1And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Command the children of Israel, and you shall say to them: You shall observe to bring forward my sacrifice to me, my bread, for my offering by fire, my pleasant smell, at its appointed time.
28:2. Command the children of Israel. Numbers 28 and 29 contain commands concerning sacrifices and holidays. Much of this has been treated already. There is a notable difference here, though: nowhere in these two chapters is there a mention of the Tabernacle (or Tent of Meeting). Other laws clearly indicate that sacrifice can be performed only at the entrance of the Tabernacle. If I was correct in my commentary on the Tabernacle (Exodus 26)—that the Tabernacle was actually located in the First Temple—then it is critically important that these laws come now picturing sacrifice even without reference to the Tabernacle. By no reckoning was the Tabernacle in the Second Temple. (Nor were the ark, the tablets, the cherubs, or the Urim and Tummin.) It is these two chapters (and Num 15:1–31, which likewise does not mention the Tabernacle) that make it possible for there to be sacrificial worship at the Second Temple.
3“And you shall say to them: This is the offering by fire that you shall bring forward to YHWH: two unblemished one-year-old lambs per day as a continual burnt offering.
4You shall do one lamb in the morning, and you shall do the second lamb ‘between the two evenings.’
5And a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of pressed oil,
6the continual burnt offering that was done at Mount Sinai for a pleasant smell, an offering by fire to YHWH.
7And its libation shall be a fourth of a hin for one lamb. Pour a libation of beer in the holy place for YHWH.
28:7. beer. I have consistently translated Hebrew yayin and š
k
r as “wine” and “beer,” respectively, because wine and beer are the alcoholic beverages of the ancient Near East. Still, I admit that a libation of beer here presents a difficulty because beer involves fermentation, and normally fermented substances are not used in the holy place. Thus the priests eat the meat of their sacrifices on unleavened bread. The translation “beer” is therefore uncertain in this passage (and possibly in other occurrences as well).
8And you shall do the second lamb ‘between the two evenings,’ and you shall do it like the morning grain offering and like its libation, an offering by fire of a pleasant smell to YHWH.
9“And on the Sabbath day two unblemished one-year-old lambs and two tenths of fine flour, a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its libation:
10the burnt offering of each Sabbath in its week, beside the continual burnt offering and its libation.
11“And at the beginning of your months you shall bring forward a burnt offering to YHWH: two bulls of the cattle and one ram, seven unblemished one-year-old lambs,
12with three tenths of fine flour, a grain offering, mixed with oil for one bull and two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil for the one ram,
13and one tenth of fine flour, a grain offering, mixed with oil for each lamb, a burnt offering as a pleasant smell, an offering by fire to YHWH.
14And their libations: half a hin will be for a bull and a third of a hin for a ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb—wine. This is the burnt offering of each new month in its month for the months of the year.
15And one goat for a sin offering to YHWH shall be done, beside the continual burnt offering and its libation.
16“And in the first month on the fourteenth day of the month is a Passover to YHWH.
17And on the fifteenth day of this month is a holiday. For seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten.
18On the first day is a holy assembly. You shall not do any act of work.
19And you shall bring forward an offering by fire, a burnt offering to YHWH. You shall have two bulls of the cattle and one ram and seven unblemished one-year-old lambs.
20And their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil. You shall do three tenths for a bull and two tenths for a ram.
21And you shall do one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs.
22And one goat for a sin offering to make atonement over you.
23You shall do these aside from the morning burnt offering that is for the continual burnt offering.
24You shall do food as a fire offering, a pleasant smell to YHWH, like these daily for seven days. It shall be done beside the continual burnt offering and its libation.
25And on the seventh day you shall have a holy assembly. You shall not do any act of work.
26“And on the Day of Firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to YHWH on your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy assembly. You shall not do any act of work.
27And you shall bring forward a burnt offering for a plea-sant smell to YHWH: two bulls of the cattle, one ram, seven one-year-old lambs
28and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for one bull, two tenths for one ram,
29one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs,
30one goat to make atonement over you.
31You shall do it aside from the continual burnt offering and its grain offering—they shall be unblemished for you—and their libations.
