Numbers 28:22

KJV

And one goat [for] a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

KJV (with Strong's)

And one {H259} goat {H8163} for a sin offering {H2403}, to make an atonement {H3722} for you.

Complete Jewish Bible

also a male goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you.

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 28:22 precisely mandates the offering of a single goat as a sin offering during the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. This seemingly small detail within the extensive Mosaic sacrificial calendar is profoundly significant, highlighting Israel's constant need for purification and reconciliation with their holy God. It underscores the pervasive reality of human sin, even amidst times of national celebration, and simultaneously reveals God's meticulous provision for maintaining the covenant relationship through divinely ordained atonement.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers 28:22 is situated within a detailed exposition of Israel's annual sacrificial calendar, meticulously laid out in [Numbers 28](/numbers/28 "Numbers 28 - Daily and Festival Offerings") and [Numbers 29](/numbers/29 "Numbers 29 - Additional Festival Offerings"). These chapters provide comprehensive instructions for the daily offerings, as well as the specific sacrifices required for the Sabbath, New Moons, and the major annual festivals. Specifically, this verse falls within the regulations for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows Passover, as detailed in [Numbers 28:16-25](/numbers/28-16-25 "Numbers 28:16-25 - Offerings for the Feast of Unleavened Bread"). The inclusion of a sin offering alongside numerous burnt offerings and grain offerings for each day of this festival underscores the pervasive need for purification, even during a joyful commemorative period, emphasizing the structured and precise nature of Israel's covenant worship.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The instructions in the book of Numbers were delivered to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, preparing them for their life as a holy nation once they entered the Promised Land. The sacrificial system was the cornerstone of Israelite religious practice, serving as God's ordained means for His people to approach Him, deal with sin, and maintain ritual purity. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, celebrated in the early spring, was an agricultural festival commemorating Israel's hasty exodus from Egypt, where they left with unleavened dough ([Exodus 12:34](/exodus/12-34 "Exodus 12:34 - Israel's Departure from Egypt")). The removal of leaven symbolized purity and the casting out of sin. The requirement of a sin offering, even within this celebratory and purifying festival, highlights the ever-present reality of human imperfection and the constant need for divine provision to cleanse the community from unintentional sins and ritual defilements, ensuring their continued acceptance before a holy God.
* **Key Themes:** This verse, along with the broader sacrificial laws in [Numbers 28](/numbers/28 "Numbers 28 - Detailed Sacrificial Laws"), contributes significantly to several foundational biblical themes. First, it powerfully asserts the **holiness and transcendence of God**, emphasizing that sinful humanity can only approach Him on His divinely prescribed terms. Second, it highlights the **pervasiveness of human sinfulness**, demonstrating that even unintentional errors or ritual impurities required a specific act of atonement to maintain covenant fellowship. The constant need for such offerings, even during joyous feasts, underscored that sin was a persistent reality for the community. Third, the meticulous provision of the sin offering showcases **God's gracious provision for reconciliation**, offering a pathway for His people to be cleansed and restored to a right relationship with Him despite their imperfections. Finally, the precise and detailed nature of these laws emphasizes the **meticulousness of divine command** and the corporate responsibility of the community in worship, as the offering was "for you," signifying the collective need for atonement and purity before God.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Goat (Hebrew, _sâʻîyr'_):** From the root meaning "shaggy," referring to a he-goat. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, specific animals were designated for particular offerings. The goat was a common animal for sin offerings, notably featured in the annual Day of Atonement rituals ([Leviticus 16:7-10](/leviticus/16-7-10 "Leviticus 16:7-10 - The Scapegoat and Sin Offering")). Its selection here for the Feast of Unleavened Bread underscores its specific role in purification and expiation for the community, symbolizing a substitute bearing the community's impurities.
* **Sin Offering (Hebrew, _chaṭṭâʼâh'_):** From the root meaning "to miss the mark" or "to sin." In the context of sacrifice, _chaṭṭâʼâh_ refers to a specific offering made to purify from ritual impurity or unintentional sins, and sometimes its penalty or expiation. It was primarily for inadvertent transgressions or defilements that rendered one unclean and unable to approach God. The purpose was to cleanse and restore the worshiper or community to a state of ritual purity, allowing renewed access to the divine presence. It addresses the consequences of sin that break fellowship.
* **Atonement (Hebrew, _kâphar'_):** A primitive root meaning "to cover" (specifically with bitumen), but figuratively, "to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel." In the context of the sacrificial system, it describes the divine act of covering or purging sin and impurity, thereby allowing for the restoration of the relationship between God and His people. It signifies a divine provision that addresses the barrier of sin and makes fellowship possible, appeasing divine wrath and reconciling the worshiper.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And one goat":** This opening phrase emphasizes the specific nature and quantity of the required sacrifice. The divine command was precise, stipulating a singular animal of a particular type. This specificity highlights God's meticulousness in setting the terms of worship and the importance of exact obedience in Israel's approach to Him, ensuring no deviation from the prescribed ritual.
* **"[for] a sin offering":** This clause explicitly states the purpose and category of the goat: it is designated as a _chaṭṭâʼâh_, an offering intended for purification and expiation. It underscores that even during a joyful festival, the pervasive reality of human sin and ritual impurity necessitated a specific means of cleansing to maintain the community's holy standing before God. It addresses the need for removal of defilement.
* **"to make an atonement for you":** This final clause reveals the ultimate goal and effect of the sin offering. The sacrifice of the goat was intended to perform _kâphar_ – to cover, purge, or reconcile – for the entire Israelite community ("for you"). This act of atonement was crucial for maintaining the covenant relationship, ensuring that the people remained acceptable in the sight of their holy God, allowing His presence to remain among them despite their imperfections.

#### Literary Devices
The passage employs several literary devices to convey its message. **Repetition** is a prominent feature throughout [Numbers 28](/numbers/28 "Numbers 28 - Daily and Festival Offerings") and [Numbers 29](/numbers/29 "Numbers 29 - Additional Festival Offerings"), as the detailed instructions for each festival's offerings are meticulously laid out. This serves to emphasize the regularity, importance, and unchanging nature of God's commands regarding worship, underscoring the perpetual need for atonement. The very act of the sin offering itself functions as **Symbolism**, where the goat represents a substitute, bearing the impurity or unintentional sin of the community, and through its sacrifice, a covering or purging is achieved. Furthermore, the entire sacrificial system, including this specific sin offering, serves as **Foreshadowing**, pointing forward to a greater, ultimate sacrifice that would truly and permanently deal with sin, a profound theological theme fully developed in the New Testament.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 28:22, with its emphasis on the sin offering for atonement, resonates deeply with the broader Old Testament understanding of a holy God and a sinful humanity. The constant, repeated need for such offerings throughout the Israelite calendar underscored the temporary and incomplete nature of animal sacrifices. While they ritually cleansed and allowed for continued fellowship with God under the Old Covenant, they could not fundamentally change the human heart or permanently remove the guilt of sin. This perpetual cycle of sacrifice highlighted humanity's persistent need for a more perfect, once-for-all solution to the problem of sin and separation from God. The meticulousness of the law, while revealing God's holiness, also exposed the inadequacy of human effort to perfectly fulfill its demands, thus creating a longing for a definitive act of redemption that would bring true and lasting reconciliation.

* [Leviticus 4:27-31](/leviticus/4-27-31 "Leviticus 4:27-31 - Sin Offering for an Individual")
* [Hebrews 9:22](/hebrews/9-22 "Hebrews 9:22 - Necessity of Blood for Remission")
* [Romans 3:25](/romans/3-25 "Romans 3:25 - Christ as Propitiation")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 28:22, though rooted in an ancient sacrificial system, speaks profoundly to our contemporary understanding of sin, holiness, and divine grace. The requirement for a sin offering, even during a joyful festival, reminds us that sin is not merely a moral failing but a pervasive condition that separates us from a holy God. It underscores that our access to God is never automatic or based on our own merit, but always on His gracious provision for atonement. For believers today, this verse should evoke a deep gratitude for the complete and final atonement provided by Jesus Christ. We no longer need to offer goats or other animals, for Christ's "once for all" sacrifice has perfectly and eternally reconciled us to God. This understanding should lead us to live lives of humble dependence on His finished work, continually acknowledging our need for His grace and striving to live in a manner worthy of such a profound salvation. It also reminds us that even in our celebrations and times of joy, we must remain mindful of our human frailty and the ever-present need for God's cleansing grace, recognizing that true joy is rooted in reconciled fellowship with Him.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the repeated need for sin offerings in the Old Testament deepen your appreciation for the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus Christ?**
* **In what ways do you, even in times of celebration or spiritual high points, recognize your ongoing need for God's cleansing and atonement?**
* **What does the meticulous detail of God's commands regarding sacrifice teach you about His character and His expectations for our worship?**

### FAQ
**Why was a sin offering needed during a joyful festival like the Feast of Unleavened Bread?**

Answer: The inclusion of a sin offering during a joyful festival like the Feast of Unleavened Bread highlights the pervasive nature of sin and ritual impurity in the Israelite community. Even amidst celebration and national remembrance, the people were still prone to unintentional sins or defilements that could hinder their access to a holy God. The sin offering served as a constant reminder that maintaining a right relationship with God required continuous purification and atonement, ensuring that their worship remained acceptable and their fellowship with Him unbroken. It underscored that God's holiness demanded a consistent provision for dealing with human imperfection, even in times of joy, as seen in the broader context of offerings for this festival in [Numbers 28:17-25](/numbers/28-17-25 "Numbers 28:17-25 - Offerings for Unleavened Bread").

**How does the Old Testament concept of "atonement" (_kâphar_) relate to forgiveness in the New Testament?**

Answer: In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word _kâphar_ (translated "atonement") primarily means "to cover," "to purge," or "to make reconciliation." It refers to a ritual act that cleansed from impurity and restored a right relationship with God, often in a corporate or ceremonial sense. While it provided a means for the people to remain in covenant with God despite their sins, it did not fully remove the guilt or consciousness of sin in the ultimate sense, nor did it provide for a permanent transformation of the heart. The New Testament concept of forgiveness, as provided through Jesus Christ, goes beyond ritual covering. It signifies a complete pardon, a cleansing of the conscience, and a radical transformation that addresses the root of sin, offering eternal redemption and direct access to God, as articulated in passages like [Hebrews 10:1-4](/hebrews/10-1-4 "Hebrews 10:1-4 - The Law a Shadow of Good Things to Come") and [Hebrews 9:13-14](/hebrews/9-13-14 "Hebrews 9:13-14 - The Blood of Christ Cleanses Conscience"). The Old Testament atonement was a type; the New Testament forgiveness is the anti-type and fulfillment.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 28:22, with its command for a sin offering "to make an atonement for you," finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The repeated sacrifices of goats and other animals under the Old Covenant, though divinely ordained, were inherently temporary and could never truly take away sin (as highlighted in [Hebrews 10:1-4](/hebrews/10-1-4 "Hebrews 10:1-4 - The Law a Shadow of Good Things to Come")). They served as a shadow, continually pointing forward to the perfect sacrifice to come. Jesus, as the true [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), entered human history to offer Himself as the definitive and eternal sin offering. His death on the cross was a "once for all" sacrifice (as detailed in [Hebrews 9:26-28](/hebrews/9-26-28 "Hebrews 9:26-28 - Christ's Once-for-All Sacrifice")), providing not just a ritual covering, but a complete and permanent cleansing for sin and a perfect reconciliation with God. Through His shed blood, believers are truly forgiven, their consciences cleansed, and they are granted bold access into the very presence of God (as proclaimed in [Hebrews 10:19-22](/hebrews/10-19-22 "Hebrews 10:19-22 - Boldness to Enter the Holiest")). Thus, the meticulous instructions for the goat in Numbers 28:22 underscore the profound grace and efficacy of Christ's singular, all-sufficient sacrifice, which perfectly accomplished what the Old Testament sacrifices could only foreshadow.

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.

Cross-References

Romans 8:3

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: