Numbers 29

“‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no regular work. It is a day of blowing of trumpets to you.

You shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect;

and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the ram,

and one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs;

and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you;

in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon with its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering with its meal offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

“‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls. You shall do no kind of work;

but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD for a pleasant aroma: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old, all without defect;

and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for the bull, two tenths for the one ram,

one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs;

one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and their drink offerings.

“‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. You shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days.

You shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect;

and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three tenths for every bull of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each ram of the two rams,

and one tenth for every lamb of the fourteen lambs;

and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

“‘On the second day you shall offer twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old without defect;

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

and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, with its meal offering and their drink offerings.

“‘On the third day: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect;

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

and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

“‘On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect;

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

and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

“‘On the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect;

and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance,

and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

“‘On the sixth day: eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect;

and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance,

and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and the drink offerings of it.

“‘On the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without defect;

and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance,

and one male goat for a sin offering; in addition to the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

“‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall do no regular work;

but you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasant aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect;

their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance,

and one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, with its meal offering, and its drink offering.

“‘You shall offer these to the LORD in your set feasts—in addition to your vows and your free will offerings—for your burnt offerings, your meal offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’”

Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter outlines the appointed offerings for the sacred festivals in the seventh month of the Israelite calendar: the Feast of Trumpets on the first day, the Day of Atonement on the tenth, and the seven-day Feast of Booths beginning on the fifteenth, culminating in an eighth-day assembly. It specifies the precise sacrificial requirements for each day, emphasizing the continuity of worship alongside special observances, and concludes with Moses relaying these instructions to Israel.

Flow.

Begins with the holy convocation on the first day of the seventh month (Feast of Trumpets), detailing the burnt and sin offerings.
Moves to the tenth day (Day of Atonement), prescribing a similar but distinct set of offerings in addition to the annual atonement ritual.
Describes the eight-day observance of the Feast of Booths, with a decreasing number of bulls each day, consistent ram and lamb offerings, and a daily sin offering.
Ends with a summary directive permitting additional freewill and vow offerings beyond the fixed requirements.

Connections.
Following chapter 28, which detailed the daily, weekly, monthly, and Passover offerings, chapter 29 completes the liturgical calendar by prescribing the rituals for the autumn festivals, maintaining the same structural precision in sacrificial detail. Where chapter 28 covered the first half of the religious year and regular cycles, chapter 29 fills in the final major feasts rooted in the seventh month, which hold climactic significance in Israel’s annual worship. This preparation of offerings for solemn convocations sets the stage for chapter 30, which shifts focus to the binding nature of vows, particularly within family and social structures, underscoring that communal worship and personal devotion are both governed by covenant faithfulness.

What it teaches.
These feasts reflect the rhythm of Israel’s covenantal life, where sacred time is marked by sacrifice, assembly, and atonement, pointing to both God’s holiness and His provision. The blowing of trumpets calls the people to holy attention (), the Day of Atonement enacts Levitical requirements for purification (; cf. WCF 7.3), and the Feast of Booths commemorates divine deliverance and provision in the wilderness (). The decreasing number of bulls during the feast may suggest a gradual winding down of intensity, yet the constancy of rams, lambs, and daily sin offerings underscores the necessity of continual atonement and devotion (WCF 7.6; HC LD 1). The command to add freewill offerings () affirms that prescribed worship is not exhaustive—genuine piety overflows into voluntary devotion, all to be offered “as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”

Apply.
The pattern of worship ordained here calls attention to the way God structures time and sacrifice to shape a people consecrated to Him.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.