Numbers 29:18 - 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;

Generated Verse: Numbers 29:18

What does "Numbers 29:18" mean?


This verse, Numbers 29:18, is part of the instructions for the sacrifices to be offered on the third day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Let's break it down:

"and their meal offering and their drink offerings": This refers to accompanying sacrifices offered alongside the animal sacrifices.
Meal offering (minchah): A grain offering, usually made of fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense, and then baked. Part of it was burned on the altar, and the rest was eaten by the priests.
Drink offering (nesech): Wine poured out as a libation on the altar.

"for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs": These are the types of animals being sacrificed. The specific number of each animal is outlined in the surrounding verses (Numbers 29:17 and following). The verse implies that there's a different ratio of meal and drink offerings associated with each type of animal. Bulls would get the largest offering, rams a smaller one, and lambs the smallest.

"according to their number": The meal and drink offerings were proportional to the number of animals being sacrificed. More animals meant more meal and drink offering.

"after the ordinance": This indicates that the proportions and procedures for these meal and drink offerings were not arbitrary, but followed a set of established rules and commandments that had been previously given by God. These rules detailed the amounts of flour, oil, wine, etc., to be used with each type of animal offering. These ordinances were given at other times in the Torah, particularly in Leviticus and Numbers.

In summary, Numbers 29:18 is a command to offer specific meal and drink offerings alongside the prescribed animal sacrifices for the third day of Sukkot. The amounts of these offerings were tied to the types and number of animals being sacrificed, and the whole procedure was governed by previously established rules and regulations dictated by God.

Significance:

The sacrifices during the Feast of Tabernacles were particularly elaborate and were meant to:

Express thanksgiving to God for the harvest and His provision.
Seek atonement for sins.
Reaffirm the covenant relationship between God and Israel.
Point forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. Many Christians see these sacrifices as symbolic prefigurements of Christ's atoning work.

The meticulous detail about the meal and drink offerings highlights the importance of offering the sacrifices according to God's prescribed manner. It was not enough to simply offer something; it had to be done precisely as He instructed.

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