and lavish generosity. The meticulous detail concerning the drink offerings, even for a seven-day feast with already abundant animal sacrifices, highlights that no part of God's prescribed worship was arbitrary or left to human estimation. The unusual quantity "twelve-tenths of an ephah" for a bull's drink offering (significantly higher than standard) points to the unique joyous and abundant nature of the Feast of Tabernacles, where Israel celebrated God's overflowing blessing. This generosity from the worshiper was a reflection of God's own generosity. While these rituals are fulfilled in Christ, the principle remains: true worship is marked by intentionality, exactness, and giving our best, not just in quantity but with the right heart (Mal 1:8). The Old Testament ritual pointed to a divine standard that would later be perfectly met and surpassed in Christ's one, complete, and infinitely valuable sacrifice, the ultimate drink offering poured out (Phil 2:17). For believers today, this means offering our whole selves, our "spiritual sacrifices," to God with care and devotion (Rom 12:1; 1 Pet 2:5).