The Law · Chapter 29 of 36
Numbers 29
God prescribes the offerings for the sacred assemblies of the seventh month: the day of trumpet blasts on the first day, the Day of Atonement on the tenth, when the people afflict their souls, and the seven-day feast of Tabernacles beginning on the fifteenth. The feast requires a descending number of bulls each day, from thirteen down to seven, followed by a solemn eighth-day assembly. Every offering is added to the continual daily sacrifice.
What happens in Numbers 29
The chapter details the offerings for the sacred occasions of the seventh month, Israel's holiest cluster of feasts. On the first day, a day of blowing trumpets and a holy convocation, the people offer a bull, a ram, seven lambs, and a goat for a sin offering. On the tenth day comes the Day of Atonement, when they afflict their souls, do no work, and bring similar offerings alongside the sin offering of atonement. On the fifteenth begins the feast of Tabernacles, lasting seven days, marked by an extraordinary abundance of sacrifices: thirteen bulls the first day, twelve the second, decreasing by one each day until seven remain on the seventh, together with rams, lambs, and daily sin offerings.
An eighth day follows as a solemn closing assembly with its own offerings. All of these are presented in addition to the continual burnt offering, vows, and freewill gifts.
Numbers 29 in context
The seventh month, corresponding to autumn, held Israel's holiest season. Trumpets announced the sacred time; the Day of Atonement, described fully in Leviticus 16, was the year's solemn climax of cleansing; Tabernacles celebrated the harvest and recalled Israel's tent-dwelling in the wilderness under God's care.
The descending count of bulls at Tabernacles, from thirteen to seven, totals seventy over the week, a number ancient readers associated with the nations of the world.
Main themes of Numbers 29
Numbers 29 (KJV)
1And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. 2And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: 3And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram, 4And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 5And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: 6Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. 7And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein: 8But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish: 9And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, 10A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 11One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings. 12And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: 13And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish: 14And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams, 15And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs: 16And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. 17And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot: 18And 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: 19And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings. 20And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish; 21And 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: 22And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering. 23And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 24Their 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: 25And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. 26And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot: 27And 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: 28And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering. 29And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 30And 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: 31And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. 32And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: 33And 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: 34And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. 35On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein: 36But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish: 37Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: 38And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering. 39These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings. 40And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Verses to carry from Numbers 29
“And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.”Numbers 29:1
“And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:”Numbers 29:7
“And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:”Numbers 29:12
Christian typology
How Numbers 29 points to Jesus
The autumn feasts trace the shape of redemption fulfilled in Christ. The trumpet blast that summoned Israel to assembly foreshadows the trumpet that will announce His return and gather His people. The Day of Atonement, when the nation afflicted its souls and the high priest made cleansing before God, points to Jesus, who entered the true holy place by His own blood to secure eternal redemption.
The feast of Tabernacles, celebrating God dwelling with His people in tents, is answered in the One of whom John says the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and it looks ahead to the day when God will dwell with humanity forever. Even the seventy bulls, a number tied to the nations, hint at the ingathering of all peoples into the worship of God through Christ.
Questions about Numbers 29
Why does the seventh month contain both mourning and feasting?
Its days move deliberately from the solemn Day of Atonement, when the people afflict their souls over sin, to the joyful feast of Tabernacles. God designed a rhythm that holds repentance and rejoicing together rather than choosing one. Genuine worship faces sin honestly and then celebrates God's provision fully; sorrow over sin makes the joy that follows deeper and true.
What is the meaning of the decreasing number of bulls at Tabernacles?
The count falls from thirteen on the first day to seven on the last, totaling seventy bulls across the week. Ancient tradition connected seventy with the nations of the world. Whether or not that was the original intent, the sheer abundance expressed lavish thanksgiving, and later readers saw in it a hint of blessing reaching beyond Israel to all peoples.
Reflection
Does my worship make room for both honest sorrow over sin and wholehearted joy in God? Israel's holiest month held the Day of Atonement and the feast of Tabernacles side by side. Resist the urge to skip repentance for celebration, or celebration for guilt, and let both have their place.
A prayer from Numbers 29
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