Numbers 28:20

KJV

And their meat offering [shall be of] flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;

KJV (with Strong's)

And their meat offering {H4503} shall be of flour {H5560} mingled {H1101} with oil {H8081}: three {H7969} tenth deals {H6241} shall ye offer {H6213} for a bullock {H6499}, and two {H8147} tenth deals {H6241} for a ram {H352};

Complete Jewish Bible

with their grain offering, fine flour mixed with olive oil. Offer six quarts for a bull, four quarts for the ram,

Berean Standard Bible

The grain offering shall consist of fine flour mixed with oil; offer three-tenths of an ephah with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram,

American Standard Version

and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil: three tenth parts shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth parts for the ram;

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 28:20 provides precise instructions for the grain offering, or *minchah*, that was to accompany specific animal sacrifices within ancient Israel's elaborate system of worship. This verse, situated within a larger block of detailed sacrificial regulations, specifies the exact quantities of fine flour mingled with oil required for a bullock (three-tenths of an ephah) and a ram (two-tenths of an ephah). It underscores the divine demand for meticulous adherence to God's prescribed forms of worship, highlighting the Israelites' dependence on God, their gratitude for His provision, and the foundational principles of purity and consecration in their covenant relationship.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers 28:20 is embedded within a comprehensive legislative section (Numbers 28-29) that meticulously details the various public sacrifices required for the daily, weekly (Sabbath), monthly (New Moons), and annual festival observances in Israel. This chapter, specifically, outlines the offerings for the regular daily burnt offering, the Sabbath, and the New Moon celebrations, with subsequent chapters detailing the offerings for Passover, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The immediate context of verse 20 is the specification of grain offerings accompanying the burnt offerings. For instance, the daily burnt offering, introduced in [Numbers 28:3-8](/numbers/28-3 "Numbers 28:3-8 - The Daily Burnt Offering"), stipulates a lamb with its accompanying grain and drink offerings, while [Numbers 28:11-15](/numbers/28-11 "Numbers 28:11-15 - New Moon Offerings") details the New Moon offerings, including two bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs, each requiring specific grain offerings as outlined in verses like 12, 13, and 20. This legislative precision emphasizes the non-negotiable nature of God's commands regarding worship.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The instructions in Numbers 28:20 reflect the highly ritualized and centralized worship system of ancient Israel, centered first around the Tabernacle and later the Temple. In a pre-scientific agricultural society, offerings of grain, oil, and animals represented the very sustenance and livelihood of the people, signifying their dependence on God for provision and their acknowledgment of His sovereignty over all creation. The act of offering was not merely a ritual but a profound theological statement, a means of maintaining covenant fidelity, seeking atonement for sin, and expressing gratitude. The priests, as mediators, played a crucial role in executing these precise instructions, ensuring that the offerings were acceptable to God according to the Mosaic Law, which provided a framework for Israel's relationship with Yahweh.
* **Key Themes:** This verse, like the broader sections on offerings, contributes to several key themes. The theme of **Divine Precision and Order** is paramount, as God dictates exact quantities and types of offerings, leaving no room for human improvisation or arbitrary worship. This meticulousness underscores the holiness of God and the seriousness with which His commands were to be treated. It also highlights the theme of **Covenant Maintenance and Atonement**, as these offerings were integral to Israel's ongoing relationship with God, providing a prescribed means for the community to approach a holy God and achieve ritual purity. Furthermore, the theme of **Dependence and Gratitude** is evident, as the grain and oil offerings represented the fruit of the land and human labor, acknowledging God as the ultimate source of all blessing and provision, prompting the people to offer the first and best of their produce back to Him.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Meat offering (Hebrew, _minchah'_):** In the King James Version, "meat offering" is an archaic translation of the Hebrew term *minchah* (מִנְחָה). While "meat" once referred to food in general, in the context of the Mosaic Law, *minchah* specifically denotes a **grain offering** or **meal offering**, consisting of flour, oil, and sometimes frankincense, rather than animal flesh. This distinction is vital for understanding the variety and purpose of offerings in the Israelite sacrificial system, as detailed in [Leviticus 2](/leviticus/2 "Leviticus 2 - The Law of the Grain Offering").
* **Flour mingled with oil (Hebrew, _solet belulah ba-shemen'_):** The "flour" (סֹלֶת, *solet*) refers to fine flour, the highest quality of ground grain, symbolizing the offering of one's best to God. "Mingled with oil" (בְּלוּלָה בַּשֶּׁמֶן, *belulah ba-shemen*) indicates that the flour was thoroughly mixed with olive oil, not just sprinkled. Oil, a valuable commodity, often symbolized anointing, consecration, and the presence or influence of God's Spirit in biblical contexts, binding the offering together and perhaps signifying a dedication to God.
* **Tenth deals (Hebrew, _‘issaron'_):** This term refers to an *‘issaron* (עִשָּׁרוֹן), which means "a tenth part." It is one-tenth of an ephah (אֵיפָה, *ephah*), a standard dry measure in ancient Israel, roughly equivalent to 22 liters or 0.6 bushels. Thus, "three tenth deals" means three-tenths of an ephah, and "two tenth deals" means two-tenths of an ephah. The precise quantities specified for different animals (three-tenths for a bullock, two-tenths for a ram) underscore the meticulousness and exactitude required in the sacrificial system.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And their meat offering [shall be of] flour mingled with oil":** This clause establishes the primary components of the grain offering—fine flour and oil, signifying purity, the best of the harvest, and consecrated dedication. It highlights the non-animal component of the offering, which was essential for a complete sacrifice in many cases.
* **"three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock":** This specifies the exact quantity of grain offering required when a bullock is presented as a sacrifice. The bullock, being a larger and more valuable animal, typically represented a more significant offering, often for the community or for more serious transgressions, and thus required a larger accompanying grain offering.
* **"and two tenth deals for a ram;":** This specifies the quantity of grain offering for a ram, a smaller and less costly animal than a bullock. The proportional decrease in the grain offering quantity for a ram demonstrates the consistent and ordered nature of God's instructions, ensuring that every detail of the worship was precisely calibrated.

#### Literary Devices
Numbers 28:20, like much of the Pentateuchal law, primarily employs **Legal Prescription** and **Numerical Precision**. The text functions as a direct command, outlining specific requirements for the Israelites' worship. The use of exact numerical quantities ("three tenth deals," "two tenth deals") is a form of **Numerical Precision**, emphasizing the divine demand for meticulous adherence and leaving no ambiguity regarding the expected offering. This precision also serves a **Didactic** purpose, teaching the people about God's holiness and the seriousness of approaching Him. Furthermore, the repetition of similar instructions throughout Numbers 28-29, all following a consistent pattern, exemplifies **Repetition for Emphasis**, reinforcing the importance of these sacrificial laws within the covenant framework.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 28:20, with its precise instructions for grain offerings, underscores the Old Covenant's emphasis on meticulous obedience and the comprehensive nature of worship. These regulations were not arbitrary but served to teach Israel about God's holiness, their dependence on Him, and the need for a prescribed means of atonement and communion. The offering of the best of their produce (fine flour and oil) signified a complete dedication and gratitude to the Provider of all life. The theological principle is clear: God demands worship that is intentional, costly, and offered according to His divine revelation, reflecting His perfect order and the seriousness of the covenant relationship. This foreshadows a deeper spiritual truth, where true worship involves offering our whole selves, not just material goods.

* [Leviticus 2:1-3](/leviticus/2-1 "Leviticus 2:1-3 - The Grain Offering Law")
* [Exodus 29:40-41](/exodus/29-40 "Exodus 29:40-41 - Daily Burnt Offering with Grain and Drink")
* [Philippians 4:18](/philippians/4-18 "Philippians 4:18 - A Fragrant Offering to God")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, including the specific quantities of grain offerings, are no longer binding on believers in Christ, the underlying principles of Numbers 28:20 remain profoundly relevant for contemporary Christian life and worship. This verse challenges us to consider the intentionality and quality of our "offerings" to God today. Just as the Israelites were commanded to bring their finest flour and precise measures, we are called to offer our best—our time, talents, resources, and indeed our very lives—in service and worship to God. This means approaching our spiritual disciplines, acts of service, and financial giving with thoughtfulness, generosity, and a heart of gratitude, rather than haphazardly or with leftovers. It cultivates a posture of reverence and dependence, reminding us that all we have comes from God, and our response should be one of wholehearted dedication, reflecting the same precision and devotion that God commanded in the Old Covenant.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the precision demanded in Numbers 28:20 challenge my approach to worship and service today?**
* **In what areas of my life am I called to offer my "finest flour" to God, rather than merely what is convenient or leftover?**
* **How does understanding the Old Testament's emphasis on detailed offerings deepen my appreciation for the simplicity and completeness of Christ's sacrifice?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of "three tenth deals" and "two tenth deals" for different animals?**

Answer: The "tenth deal" (Hebrew: *‘issaron*) refers to one-tenth of an ephah, a standard dry measure. The specific quantities—three-tenths of an ephah for a bullock and two-tenths for a ram—reflect the principle of proportionality within the sacrificial system. A bullock was a larger, more valuable animal, typically offered for more significant occasions or for the community's sins, and thus required a larger accompanying grain offering. A ram was a smaller animal, and its accompanying grain offering was proportionally less. This precision underscored God's demand for exactitude and order in worship, ensuring that every aspect of the offering was meticulously prescribed and executed, demonstrating the seriousness and intentionality required in approaching a holy God. This level of detail is consistent throughout the Mosaic Law, emphasizing that God's covenant demands were not to be taken lightly or fulfilled haphazardly, but with careful adherence to His revealed will, as seen in other sacrificial instructions in [Leviticus](/leviticus "The Book of Leviticus") and [Numbers](/numbers "The Book of Numbers").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 28:20, with its rigorous demands for precise grain offerings accompanying animal sacrifices, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "fine flour" and "oil" of the Old Testament offerings, symbolizing purity, dedication, and the best of human labor, pointed forward to the spotless perfection of Christ, who offered Himself as the ultimate and unblemished sacrifice. The meticulous quantities and types of offerings under the Old Covenant revealed humanity's inability to perfectly meet God's holy standards through ritual alone, thereby highlighting the need for a perfect mediator. Jesus, as the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), fulfilled every requirement of the Law, offering His body "once for all" (as in [Hebrews 10:10](/hebrews/10-10 "Hebrews 10:10 - Christ's Once-for-All Sacrifice")) as the perfect and final sacrifice, rendering the intricate system of animal and grain offerings obsolete. Our "offerings" now are not of flour and oil, but of spiritual sacrifices—our lives, praise, and service—presented to God through faith in Christ, who is our [great High Priest](/hebrews/4-14 "Hebrews 4:14 - Jesus, Our Great High Priest") and the substance of all the Old Testament shadows, allowing us direct access to God's presence by His blood, as articulated in [Hebrews 10:19-22](/hebrews/10-19 "Hebrews 10:19-22 - Access to God through Christ").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.