Numbers 28:2

Num 28:2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, [and] my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, [for] a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.

Ver. 2. My offering.] He is owner of all; and of his own we give him. Tα σα εκ των σων, said that great emperor.

And my bread.] Called their bread for their souls; that is, the bread for their natural sustenance, common bread, when not rightly offered. So Jer 7:21. God in scorn calls their sacrifice flesh, ordinary flesh, such as is sold in the shambles. So at the Lord’s Supper impenitent communicants receive no more than the bare elements; panem Domini, but not panem Dominum. {a}

In their due season.] Which for eight and thirty years they had intermitted. Get a settlement, or Sabbath of spirit, or else God shall be but ill, if at all, served.

{a} August.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 28:2. Command the children of Israel — God here repeats some of the former laws about sacrifices, not without great reason; 1st, Because they had been generally discontinued for thirty-eight years together. 2d, Because the generation to which the former laws had been given about these things was wholly dead, and it was fit the new generation should be instructed about them, as their parents were. 3d, To renew the testimonies of God’s grace and mercy, notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures thereof by their rebellion. And, 4th, and principally, Because they were now ready to enter into that land, in which they were obliged to put these things in practice. It is observable that God commands Moses to repeat them in the following order of daily, weekly, monthly, and anniversary sacrifices.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 28:2 contains the general instruction to offer to the Lord His sacrificial gift "at the time appointed by Him." On corban, see at Lev 1:2; on "the bread of Jehovah," at Lev 3:11; on the "sacrifice made by fire," and "a sweet savour," at Lev 1:9; and on "moed," at Lev 23:2, Lev 23:4.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

28:2 they are my food: See study notes on Exod 29:18; Deut 8:2.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

By bread he meaneth all manner of sacrifice.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 2. Command the children of Israel, c.] It is not easy to account for the reason of the introduction of these precepts here, which had been so circumstantially delivered before in different parts of the books of Exodus and Leviticus. It is possible that the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly services had been considerably interrupted for several years, owing to the unsettled state of the people in the wilderness, and that it was necessary to repeat these laws for two reasons:

1. Because they were now about to enter into the promised land, where these services must be established and constant.

2. Because the former generations being all dead, multitudes of the present might be ignorant of these ordinances.

In their due season] Moses divides these offerings into: -

1. DAILY. The morning and evening sacrifices: a lamb each time, Nu 28:3-4.

2. WEEKLY. The Sabbath offerings, two lambs of a year old, Nu 28:9, c.

3. MONTHLY. At the beginning of each month two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, and a kid for a sin-offering, Nu 28:11, &c.

4. ANNUAL. 1. The passover to last seven days the offerings, two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of a year old, and a he-goat for a sin-offering, Nu 28:16, &c. 2. The day of FIRST-FRUITS. The sacrifices, the same as on the beginning of the month, Nu 28:26, &c.

With these sacrifices were offered libations, or drink-offerings of strong wine, Nu 28:7, Nu 28:14, and minchahs, or meat-offerings, composed of fine flour mingled with oil, Nu 28:8, Nu 28:12, &c. For an ample account of all these offerings, See Clarke on Le 7:38 and Ex 12:1-51.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) My offering, and my bread . . . —Better, My oblation (even) my bread, &c. The offering, though presented by the hands of men, was God’s, not theirs. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts” (Hag_2:8). “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Ps. 1.10). The word korban is a general term for an oblation. It may denote in this place the minchah, or meal offering, or the shew-bread, offerings which were directly connected with a settled life in Canaan rather than with a nomadic life in the wilderness. Or the word lehem (bread) may be used to denote food generally, the sacrificial offerings being symbolically regarded as the Lord’s food. (Comp. Lev_3:11; Lev_3:16, where the same word is rendered food, and where the reference is to a portion of the flesh of the lamb and of the goat of the peace offering. See also Mal_3:7.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Command the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... For what follows concerned them all; namely, the offering of their daily, weekly, monthly, and anniversary sacrifices, which were not for private persons, but for the whole congregation; and these might be considered by them not merely as commands and duties to be observed, but as tokens of the divine favour to them, that notwithstanding all their rebellions and provocations in the wilderness, sacrifices for sin were ordered, continued, and accepted of by the Lord; and his acceptance of them, and well pleasedness in them, may easily be observed in the expressions used concerning them:

my offering, and my bread; by "offering" may be meant in general all sacrifices which were offered to the Lord, and by his command; and more especially the burnt offering, which was wholly and peculiarly his, and is after explained by sacrifices made by fire, and it is chiefly of burnt offerings this chapter treats; and by "bread" may be meant either the shewbread, which was set upon a table before the Lord continually, as his bread; so the Targum of Jonathan,"my oblation, the bread of the order of my table, shall the priests eat, but what ye offer on the altar no man has power to eat;''or else the meat offering, or rather, as it may be called, the bread offering, which always went along with burnt offerings; though the copulative "and", which is not in the text, may be omitted, and both may signify the same, "my offering", that is, "my bread"; for the sacrifices were the food of God, the provisions of his house, of which there were all sorts in the sacrifices, flesh, bread, and wine; particularly the daily sacrifice was his food every day, and the fat of sacrifices burnt is called the food of the offering made by fire, Lev 3:16, so Jarchi interprets it, "my offering", this is the blood; "my bread", the "amurim", or fat that covereth the inward parts, which were burnt on the altar:

for my sacrifices made by fire for a sweet savour unto me; which respects burnt offerings, wholly consumed by fire, and were entirely the Lord's, and which he smelled a sweet savour in, or were acceptable to him: these the children of Israel were

to observe to offer unto him in their due season; the daily sacrifice, morning and evening; not before morning, nor after evening, as Aben Ezra observes; and so all the rest at the proper time fixed, whether weekly, monthly, or yearly. The Jews, from this phrase, "observe to offer unto me", conclude the necessity of fixing stations, or stationary men, as Jarchi notes; so the tradition is,"these are the stations, as it is said, "command the children of Israel, &c." but how can the offering of a man be offered, and he not stand by it? wherefore the former prophets appointed twenty four courses, and to every course there was a station at Jerusalem of priests, Levites, and Israelites; and when the time of each course came to go up, the priests and Levites went up to Jerusalem, and the Israelites who belonged to that course went into their cities, and read the history of the creation (d):''now these stations, or stationary men, were substitutes for, or representatives of all Israel, and stood by the sacrifices when they were offered, in which all Israel were concerned, as particularly in the daily sacrifice, which is here first taken notice of.

(d) Taanith, c. 4. sect. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

My offering, and my bread ... - Or, my offering, even my bread, etc. Offering is here קרבן qorbân (compare Lev 1:2; Mar 7:11), a term in itself of quite general import, but often especially applied, as apparently in this instance, to the meat-offering which accompanied the sacrifices. This meat-offering connected itself, from its very nature, with the life of the Israelites in Canaan, not with their life in the wilderness; and it was annexed to the animal sacrifices as a token that the people must dedicate to God their property and the fruits of their labor as well as their own persons. See Num 15:2 note and Lev 21:6.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Seasons. These precepts had often been repeated already: but perhaps they had not been exactly observed in the desert, so that Moses indicates them once more, as if to remind the people that they will now have no excuse, if they neglect these sacrifices in the promised land. (Calmet) --- These frequent repetitions may also remind us, with what attention we ought to worship God. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

God here repeats some of the former laws about sacrifices, not without great reason, partly, because they had been generally discontinued for thirty-eight years together; partly, because the generation to which the former laws had been given about these things was wholly dead, and it was fit the new generation should be instructed about them, as their parents were; partly, to renew the testimonies of God’s grace and mercy, notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures thereof by their horrid apostacies and rebellions; and principally, because they were now ready to enter into that land, in which they were obliged to put these things in practice, Deu 12:8, &c.

Made by fire. According to this translation the sense is, My offering, i.e. my offering or sacrifices, and my bread, i.e. either my shew-bread, or rather my meat-offering made of bread or meal, for my sacrifices made by fire, i.e. which is to accompany my burnt-offerings. Or thus, My offering, to wit, my bread, i. e. my meat-offering, which was made of bread or meal, which is oft expressed by this very name of corban or offering, as Lev 2:1; 6:20; but because corban signifies not only a meatoffering, but other offerings also, as Lev 7:37,38, therefore he limits that general word by adding my bread with (so the Hebrew lamed is oft used, as Gen 46:26; Ezr 1:5; 2:63, &c.) my sacrifices made by fire, which may be understood either,

1. Generally for all the sacrifices, as that phrase is sometimes taken, as 1Sa 2:28, where it must needs be so meant, because the burntofferings properly so called were not given to the priest, but reserved to God himself, and the priest’s portion lay in the other sacrifices only; or,

2. Specially and properly for burnt-offerings; and so under them, as the most eminent kind, are contained all other sacrifices; as under the meat-offering here is contained the drink-offering. And according to this translation and explication these words contain a full and general rule, comprehending all the particulars following in this chapter, as in reason they ought to do, and which otherwise they do not.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

SACRIFICES REQUIRED BY JEHOVAH, Num_28:1-2.

2. My offering — Korban. Lev_1:2, note.

My bread — Lev_3:11, note.

By fire… sweet savour — Lev_1:9, note.

Due season — The festal times of Jehovah, (Lev_23:2,) appointed by him as days or times which were to be sanctified to his service, include the sabbath, new moon, the yearly feasts, and the daily sacrifices.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My offering, and my bread. Literally, "my korban, my bread." The general term korban (anything offered to God; cf. Num_7:3 Mar_7:11) is here restricted by the words which follow to the meat offering. "Bread" ( is translated "food" in Lev_3:11, 16 (see the note there). Sweet savour. jyre. Septuagint, eiv osmhav . (see on Gen_8:21 Lev_3:16 Eph_5:2)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Command the children of Israel - God here repeats some of the former laws about sacrifices, not without great reason, partly because they had been generally discontinued for thirty eight years together; partly because the generation to which the former laws had been given about these things was wholly dead, and it was fit the new generation should be instructed about them, as their parents were; partly to renew their testimonies of God's grace and mercy, notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures thereof by their rebellion: and principally because they were now ready to enter into that land, in which they were obliged to put these things in practice.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

sweet savour

Or, savour of satisfaction. (See Scofield "Lev 1:9").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

צו את בני ישראל COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — What is said above? Moses said, “Let the Lord set [a man over the congregation]” (Numbers 27:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Instead of giving Me a command regarding My children, command My children regarding Me!” A parable! It may be compared to the case of a princess who was departing this world and gave her husband charge concerning her children, etc., as it is related in Sifrei Bamidbar 142:1.

קרבני MY OFFERING — this refers to the blood.

לחמי MY FOOD — this refers to the fat-portions, and so it states, (Leviticus 3:16) “And the priest shall burn them (the fat-portions) on the altar, it is the food of the fire-offerings” (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:2).

לאשי [MY FOOD] FOR MY FIRE OFFERING — i.e., the fat-portions that are assigned for the fire offerings of My altar (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:2).

תשמרו YE (the children of Israel) SHALL WATCH [TO OFFER TO ME] — This implies that priests, Levites and ordinary Israelites shall stand by watching when the sacrifices are offered (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:2). From this command they (the Rabbis) derived the law of, and instituted the Maamadot (representatives of the people who were present when the sacrificial service was performed) (Taanit 27a).

במועדו [YE SHALL OFFER TO ME] IN ITS APPOINTED SEASON — Every day is the “appointed season” for the continual offerings.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: MY OFFERING, MY BREAD FOR MY FIRE-OFFERINGS. The reason [for stating this command here] is that after He had said, Unto these the Land shall be divided, He completed the commands relating to the laws of the offerings which they are to observe in the Land, since they did not bring any Additional Offerings [of Sabbaths and festivals] in the desert, as I have mentioned in Seder Emor El Hakohanim. Likewise they were not obliged to bring drink-offerings in the wilderness, as I have explained in Seder Shelach Lecha. But now He charged those who were to come into the Land with the duty of bringing all [these offerings] there — the Daily Whole-offerings, the Additional Offerings, and their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings. And although He did not say expressly here: “when you come into the Land,” He has already mentioned it in the section of drink-offerings, and He hinted at it in the first section dealing with the festivals. Now He started here with the [laws of the] Daily Whole-offering, [for] although it has already been mentioned in the section of V’atah Tetzaveh, He repeated it in order that it should all be arranged in one section. And Rashi wrote [in Verse 4]; “That one [i.e., the section in V’atah Tetzaveh] was an instruction [only] for the days of the installation [of the priests], and here He [repeated it] as a commandment for [all future] generations.” But this is not correct, since there it says, It shall be a continual burnt-offering ‘throughout your generations.’, 29:42. Hence the commandment to offer this in future generations has already been stated there.And according to the interpretation [of the Rabbis] 142. many new teachings are added here [in this repetition of the section of V’atah Tetzaveh; namely]: “My offering — this is the blood. My bread — this refers to [those parts of the offering] that are to be burnt on the altar. My fire offerings — these are the handfuls [of flour] and the frankincense [of the meal-offering]. For a pleasing odor unto Me — these are the [two] bowls [of frankincense that were brought as a memorial] with the showbread. Ye shall observe — that it should only be brought from [animals which have been] kept [for a number of days, and examined so that no blemish occurs to them]. Ye shall observe — that one may only bring [the offering] from that [money] which was donated to the treasury [of the Sanctuary]. Ye shall observe — that priests, Levites and Israelites should stand over it. Ye shall observe — Scripture uses here the term shmirah [‘keeping,’ or ‘observing’], and elsewhere it [also] uses the term shmirah; (in your keeping) until the fourteenth day of the same month (Exodus 12:6). Since the lamb had to be bought on the tenth of that month (ibid., Verse 3), the verse implies that it has to be carefully examined for a blemish for four days before it is slaughtered. Since here, in speaking of the Daily Whole-offering, Scripture likewise uses the term shmirah [— ‘tishmeru’ (ye shall keep)], we deduce that it also has to be examined for four days before it is slaughtered just as there the offering requires observation [so that no blemish should be found in it] for [a period of] four days before it is slaughtered, so here too etc.” [See] the whole interpretation, as it is stated in the Sifre. 142.By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse also hints to the following: It states My offering, My bread ‘l’ishai’ — of ‘ishai’ (My Divine powers) — ye shall keep and be careful to offer unto Me to My Name, in its due season. And thou shalt say unto them further, This is the fire-offering which ye shall offer unto the Eternal, “so that the offering should bring about [the desired unity and harmony on high].” on Ricanti. Now there is no sin-offering amongst the Additional Offerings of the Sabbath, as there is in all the other Additional Offerings [i.e., those brought on the New Moon and the festivals], because the congregation of Israel is its partner [that of the Sabbath], and all is [therefore] peace [and harmony]. The student [learned in the teachings of the Cabala] will understand. Similarly He mentioned [here for the purpose of arranging all offerings in one section] And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the Eternal’s Passover, meaning that they should offer the Paschal-offering, in order to command them about it together with the other [additional] offerings of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. And He dealt with it [the Paschal-offering] briefly, referring to it only by its name, since He had already explained [all] its laws, according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.