Old Testament · Law

Numbers 29

The Fall Festivals

Trumpets, atonement, tabernacles — the final feasts of the year. Each one carries meaning that deepens with time.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

1“On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you must not do any regular work. This will be a day for you to sound the trumpets.

2As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

3together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram,

4and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven male lambs.

5Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.

6These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

7On the tenth day of this seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you shall humble yourselves; you must not do any work.

8Present as a pleasing aroma to the LORD a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

9together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram,

10and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs.

11Include one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings.

12On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days.

13As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a food offering, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

14along with the grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil with each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah with each of the two rams,

15and a tenth of an ephah with each of the fourteen lambs.

16Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

17On the second day you are to present twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

18along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

19Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

20On the third day you are to present eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

21along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

22Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

23On the fourth day you are to present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

24along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

25Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

26On the fifth day you are to present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

27along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

28Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

29On the sixth day you are to present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

30along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

31Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

32On the seventh day you are to present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

33along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

34Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

35On the eighth day you are to hold a solemn assembly; you must not do any regular work.

36As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a food offering, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

37along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

38Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

39You are to present these offerings to the LORD at your appointed times, in addition to your vow and freewill offerings, whether burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, or peace offerings.”

40So Moses spoke all this to the Israelites just as the LORD had commanded him.

Understand This

Numbers 29, explained

What Numbers 29 is saying

The festival calendar continues with the autumn festivals: the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the extensive seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) with its eighth-day assembly. The Feast of Tabernacles requires the largest number of offerings in the entire liturgical year, totaling seventy bulls over seven days.

The background behind it

The seventy bulls offered during Sukkot were interpreted in rabbinic tradition as corresponding to the seventy nations of the world (Genesis 10), giving the feast a universalistic significance. The eighth-day assembly (Shemini Atzeret) was understood as God's intimate gathering with Israel alone after the nations' bulls had been offered.

Themes running underneath

The escalating sacrificial demands of Sukkot point to both the abundance of harvest thanksgiving and the expansive scope of God's concern beyond Israel alone. The Day of Atonement stands as the liturgical center of gravity—the annual reset that makes all other worship possible.

Why it still matters

The autumn festivals move from awakening (Trumpets) through atonement to joyful dwelling with God (Tabernacles)—a progression that mirrors the spiritual life. True celebration is grounded in repentance and reconciliation.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.