Numeri 28:11 Kommentar

Now that the people were numbered, orders given for the dividing of the land, and a general of the forces nominated and commissioned, one would have expected that the next chapter should begin the history of the campaign, or at least should give us an account of the ordinances of war; no, it contains the ordinances of worship, and provides that now, as they were on the point of entering Canaan, they should be sure to take their religion along with them, and not forget this, in the prosecution of their wars (Num 28:1, Num 28:2). The laws are here repeated and summed up concerning the sacrifices that were to be offered, I. Daily (Num 28:3-8). II. Weekly (Num 28:9, Num 28:10). III. Monthly (Num 28:11-15). IV. Yearly. 1. At the passover (Num 28:16-25). 2. At pentecost (Num 28:26-31). And the next chapter is concerning the annual solemnities of the seventh month.

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 28 In this chapter is a repetition of several laws concerning sacrifices, as the law of the daily sacrifice morning and evening, Num 28:1 of those that were offered every week on the sabbath day, Num 28:9 and every month on the first day of the month, Num 28:11 and on the seven days of unleavened bread, Num 28:16, and at the feast of weeks, Num 28:26.

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord,.... On the first day of every month, when the new moon appeared; that this was religiously observed appears from the blowing of the trumpets over the sacrifices on this day, from attendance on the word of the Lord, by his prophets, on this day, and from abstinence from worldly business on it, Num 10:10. two young bullocks, and one ram, seven rams of the first year without spot; this was the burnt offering, and a very large and costly one it was: more creatures were offered on this day than on a sabbath day; not that this was a more holy day than that, but this was but once a month, and therefore the expense might be the more easily bore, whereas that was every week.

The blessings which God pronounces on the obedient, Deu 28:1-6. Particular privileges which the faithful shall receive, Deu 28:7-13. The curses pronounced against the ungodly and idolatrous, Deu 28:14-19. A detailed account of the miseries which should be inflicted on them, should they neglect the commandments of the Lord, Deu 28:20. They shall be smitten with the pestilence, Deu 28:21; with consumption, fever, etc., Deu 28:22; drought and barrenness, Deu 28:23, Deu 28:24; they shall be defeated by their enemies, Deu 28:25, Deu 28:26; they shall be afflicted with the botch of Egypt, Deu 28:27; with madness and blindness, Deu 28:28, Deu 28:29; they shall be disappointed in all their projects, Deu 28:30; deprived of all their possessions, and afflicted in all their members, Deu 28:31-35; they and their king shall go into captivity, Deu 28:36, and become a by-word among the nations, Deu 28:37. Their land shall be unfruitful, and they shall be the lowest of all people, Deu 28:38-44. All these curses shall come on them should they be disobedient, Deu 28:45-48. Character of the people by whom they should be subdued, Deu 28:49, Deu 28:50. Particulars of their dreadful sufferings, Deu 28:51-57. A recapitulation of their wretchedness, Deu 28:58-63. The prediction that they shall be scattered among all the nations of the earth, Deu 28:64-68.

OFFERINGS TO BE OBSERVED. (Num. 28:1-31) Command the children of Israel, and say unto them--The repetition of several laws formerly enacted, which is made in this chapter, was seasonable and necessary, not only on account of their importance and the frequent neglect of them, but because a new generation had sprung up since their first institution and because the Israelites were about to be settled in the land where those ordinances were to be observed. My offering, and my bread--used generally for the appointed offerings, and the import of the prescription is to enforce regularity and care in their observance.

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord--These were held as sacred festivals; and though not possessing the character of solemn feasts, they were distinguished by the blowing of trumpets over the sacrifices (Num 10:10), by the suspension of all labor except the domestic occupations of women (Amo 8:5), by the celebration of public worship (Kg2 4:23), and by social or family feasts (Sa1 20:5). These observations are not prescribed in the law though they obtained in the practice of a later time. The beginning of the month was known, not by astronomical calculations, but, according to Jewish writers, by the testimony of messengers appointed to watch the first visible appearance of the new moon; and then the fact was announced through the whole country by signal-fires kindled on the mountain tops. The new-moon festivals having been common among the heathen, it is probable that an important design of their institution in Israel was to give the minds of that people a better direction; and assuming this to have been one of the objects contemplated, it will account for one of the kids being offered unto the Lord (Num 28:15), not unto the moon, as the Egyptians and Syrians did. The Sabbath and the new moon are frequently mentioned together.

At the beginnings of the month, i.e., at the new moons, a larger burnt-offering was to be added to the daily or continual burnt-offering, consisting of two bullocks (young oxen), one ram, and seven yearling lambs, with the corresponding meat and drink-offerings, as the "month's burnt-offering in its (i.e., every) month with regard to the months of the year," i.e., corresponding to them. To this there was also to be added a sin-offering of a shaggy goat (see at Lev 4:23). The custom of distinguishing the beginnings of the months of new moon's days by a peculiar festal sacrifice, without their being, strictly speaking, festal days, with sabbatical rest and a holy meeting, (Note: In later times, however, the new moon grew more and more into a feast-day, trade was suspended (Amo 8:5), the pious Israelite sought instruction from the prophets (Kg2 4:23), many families and households presented yearly thank-offerings (Sa1 20:6, Sa1 20:29), and at a still later period the most devout abstained from fasting (Judith 8:6); consequently it is frequently referred to by the prophets as a feast resembling the Sabbath (Isa 1:13; Hos 2:13; Eze 46:1).) arose from the relation in which the month stood to the single day. "If the congregation was to sanctify its life and labour to the Lord every day by a burnt-offering, it could not well be omitted at the commencement of the larger division of time formed by the month; on the contrary, it was only right that the commencement of a new month should be sanctified by a special sacrifice. Whilst, then, a burnt-offering, in which the idea of expiation was subordinate to that of consecrating surrender to the Lord, was sufficient for the single day; for the whole month it was necessary that, in consideration of the sins that had been committed in the course of the past month, and had remained without expiation, a special sin-offering should be offered for their expiation, in order that, upon the ground of the forgiveness and reconciliation with God which had been thereby obtained, the lives of the people might be sanctified afresh to the Lord in the burnt-offering. This significance of the new moon sacrifice was still further intensified by the fact, that during the presentation of the sacrifice the priests sounded the silver trumpets, in order that it might be to the congregation for a memorial before God (Num 10:10). The trumpet blast was intended to bring before God the prayers of the congregation embodied in the sacrifice, that God might remember them in mercy, granting them the forgiveness of their sins and power for sanctification, and quickening them again in the fellowship of His saving grace" (see my Archaeologie, i. p. 369).