How do the offerings for the seventh month change from day to day while the regular offerings continue?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Numbers 29 gives separate offerings for the first and tenth days, a seven-day feast beginning on the fifteenth, and an eighth day. The feast has fewer calves each day, but its other animals stay the same. These offerings are added to the regular offerings and are separate from vows and voluntary gifts.

Chapter breakdown

The first day of the seventh month must be holy and treated with reverence. No servile work is allowed; it is the day of sounding trumpets. The commanded burnt offering, called a holocaust, is for a most sweet smell to the Lord: one calf of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs a year old, all without blemish. The flour mixed with oil is three tenths for the calf, two tenths for the ram, and one tenth for each of the seven lambs. A male goat is offered for sin, to make atonement for the people. These are in addition to the burnt offering for the first day of the month and its sacrifices, and the continual burnt offering with its usual drink offerings, called libations. The text also directs that the burnt sacrifice for a most sweet smell to the Lord be offered with the same ceremonies.

The tenth day of the same seventh month must also be holy and treated with reverence. The people must afflict their souls and do no servile work. The burnt offering for a most sweet smell to the Lord consists of one calf of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs a year old, all without blemish. Flour mixed with oil is three tenths for the calf and two tenths for the ram. For each of the seven lambs, the admitted source says “The tenth of a tenth.” That measure is kept here as written rather than changed to one tenth. A male goat is offered for sin. This is in addition to the usual offerings for sin and atonement, and the continual burnt offering with its sacrifice and drink offerings.

The fifteenth day of the seventh month is holy and must be treated with reverence, with no servile work. The people must celebrate a feast to the Lord for seven days. The opening burnt offering for a most sweet smell to the Lord is thirteen calves of the herd, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. The flour mixed with oil is three tenths for each of the thirteen calves and two tenths for each of the two rams. For each of the fourteen lambs, the source again says “the tenth of a tenth.” A male goat is offered for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering.

On the second day, the offering is twelve calves of the herd, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. The sacrifices and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be duly carried out for each. A male goat is offered for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its sacrifice and drink offering. On the third day, the offering is eleven calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. Each animal has its sacrifices and drink offerings according to the prescribed rite. There is again a male goat for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering with its sacrifice and drink offering.

On the fourth day, the offering is ten calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. Each calf, ram, and lamb has its sacrifices and drink offerings carried out in the right manner. A male goat is offered for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering. On the fifth day, the offering is nine calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. Each has its sacrifices and drink offerings according to the rite. A male goat is again offered for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering.

On the sixth day, the offering is eight calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. The sacrifices and drink offerings for each calf, ram, and lamb must follow the rite. A male goat is offered for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering. On the seventh day, the offering is seven calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old, all without blemish. Each calf, ram, and lamb has its sacrifices and drink offerings according to the rite. There is again a male goat for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering.

The eighth day is most solemn, and no servile work is allowed. Its burnt offering for a most sweet smell to the Lord is one calf, one ram, and seven lambs a year old, all without blemish. The sacrifices and drink offerings for each calf, ram, and lamb must follow the rite. A male goat is offered for sin, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering.

These are the things the people must offer to the Lord at their feasts. They are in addition to their vows and voluntary offerings: burnt offerings, sacrifices, drink offerings, and peace offerings. The chapter gives these commands; it does not narrate anyone performing them.

The story inside

The seven-day feast has a clear sequence. It begins with thirteen calves, then calls for twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, and seven. Throughout those seven days, each day still requires two rams, fourteen unblemished year-old lambs, and a male goat for sin, with the prescribed sacrifices and drink offerings. The continual burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering also remain in place. The eighth day has its own rule: one calf, one ram, and seven lambs, with the goat and regular offerings still included. Thus the changing calf count is only one part of the schedule. The chapter states the pattern but does not explain a symbolic reason for it or record its performance. Verse 39 then keeps the whole feast schedule separate from vows and voluntary gifts.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Read each day’s rule. The calves decrease from thirteen to seven across the feast, while the two rams, fourteen lambs, and male goat stay the same. The eighth day has a separate set of counts.
2
The feast offerings do not replace the regular offerings. The repeated instructions keep the continual burnt offering, its sacrifice, and its drink offering alongside the special daily gifts.
3
The feast schedule and personal promises are separate obligations. Verse 39 says the feast offerings are in addition to vows and voluntary burnt offerings, sacrifices, drink offerings, and peace offerings.

Test your recall

Why must the regular burnt offering and its sacrifice and drink offering still be included when the special feast offerings are made?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 17567–17590
Numbers Chapter 29 Sacrifices for the festivals of the seventh month. 29:1. The first day also of the seventh month shall be venerable and holy unto you; you shall do no servile work therein, because it is the day of the sounding and of trumpets. 29:2. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, one calf of the herd, one ram and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish. 29:3. And for their sacrifices, three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two tenths to a ram, 29:4. One tenth to a lamb, which in all are seven lambs: 29:5. And a buck goat for sin, which is offered for the expiation of the people, 29:6. Besides the holocaust of the first day of the month with the sacrifices thereof, and the perpetual holocaust with the accustomed libations. With the same ceremonies you shall offer a burnt sacrifice for a most sweet odour to the Lord.
Lines 17592–17608
29:7. The tenth day also of this seventh month shall be holy and venerable unto you, and you shall afflict your souls; you shall do no servile work therein. 29:8. And you shall offer a holocaust to the Lord for a most sweet odour, one calf of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:9. And for their sacrifices, three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two tenths to a ram, 29:10. The tenth of a tenth to every lamb, which are in all seven lambs: 29:11. And a buck goat for sin, besides the things that are wont to be offered for sin, for expiation, and for the perpetual holocaust with their sacrifice and libations.
Lines 17610–17626
29:12. And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, which shall be unto you holy and venerable, you shall do no servile work, but shall celebrate a solemnity to the Lord seven days. 29:13. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, thirteen calves of the herd, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:14. And for their libations three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, being in all thirteen calves: and two tenths to each ram, being two rams, 29:15. And the tenth of a tenth to every lamb, being in all fourteen lambs: 29:16. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
Lines 17628–17645
29:17. On the second day you shall offer twelve calves of the herd, two rams and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:18. And the sacrifices and the libations for every one, for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall duly celebrate: 29:19. And a buck goat for a sin offering besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof. 29:20. The third day you shall offer eleven calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:21. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall offer according to the rite: 29:22. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice, and the libation thereof.
Lines 17647–17664
29:23. The fourth day you shall offer ten calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:24. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate in right manner: 29:25. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof. 29:26. The fifth day you shall offer nine calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:27. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite: 29:28. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
Lines 17666–17684
29:29. The sixth day you shall offer eight calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:30. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite: 29:31. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof. 29:32. The seventh day you shall offer seven calves and two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:33. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite: 29:34. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
Lines 17686–17698
29:35. On the eighth day, which is most solemn, you shall do no servile work: 29:36. But you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, one calf, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish: 29:37. And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite: 29:38. And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.
Lines 17700–17704
29:39. These things shall you offer to the Lord in your solemnities: besides your vows and voluntary oblations for holocaust, for sacrifice, for libation, and for victims of peace offerings.