Numbers 28:3

Num 28:3 And thou shalt say unto them, This [is] the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, [for] a continual burnt offering.

Ver. 3. This is the offering.] {See Trapp on "Exo 29:38"} {See Trapp on "Exo 29:39"}

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 28:3. Two lambs day by day — This first national sacrifice was to be offered every day, morning and evening, throughout the whole year, Exo 12:5; Exo 29:38.

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

THE DAILY BURNT OFFERING, Num_28:3-8.

This had already been instituted at Sinai, (Exo_29:38-42,) but it could not be performed amid the wilderness wanderings.

3. Without spot — Perfect and unblemished. This did not include spots or various colours in the wool or skin. The Mishna describes fifty blemishes: five in the ear, three in the eyelid, eight in the eye, three in the nose, six in the mouth, twelve in the genitals, six in the feet, four in any place of the body — as scabs and wens — and three besides over all the body — as trembling with old age, sickness, or foul with excrements. It was unlawful to offer a lamb less than eight days old, a hybrid, a monstrosity, if it had killed a man, or were the price of a dog or a harlot, or had been dedicated to idolatry, or was an hour over a year old when the law required it to be of the first year.

Day by day — The daily burnt offering was a perpetually repeated demonstration of the duty of consecrating body, soul, and spirit to God. It was a reiterated object-lesson, teaching the human side of entire sanctification, entire self-surrender to Jehovah. Lev_1:3, note.

A continual burnt offering — That the whole daily life of Israel might be consecrated unto the Lord it was to be offered every morning and evening, for all future time, at the door of the tabernacle, where Jehovah met his people and communed with them. The daily sacrifice ceased at the destruction of Jerusalem. It will not be renewed until the Jews regain possession of Mount Moriah, the last place chosen by the Lord for offering sacrifices. Lev_17:2-5, notes; comp. Deu_12:11-14, and 1Ki_8:29.

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

28:3-8 The daily offering was the foundation of the sacrificial system. Its practice was instituted at Mount Sinai (see Exod 29:38-46). • alcoholic drink: Cp. Num 6:3; Lev 10:9; Deut 14:26.

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

(3) Two lambs of the first year . . . —See Exo_29:38-42.

A continual burnt offering.—The morning and evening lamb offered as “a continual burnt offering” afforded a striking type of the Lamb of God offered once for all” (Heb_7:3; Heb_10:12; Heb_10:14).

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

And thou shalt say unto them,.... Having directed Moses to command the people of Israel to observe to offer all the sacrifices of God in general, the Lord proceeds to order him to speak of them to them particularly and distinctly; this, according to Jarchi, is an admonition to the sanhedrim:

this is the offering made by fire, which ye shall offer unto the Lord; the daily burnt offering, which was wholly consumed by fire:

two lambs of the first year without spot, day by day for a continual burnt offering; this law was made before, and is directed to in Exo 29:38 where the same things are said as here, only, as a further descriptive character of the lambs, they are here said to be "without spot"; so all sacrifices were to be without blemish, whether expressed or not; and in this, as in other things, these lambs were typical of Christ, the Lamb of God, without spot and blemish; and are said to be a "continual" burnt offering, because they were offered every day in the week, without any intermission, on any account whatever, which is frequently observed in this chapter: and this was to continue, and did continue until the Messiah came, who put an end to it by the sacrifice of himself, as to any real use of it; and was in fact made to cease a few years after, by the utter destruction of Jerusalem, and was before that a little while interrupted in the times of Antiochus, Dan 8:11.

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

Lambs. Kids would not suffice. See Exodus xxix. 38. The lambs must not be above a year old. But it is not clear whether they could be offered eight days after their birth, as on other occasions, Exodus xxiii. 19. (Calmet)

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).

This is the offering made by fire. The daily offering prescribed at Exo_29:38-42, and which had presumably never been intermitted since, is specified again here because it formed the foundation of the whole sacrificial system. Whatever else was offered was in addition to it, not in lieu of it. The sabbath and festival use of the Jews was developed out of the ferial use, and rested upon it. Hence in a connected republication of the law of offering it could not be omitted. Without spot. Septuagint, anwmouv . This necessary qualification had not been expressed in the original ordinance, but in respect of other sacrifices had been continually required. (see on Exo_12:5 Lev_1:3 Num_19:2 Heb_9:14 1Pe_1:19)

HOMILIES BY E.S. PROUT Vers. 3-8. The lessons of the daily burnt offering.

In verses 1 and 2 we have a general statement respecting offerings to God, reminding us

(1) of the paramount claims of God (note repetition of "my" and "me"), and

(2) the promptness and punctuality needed in meeting those claims ("in their due season"). Then follow directions as to the most frequent of these offerings the daily burnt offering, which suggests lessons derived from

I ITS CHARACTER;

II ITS CONTINUANCE.

I It consisted of two parts:

(1) a lamb, a bleeding sacrifice;

(2) a meat and drink offering, flour, &c., bloodless; but the whole was to be burned before God.

We see here

1. Expiation. This we need every morning, for we awake and leave our beds sinful, and requiring an atonement that we may be able to present acceptable service during the day. And we need it every evening that daily sins may be forgiven, and that we may rest at peace with God, "clean every whir". (Joh_13:10)

2. Dedication. In the burnt offering, as distinguished from the trespass offering, expiation by blood-shedding is taken for granted, but the burning, as the symbol of entire surrender to God, is the culminating point. The various parts of the burnt offering may be regarded as typical of our surrender to God of all the varied powers and gifts he has bestowed. (Illustrate from Romans 12) As Christ presented himself in complete sacrifice to God, so should we. (Eph_5:2, &c.);

II "A continual burnt offering" (verse 3). So constant must the Christian"s self-surrender be. With each morning comes the summons "S ursum corda, and the appeal, Rom_12:1. Evening brings rest from earthly toil, but no cessation from a renewed, continual dedication to God. We should desire no exemption from this continual offering of ourselves when we remember the motives to it.

1. We ourselves and all we have are God"s.

2. We have enjoyed expiation through the perfect sacrifice of Christ. The law of the daily offering is urged because "ordained in Mount Sinai" (verse 6). The law of Christian self-sacrifice was published by deed, and not by word, at Calvary. (1Pe_2:24 1Pe_3:18)

3. Such sacrifice is pleasing, a sweet savour unto God "the Lord" (verse 6).

4. Such acts insure Divine manifestations. See Exo_29:38-43, which suggests that the neglect of the daily offering would interrupt communion with God.

5. Thus complete self-surrender brings us into the fullest sympathy with God, and thus into the most perfect liberty. P. (Psa_119:45 Joh_8:36, &c.);

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

"The daily sacrifice: as it had already been instituted at Sinai (Exo 29:38-42).

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.)

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses what the people must do.

the offering made by fire

This can be stated in active form. "the burnt offering" or "the offering you have burned by fire on the altar" (See: Active or Passive)

mixed with

This can be stated in active form. "which you have mixed with" (See: Active or Passive)

a tenth of an ephah

"A tenth" means one part out of ten equal parts. This can be written in modern measurements. AT: "2 liters" or "a tenth of an ephah (which is about 2 liters)" (See: Fractions and Biblical Volume)

one-fourth of a hin

"One-fourth" means one part out of four equal parts. This can be written in modern measurements. AT: "a liter" or "one-fourth of a hin (which is almost 1 liter)" (See: Fractions and Biblical Volume)

beaten oil

"pressed oil" or "pure olive oil." This refers to oil that has been pressed out of olives.

translationWords

burnt offering

lamb

year

blemish

day

tenth

grain offering

oil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ואמרת להם AND THOU SHALT SAY TO THEM — This is an instruction to the Beth Din (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:3).

שנים ליום This may be understood according to its plain sense: TWO [LAMBS] FOR EACH DAY, But in the main it is intended to teach that they should be slaughtered at a spot opposite the day (i.e. the sun) — the morning continual offerings at the west and that of the evening at the east of the rings fixed in the ground and in which were inserted the animals feet (Sifrei Bamidbar 142:3; Yoma 62b).

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.