Numbers 29:1 ¶ And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
Numbers 29:2 And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
Numbers 29:3 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
Numbers 29:4 And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
Numbers 29:5 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:
Numbers 29:6 Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.
The chapter break is unfortunate since it is directly connected to the instructions given Moses in the previous chapter.
The first day of the seventh month is designated as yet another special Sabbath. It is identified as a day of the blowing of the trumpets. We know this day as Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year (in September). The burnt offering on this day was to include one young bull, one ram and seven lambs of the first year—all without blemish. They were to include a meal offering of fine flour mixed with oil—six quarts for the bull, four quarts for the ram, and two quarts each for the lambs. They were also to offer a kid goat for a sin offering. Again, this offering was in addition to the daily offerings and the first of the month offerings.
Numbers 29:7 And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:
Numbers 29:8 But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:
Numbers 29:9 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram,
Numbers 29:10 A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
Numbers 29:11 One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.
The tenth day of this month is yet another designated Sabbath, better known as the Day of Atonement. The offerings for this day were identical to those for Rosh Hashanah.
It was on this day each year that the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies in accordance with God’s instructions.
Numbers 29:12 ¶ And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
Five days later, on the 15th day of this month, another designated Sabbath, marked the beginning of the “feast of tabernacles” that was to continue for seven days.
Numbers 29:13 And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:
Numbers 29:14 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams,
Numbers 29:15 And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs:
Numbers 29:16 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
On this day they were to make an offering of 13 bulls, two rams, and 14 lambs of the first year—all without blemish. They were to include a grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil—six quarts for each of the bulls, four quarts for each of the rams, and two quarts each for the lambs. They were also to make a sin offering of a kid goat.
Again it is noted that these offerings are in addition to the other specified offerings.
Numbers 29:17 And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
Numbers 29:18 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:19 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.
The offerings on the second day were to be identical to those of the first except that it only consisted of 12 young bulls.
Numbers 29:20 And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;
Numbers 29:21 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:22 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
The offerings on the third day were to be identical to those of the first except that it only consisted of 11 young bulls.
Numbers 29:23 And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
Numbers 29:24 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:25 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
The offerings on the fourth day were to be identical to those of the first except that it only consisted of 10 young bulls.
Numbers 29:26 And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
Numbers 29:27 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:28 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
The offerings on the fifth day were to be identical to those of the first except that it only consisted of nine young bulls.
Numbers 29:29 And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
Numbers 29:30 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:31 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
The offerings on the sixth day were to be identical to those of the first except that it only consisted of eight young bulls.
Numbers 29:32 And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
Numbers 29:33 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:34 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
The offerings on the seventh day were to be identical to those of the first except that it only consisted of seven young bulls.
Numbers 29:35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:
Numbers 29:36 But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
Numbers 29:37 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Numbers 29:38 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
The eighth day was another designated Sabbath. The burnt offering on this day was to consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year—all without blemish. The meal and drink offerings were to be in accordance with previous offerings. They were also to make a sin offering of one goat. As always, these offerings were in addition to the daily offerings.
Numbers 29:39 These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.
Numbers 29:40 And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
This completes the instructions the Lord gave Moses at this time that were associated with the set feasts. These offerings were in addition to those made for vows and freewill offerings of any kind.
Point is made that Moses instructed the people according to the LORD’s command.
The New Bible Commentary offers the following insight: “There is a great spiritual analogy in these festivals. Passover (commemorating deliverance from Egypt and death) corresponds with Christ’s crucifixion; Weeks or Pentecost (the day of firstfruits) corresponds with the sending of the Holy Spirit and the firstfruits of the gospel harvest (Acts 2). So Tabernacles corresponds with Christ’s second coming at the close of the age, marking the end of the harvest. The time between Weeks and Tabernacles was a busy period when Israel laboured for the harvest. Similarly, between Pentecost and the second coming labourers are sent to reap the harvest among the Gentiles…. the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the inheritance….”
Note: Further commentary on these feasts can be found in my journal on Leviticus.
Numbers 30:1 ¶ And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.
Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
This chapter deals with the LORD’s instruction regarding vows that are made to Him. He gave the instructions to Moses who gave it to the heads of the tribes for them to instruct the people. Note that these instructions represent a command—not a suggestion.
If a man makes a vow to the LORD or makes a promise accompanied by a sworn oath, he is bound to keep his word. Breaking one’s vow is not an option.
Numbers 30:3 ¶ If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father’s house in her youth;
Numbers 30:4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
Numbers 30:5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
The rest of the chapter basically deals with women that make vows to the LORD. They are held just as accountable as the men unless the man in authority over them disallows it.
This first section deals with a woman who makes a vow but is still under the authority of her father. If he hears her vow and does not forbid it, it is considered binding before the LORD. If, however, the father forbids it when he hears it, the LORD does not hold the woman accountable to her vow. She is forgiven because her father overruled her.
Numbers 30:6 And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
Numbers 30:7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
Numbers 30:8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.
This section deals with a woman that is under the authority of a husband. If he hears that she has made a vow to the LORD and does not speak out against it, she is bound before the LORD to keep it. However, if her husband forbids her to keep that vow, the LORD does not hold her accountable. She is forgiven because her husband overruled her.
The NIV Commentary offers some possible insight: “The comparison of this section with vv. 10-15 suggests that these verses relate to young couples who have recently married, as these are cases where the woman brings a vow into her marriage that may be heavily restrictive on her husband.”
JFB offers a bit more: “Girls only are specified; but minors of the other sex, who resided under the parental roof, were included, according to Jewish writers, who also consider the name “father” as comprehending all guardians of youth. We are also told that the age at which young people were deemed capable of vowing was thirteen for boys and twelve for girls.”
Numbers 30:9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
Numbers 30:10 And if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
Numbers 30:11 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
Numbers 30:12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.
Women who were widowed or divorced answered to no overruling authority and were held accountable for their vows.
I have read verses 10-12 several times, and they seem to be a repetition of the previous section. The commentaries seem to indicate that the difference is that it applies to a vow made by a woman that had not been fulfilled before her husband died. In that case, if he had not overruled her, she was bound by the vow; if he had overruled her, she was not held accountable.
Numbers 30:13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
Numbers 30:14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
Numbers 30:15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.
The main difference I notice in this section is that the husband is held accountable for the fulfillment of his wife’s vow if he did not overrule it on the day he heard it. If he did anything to interfere with his wife’s ability to keep her vow, he would be held accountable for it—not her.
Point is also made that the husband’s decision to allow or disallow the vow had to be made at the time he heard it; once decided, it could not be changed. As I read back through the chapter, I believe the same applies to the father.
Numbers 30:16 These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father’s house.
This ends the instructions that the LORD commanded Moses regarding vows made by a woman and the responsibility of the man in authority over her—be it husband or father.
As I was listening to Doug McClean, he made an interesting application in connection with God and the people of Israel (often pictured in scripture as God’s wife). They had made a vow of obedience to Him (Exodus 19). He did not annul the vow and was, therefore, accountable to fulfill it—which He did by the sacrifice of His Son.
Jeremiah 2:2 “Go and shout in the ears of Yerushalayim that this is what ADONAI says: ‘I remember your devotion when you were young; how, as a bride, you loved me; how you followed me through the desert, through a land not sown.’” (CJB)
Jeremiah 3:14 “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion….”