Numbers 29:39

These 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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(39) These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts.—Better, These sacrifices shall ye offer unto the Lord at your set seasons.

For your burnt offerings . . . —The sacrifices prescribed in this chapter were appointed to be offered independently of all the burnt offerings, meal offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings, which were made in performance of special vows, or as freewill offerings. (See Leviticus 22:18-21; Numbers 15:1-13.)

Benson Commentary

Numbers 29:39. Besides your vows and free-will-offerings — Your ordinary sacrifices shall not be omitted because of the extraordinary, which ye offer on special occasions. It appears by this account that there were every year sacrificed at the tabernacle and temple, at the stated national charge, the following number of beasts, namely; lambs, one thousand one hundred and one; bullocks, one hundred and thirty-two; rams, seventy-two; kids, twenty-one; goats, two; in all, one thousand three hundred and twenty- eight. Besides which, there was a vast number of voluntary, vow, and trespass-offerings, which, could they be computed, would swell the account to a much greater degree. We may learn from all this, three important lessons: 1st, That the expiation of sin, and reconciliation with God, for which this multitude of sacrifices was appointed, are not such trivial things as many would make them, but matters of infinite moment. 2d, That the sacrifice of Christ, which these sacrifices were intended to prefigure and typify, is of unspeakable worth and importance, and should never be thought of without reverence and gratitude. 3d, That we ought to be very thankful that by the coming of the Messiah, and the oblation of his blessed body for the expiation of sin, the necessity and use of these legal and typical sacrifices have been superseded, and the church of God freed from the intolerable yoke and burden of such numerous, expensive, and continually repeated offerings.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:12-40 Soon after the day of atonement, the day in which men were to afflict their souls, followed the feast of Tabernacles, in which they were to rejoice before the Lord. Their days of rejoicing were to be days of sacrifices. A disposition to be cheerful does us good, when it encourages our hearts in the duties of God's service. All the days of dwelling in booths they must offer sacrifices; while we are here in a tabernacle state, it is our interest, as well as our duty, constantly to keep up communion with God. The sacrifices for each of the seven days are appointed. Every day there must be a sin-offering, as in the other feasts. Our burnt-offerings of praise cannot be accepted of God, unless we have an interest in the great sacrifice which Christ offered, when he made himself a Sin-offering for us. And no extraordinary services should put aside stated devotions. Every thing here reminds us of our sinfulness. The life that we live in the flesh must be by the faith of the Son of God; until we go to be with him, to behold his glory, and praise his mercy, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. To whom be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The offerings prescribed for the closing day of the Feast of tabernacles were the same with those appointed for the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. The solemnities of the month thus terminated, as

A whole, with the same sacrifices with which, three weeks before, they had been introduced; and the Day of Atonement, even though succeeded by the rejoicings of the Feast of tabernacles, thus left its impress on the whole month.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

39. These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts—From the statements made in this and the preceding chapter, it appears that the yearly offerings made to the altar at the public expense, without taking into account a vast number of voluntary vow and trespass offerings, were calculated at the following amount:—goats, fifteen; kids, twenty-one; rams, seventy-two; bullocks, one hundred thirty-two; lambs, 1,101; sum-total of animals sacrificed at public cost, 1,241. This, of course, is exclusive of the prodigious addition of lambs slain at the passover, which in later times, according to Josephus, amounted in a single year to the immense number of 255,600.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Your free-will offerings; your ordinary sacrifices shall not be omitted because of the extraordinary, which ye offer on special occasions.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

These things ye shall do to the Lord, in your set feasts,.... Or rather in the times set and appointed to you, as the Jewish writers (o) interpret it; and so Jarchi interprets it of a fixed time, which seems better; since these were not all feast days, on which the above sacrifices were to be offered, for one of them was a fast, even the day of atonement:

besides your vows, and your freewill offerings: which might be offered up at any time, notwithstanding the above sacrifices, which were necessary and obligatory; but these were at their own option:

for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings; of which see Leviticus 7:11.

(o) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Pesach, c. 7. sect. 4.

Geneva Study Bible

These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your {h} vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.

(h) Beside the sacrifices that you will vow or offer of your own minds.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 39. - These things shall ye do, or "sacrifice." תַּעֲשׂוּ. Septuagint, ταῦτα ποιήσετε (cf. Luke 22:19). Beside your vows, and your free-will offerings. These are treated of in Leviticus 22:18 sq.; chapter Numbers 15:3 sq. The words which follow are dependent upon this clause. All the offerings commanded in these chapters amounted to 1071 lambs, 113 bullocks, 37 rams, 30 goats, in the lunar year, together with 112 bushels of flour, more than 370 gallons of oil, and about 340 gallons of wine, supposing that the drink offering was proportionate throughout.



Numbers 29:39

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The sacrifices already mentioned were to be presented to the Lord on the part of the congregation, in addition to the burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, drink-offerings, and peace-offerings which individuals or families might desire to offer either spontaneously or in consequence of vows. On the vowing of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, see Numbers 15:3, Numbers 15:8; Leviticus 22:18, Leviticus 22:21.