Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
God commands that at the Feast of Trumpets they offer one bull, one ram, seven lambs. Second, verse 7, He commands the same to be offered at the Feast of Expiation. Third, verse 12, He prescribes the victims to be offered at the Feast of Tabernacles over seven days.
Vulgate Text: Numbers 29:1-39
1. The first day of the seventh month also shall be venerable and holy to you: you shall do no servile work on it, because it is the day of blowing and of trumpets. 2. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odor to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven unblemished yearling lambs; 3. and for their sacrifices, fine flour sprinkled with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the ram, 4. one tenth for each lamb, which together are seven lambs: 5. and a he-goat for sin, which is offered for the expiation of the people, 6. besides the holocaust of the calends with its sacrifices, and the perpetual holocaust with its customary libations; with the same ceremonies you shall offer a burnt sacrifice for a most sweet odor to the Lord. 7. The tenth day also of this seventh month shall be holy and venerable to you, and you shall afflict your souls: you shall do no servile work on it. 8. And you shall offer a holocaust to the Lord for a most sweet odor: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven unblemished yearling lambs: 9. and for their sacrifices, fine flour sprinkled with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the ram, 10. a tenth of a tenth for each lamb, which together are seven lambs; 11. and a he-goat for sin, besides those things which are usually offered for transgression as expiation, and the perpetual holocaust, with its sacrifice and libations. 12. But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, which shall be holy and venerable to you: you shall do no servile work on it, but you shall celebrate a solemnity to the Lord for seven days. 13. And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odor to the Lord: thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 14. and for their libations, fine flour sprinkled with oil, three tenths for each bull, which together are thirteen bulls; and two tenths for one ram, that is, for both rams together; 15. and a tenth of a tenth for each lamb, which together are fourteen lambs: 16. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 17. On the second day you shall offer twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs, 18. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate: 19. and a he-goat for sin besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 20. On the third day you shall offer eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs: 21. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate; 22. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 23. On the fourth day you shall offer ten bulls, two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs: 24. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate; 25. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 26. On the fifth day you shall offer nine bulls, two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs: 27. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate: 28. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 29. On the sixth day you shall offer eight bulls, two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs: 30. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate; 31. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 32. On the seventh day you shall offer seven bulls, and two rams, fourteen unblemished yearling lambs: 33. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate; 34. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust and its sacrifice and libation. 35. On the eighth day, which is most solemn, you shall do no servile work, 36. offering a holocaust for a most sweet odor to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven unblemished yearling lambs: 37. and the sacrifices and libations for each of the bulls and rams and lambs you shall duly celebrate; 38. and a he-goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and its sacrifice and libation. 39. These things you shall offer to the Lord on your solemnities, besides your vows and voluntary offerings as holocaust, as sacrifice, as libation, and as peace offerings.
Verse 1: The Day of Blowing and of Trumpets
"It is a day of blowing and of trumpets." -- The Feast of Trumpets was celebrated on the first day of the seventh month; I discussed this feast at Leviticus xxiii, 24.
Verse 3: For Each Bull
3. "For each bull" -- that is, for the bull. So the Hebrew. For only one bull was offered each year at the Feast of Trumpets, namely one bull each year; and this is what our Interpreter meant.
Verse 6: Besides the Holocaust of the Calends
6. BESIDES THE HOLOCAUST OF THE CALENDS. -- For the Feast of Trumpets fell on the calends of the seventh month: hence on it both the victims proper to the calends and the victims proper to the Feast of Trumpets had to be offered, after the perpetual sacrifice of the lamb, as I said in the preceding chapter, verse 10; hence the same is repeated and insisted upon here at the Feast of Expiation, verse 11, and on each day of the Feast of Tabernacles, as is clear from verses 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 38.
Verse 7: The Tenth Day of the Seventh Month
7. THE TENTH DAY ALSO OF THIS SEVENTH MONTH SHALL BE HOLY TO YOU. -- For that was the Feast of Expiation, concerning which see Leviticus xxiii, 27.
Verse 11: Besides the Usual Sin Offerings
11. BESIDES THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE USUALLY OFFERED FOR TRANSGRESSION AS EXPIATION. -- For on this day of expiation the priest, the people, and the tabernacle were expiated through the bringing of blood into the Holy of Holies; and for accomplishing this there was employed and offered a bull was offered for sin, and a ram as a holocaust. Again, two rams, of which one was the scapegoat, the other was made a holocaust, concerning which see Leviticus xvi. Those sacrifices therefore were offered beforehand for the expiation, and once that was accomplished, the holocausts prescribed here were offered in honor of the feast, namely one bull, one ram, seven lambs.
AND THE PERPETUAL HOLOCAUST -- that is, the perpetual sacrifice.
"With the sacrifice" -- that is, the minchah, which was usually added to the perpetual sacrifice.
Verse 12: The Fifteenth Day -- Feast of Tabernacles
12. BUT ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH, WHICH SHALL BE HOLY TO YOU. -- For then it was the Feast of Tabernacles, which was celebrated for seven, indeed for eight days, concerning which see Leviticus xxiii, 34. Hence here the victims to be offered on each of its days are prescribed, and they are nearly the same on each day, namely two rams and fourteen lambs, except that on the first day thirteen bulls, on the second twelve, on the third eleven, and so on, always diminishing, were offered; but on the eighth day, which was the day of assembly or gathering, they offered only one bull, one ram, seven lambs, as is clear from verse 35.
Verse 13: A Tenth of a Tenth
13. "A tenth of a tenth." -- One tenth of an ephah, which is a tenth of a cor, as I said in the preceding chapter, verse 13.
Verse 35: The Eighth Day, Most Solemn
35. "On the eighth day, which is most solemn." -- For then it was the Feast of the Assembly and Gathering, as I said at verse 22; concerning which I said more at Leviticus xxiii, 36.
Verse 39: These Things You Shall Offer
39. "These things you shall offer to the Lord on your solemnities, besides vows and voluntary offerings as holocaust, as sacrifice, as libation, and as peace offerings" -- as if to say: I command these aforementioned victims at the feasts, besides what you offer by vow or voluntarily as a holocaust, as a sacrifice, that is, as a minchah, as a libation, and as peace offerings. Note here: A libation was never offered by itself alone, but always with a sacrifice; hence when the sacrifice was free and voluntary, the libation was also considered free and voluntary.