Numbers 28:3
And thou shalt say unto them, This [is] the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, [for] a continual burnt offering.
And thou shalt say {H559} unto them, This is the offering made by fire {H801} which ye shall offer {H7126} unto the LORD {H3068}; two {H8147} lambs {H3532} of the first {H1121} year {H8141} without spot {H8549} day by day {H3117}, for a continual {H8548} burnt offering {H5930}.
Tell them, 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to bring to ADONAI: male lambs in their first year and without defect, two daily as a regular burnt offering.
And tell them that this is the offering made by fire you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs.
And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto Jehovah: he-lambs a year old without blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt-offering.
Cross-References
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Leviticus 6:9
Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This [is] the law of the burnt offering: It [is] the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. -
Daniel 12:11
And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days. -
1 Peter 1:19
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: -
1 Peter 1:20
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, -
John 1:29
ยถ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. -
Daniel 8:13
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? -
Ezekiel 46:13
Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD [of] a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.
Commentary
Numbers 28:3 introduces the specific requirements for the daily burnt offering, a foundational element of Israelite worship under the Mosaic Law. This verse sets the stage for a detailed enumeration of offerings and festival sacrifices outlined in Numbers chapters 28 and 29.
Context
Following the wilderness wanderings and preceding the entry into the Promised Land, the Book of Numbers provides crucial instructions for the organization and worship life of the Israelite community. Chapters 28 and 29 serve as a divine timetable and manual for the various sacrifices to be offered throughout the year, beginning with the daily "continual burnt offering" (Hebrew: olah tamid). This daily sacrifice was not new; its institution is first detailed in Exodus 29:38-42, and its purpose here is to re-emphasize and regulate its consistent practice for the generation poised to enter Canaan. It underscores God's desire for constant communion and dedication from His people, performed by the Levitical priesthood.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew term for "continual burnt offering" is olah tamid (ืขึนืึทืช ืชึผึธืึดืื). The word olah signifies "that which goes up" or "ascends," referring to the entire animal being consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication to God. Tamid means "continual," "regular," or "perpetual," emphasizing the unbroken nature of this daily ritual. The phrase "without spot" translates the Hebrew tamim (ืชึผึธืึดืื), meaning "whole," "perfect," "blameless," or "complete," a critical standard for all acceptable sacrifices under the Mosaic Law.
Fulfillment in Christ and Practical Application
While the Old Testament sacrifices, including the daily burnt offering, were vital under the Mosaic Covenant, they served as shadows pointing to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The "lambs without spot" find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, who was truly "without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19). His sacrifice on the cross rendered the daily animal sacrifices obsolete, as highlighted in the Book of Hebrews, where it explains that we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
For believers today, Numbers 28:3 still carries profound principles:
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