What number verse is Numbers 29:24 in the Bible?

Numbers 29:24 is the 4,633rd verse of the Bible. Counting straight through the King James canon — all 31,102 verses from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 — Numbers 29:24 sits at position 4,633.

Translation

King James Version

Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

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KJV (with Strong's)

Their meat offering ^H4503 and their drink offerings ^H5262 for the bullocks ^H6499, for the rams ^H352, and for the lambs ^H3532, shall be according to their number ^H4557, after the manner ^H4941:

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Complete Jewish Bible

with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams and lambs, according to their number, in keeping with the rule;

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Berean Standard Bible

along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed.

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American Standard Version

their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;

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World English Bible Messianic

their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;

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Geneva Bible (1599)

Their meate offring and their drinke offrings, for the bullockes, for the rammes, and for the lambes according to their nomber, after the maner,

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Young's Literal Translation

their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

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In the KJVVerse 4,633 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Numbers 29:24 meticulously details the specific grain and drink offerings that were to accompany the animal sacrifices—bullocks, rams, and lambs—on the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles. This verse underscores the divine demand for precise quantities and methods in worship, emphasizing that every element of the offering must be presented "according to their number, after the manner" prescribed by God, reflecting His desire for orderly, comprehensive, and obedient devotion from His people in their approach to His holiness.

CONTEXT

Literary Context: Numbers 29:24 is situated within a comprehensive liturgical calendar (Numbers 28-29) that meticulously outlines the sacrificial requirements for Israel's annual feasts, supplementing the daily burnt offerings. Specifically, this verse falls within the detailed instructions for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which spans Numbers 29:12-38. The preceding verses detail the offerings for the first day of this seven-day festival, including a specific number of bullocks, rams, and lambs. Numbers 29:24 then specifies the accompanying grain and drink offerings for the second day's sacrifices. The subsequent verses continue this pattern, delineating a decreasing number of bullocks for each successive day of the feast, while the number of rams and lambs, along with their precise grain and drink offerings, remains consistent. This meticulous enumeration across the chapter highlights the systematic, non-negotiable, and divinely ordained nature of Israelite worship.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was one of the three major pilgrimage festivals in ancient Israel, celebrated in the autumn after the harvest, typically in September or October. It served a dual purpose: a joyous thanksgiving for the year's agricultural bounty and a solemn remembrance of God's faithful provision and protection during the Israelites' forty years of wilderness wandering, symbolized by their living in temporary shelters (booths or tabernacles). The extensive animal sacrifices, along with their accompanying grain and drink offerings, were a central feature of this communal celebration, expressing national gratitude, atonement, and dedication to God. The unique and substantial volume of offerings, particularly the decreasing number of bullocks each day, was a distinctive characteristic of Sukkot, signifying a crescendo of worship that gradually diminished, perhaps reflecting the journey from initial exuberance to a settled, sustained devotion.
Key Themes: This verse, like the entire chapter, powerfully articulates several foundational themes central to Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh. Firstly, it underscores Divine Precision and Order in worship; God's instructions were not vague suggestions but exact commands, leaving no room for human improvisation, as seen in the detailed regulations for all offerings throughout the Pentateuch (e.g., Leviticus 1). Secondly, it highlights the Completeness of Worship, where animal sacrifices (representing life and atonement) were invariably complemented by grain offerings (representing livelihood, sustenance, and thanksgiving) and drink offerings (representing joy, dedication, and libation), signifying a holistic presentation of the worshiper's entire being and possessions to God. This comprehensive approach to worship is a recurring motif, for instance, in Numbers 15:1-10. Finally, the phrase "after the manner" underscores the paramount importance of Obedience to God's Commands. Adherence to the prescribed methods was not merely ritualistic but a profound act of faith and submission, crucial for maintaining the covenant relationship and receiving divine blessing, a principle echoed throughout the Mosaic Law, such as in Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

Meat offering (Hebrew, minchâh', H4503): While the King James Version translates this as "meat offering," the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minchâh') more accurately refers to a grain offering or meal offering. This offering, derived from a root meaning "to apportion" or "bestow," was typically a bloodless donation, often consisting of fine flour, oil, and frankincense. It functioned as a sacrificial offering of tribute or a present, signifying the dedication of one's livelihood and the fruits of their toil to God.
Drink offerings (Hebrew, neçek', H5262): The Hebrew word נֵסֶךְ (neçek') denotes a libation or "poured out" offering, almost exclusively consisting of wine. Derived from a root meaning "to pour out," these offerings were never presented alone but always accompanied burnt offerings and peace offerings. They symbolized joy, devotion, and the pouring out of one's life in worship, adding a dimension of celebratory dedication to the more solemn animal sacrifices.
After the manner (Hebrew, mishpâṭ', H4941): This phrase, derived from the Hebrew word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpâṭ'), means "according to the judgment," "ordinance," "custom," or "prescribed rule." It signifies a verdict or formal decree, encompassing divine law, custom, or established right. Its inclusion here is critical, emphasizing that the offerings were not to be presented arbitrarily or according to human preference, but precisely as God had commanded, highlighting the divine authority behind the sacrificial system and the absolute necessity of strict adherence to His revealed will.

Verse Breakdown

"Their meat offering and their drink offerings": This initial clause identifies the two types of complementary offerings that are the subject of the verse. These are not the primary animal sacrifices but the essential accompanying elements required for a complete and acceptable offering. The plural forms indicate the numerous individual grain and drink offerings that were to be presented.
"for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs": This specifies the categories of animals for which these accompanying offerings were designated. The grain and drink offerings were inextricably linked to the animal sacrifices, serving as their necessary complements. The listing of "bullocks, rams, and lambs" refers to the various types of animals being offered during the Feast of Tabernacles, with the bullocks decreasing in number each day, while the rams and lambs remained constant.
"[shall be] according to their number, after the manner": This concluding phrase is the prescriptive core of the verse, articulating the divine requirement for these offerings. "According to their number" means that the quantity of grain and wine for the minchâh' and neçek' offerings had to be precisely proportional to the number of animals being sacrificed, as detailed elsewhere in the Law (e.g., Numbers 15:3-10). "After the manner" reiterates the demand for strict adherence to the prescribed form, method, and quality of these offerings, leaving no room for human innovation or deviation from God's divine blueprint for worship.

Literary Devices

The passage employs several significant literary devices to convey its message of divine order and human obedience. Precision and Detailing are paramount, as the meticulous enumeration of sacrifices and their accompanying offerings functions as a literary device to underscore God's demand for exact obedience and orderly worship. This detailed blueprint builds a profound sense of the divine architect's careful design for His people's approach to Him. The Repetition of the phrase "according to their number, after the manner" (or similar formulations like "according to the ordinance") throughout Numbers 29 reinforces the non-negotiable importance and unchanging nature of God's commands regarding worship. This consistent reiteration serves to engrain the principle of strict adherence in the minds of the Israelites. Furthermore, the passage utilizes Legal/Prescriptive Language, characterized by direct, instructional imperatives ("shall be") and specific requirements, which is typical of the Mosaic Law. This authoritative tone emphasizes the divine origin and binding nature of these commands, establishing God as the ultimate authority in matters of worship and covenant relationship.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Numbers 29:24, with its emphasis on the precise accompanying offerings, profoundly illustrates God's character as a God of order, holiness, and meticulous detail. It reveals that true worship is not haphazard or self-devised but must conform to divine revelation. The inclusion of grain and drink offerings alongside animal sacrifices demonstrates that ancient Israelite worship was a comprehensive act, involving not only the shedding of blood for atonement but also the dedication of the fruits of labor and expressions of joy and thanksgiving. This holistic approach foreshadows the New Covenant call to offer our entire lives as a "living sacrifice." The principle of "according to their number, after the manner" underscores that God sets the terms for how humanity approaches Him, a truth that remains eternally relevant, reminding us that reverence for God's revealed will is foundational to authentic faith.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

While the specific sacrificial system of the Old Covenant has been fulfilled in Christ, the underlying principles embedded in Numbers 29:24 remain profoundly applicable for believers today. This verse challenges us to consider the intentionality, completeness, and obedience of our worship. God desires a worship that is not casual or convenient, but deliberate and thoughtful, reflecting His holiness and our reverence. Just as the Israelites brought their best and in the prescribed manner, we are called to offer our "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Peter 2:5) with wholehearted devotion—our time, talents, resources, and very lives. "According to their number, after the manner" reminds us that God still sets the terms for acceptable worship, not according to our preferences, but according to His revealed will in His Word. Our worship, whether corporate or private, should be marked by a desire to honor Him in spirit and truth, dedicating all aspects of our being to His glory and acknowledging His sovereign authority over every detail of our lives.

Questions for Reflection

How does the meticulous detail of Old Testament offerings, as seen in Numbers 29:24, challenge our modern approach to worship and spiritual disciplines?
In what ways can we, as New Covenant believers, offer a "complete" worship that encompasses all aspects of our lives, mirroring the comprehensive nature of the grain, drink, and animal offerings?
What does it mean for us today to worship "after the manner" (according to God's prescribed way) rather than our own preferences or cultural norms?

FAQ

What is a "meat offering" in the KJV context, and why is it often misunderstood?

Answer: In the King James Version, "meat offering" is an archaic translation of the Hebrew word minchâh' (מִנְחָה). This term does not refer to animal flesh (as "meat" typically implies today) but rather to a grain offering or meal offering, usually made of fine flour, oil, and frankincense. It was a bloodless offering, primarily an act of thanksgiving, dedication, or tribute. The misunderstanding arises because the English word "meat" historically referred to food in general, not exclusively animal flesh. Modern translations often render it as "grain offering" or "meal offering" to avoid confusion, as seen in Leviticus 2:1.

Why were such detailed instructions for offerings necessary in the Old Testament?

Answer: The intricate and precise instructions for offerings, including those in Numbers 29:24, served multiple crucial purposes. Firstly, they underscored God's absolute holiness and transcendence, demonstrating that He is to be approached on His terms, not human ones. This precision distinguished Israelite worship from the often chaotic and arbitrary practices of surrounding pagan cultures. Secondly, the detailed laws taught the Israelites obedience and discipline, cultivating a reverence for God's commands. Thirdly, the complexity and exactitude of the sacrificial system pointed forward to the perfect, singular, and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ, highlighting that only a flawless offering, perfectly "according to the manner" of God's will, could truly atone for sin, as later explained in Hebrews 9:22.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Numbers 29:24, with its meticulous instructions for accompanying grain and drink offerings, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament sacrificial system, including every "meat offering" and "drink offering," served as a "shadow of the good things to come" (Hebrews 10:1), pointing to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Christ is not merely the ultimate animal sacrifice, whose blood cleanses us from sin (Hebrews 9:11-14), but He also embodies the essence of the grain and drink offerings. He is the "bread of life" (John 6:35), the perfect "grain offering" given for the sustenance of the world, representing His perfect life and body offered without blemish. Furthermore, His life poured out on the cross, His blood shed for the remission of sins, is the ultimate "drink offering," a libation of love and devotion that perfectly fulfilled God's will (John 19:34). His entire life and death were "according to their number, after the manner"—precisely as God had ordained from eternity past, perfectly meeting every divine requirement and establishing a new covenant of grace. In Christ, we are now called to offer ourselves as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1), a spiritual worship that is complete, intentional, and obedient, flowing from His perfect and sufficient offering.

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Commentary on Numbers 29 verses 12–40

12 ¶ And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:

13 And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:

14 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams,

15 And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs:

16 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

17 And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

18 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

19 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.

20 And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;

21 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

22 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

23 And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

24 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

25 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

26 And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

27 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

28 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

29 And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

30 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

31 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

32 And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

33 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

34 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:

36 But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish:

37 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

38 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

39 These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.

40 And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

Soon after the day of atonement, that day in which men were to afflict their souls, followed the feast of tabernacles, in which they were to rejoice before the Lord; for those that sow in tears shall soon reap in joy. To the former laws about this feast, which we had, Lev 23:34, etc., here are added directions about the offerings by fire, which they were to offer unto the Lord during the seven days of that feast, Lev 23:36. Observe here, 1. Their days of rejoicing were to be days of sacrifices. A disposition to be cheerful does us no harm, nor is any bad symptom, when it is so far from unfitting us for the duties of God's immediate service that it encourages and enlarges our hearts in them. 2. All the days of their dwelling in booths they must offer sacrifices. While we are here in a tabernacle-state, it is our interest as well as duty constantly to keep up communion with God; nor will the unsettledness of our outward condition excuse us in our neglect of the duties of God's worship. 3. The sacrifices for each of the seven days, though differing in nothing but the number of the bullocks, are severally and particularly appointed, which yet is no vain repetition; for God would thus teach them to be very exact in those observances, and to keep an eye of faith fixed upon the institution in every day's work. It likewise intimates that the repetition of the same services, if performed with an upright heart, and with a continued fire of pious and devout affection, is no weariness to God, and therefore we ought not to snuff at it, or to say, Behold, what a weariness it is to us! 4. The number of bullocks (which were the most costly part of the sacrifice) decreased every day. On the first day of the feast they were to offer thirteen, on the second day but twelve, on the third day eleven, etc. So that on the seventh they offered seven; and the last day, though it was the great day of the feast, and celebrated with a holy convocation, yet they were to offer but one bullock; and, whereas on all the other days they offered two rams and fourteen lambs, on this they offered but one ram and seven lambs. Such was the will of the Law-maker, and that is reason enough for the law. Some suggest that God herein considered the infirmity of the flesh, which is apt to grudge the charge and expense of religion; it is therefore ordered to grow less and less, that they might not complain as if God had made them to serve with an offering, Isa 43:23. Or it is hereby intimated to them that the legal dispensation should wax old, and vanish away at last; and the multitude of their sacrifices should end in one great sacrifice, infinitely more worthy than all of them. It was on the last day of the feast, after all these sacrifices had been ordered, that our Lord Jesus stood and cried to those who still thirsted after righteousness (being sensible of the insufficiency of these sacrifices to justify them) to come unto him and drink, Joh 7:37. 5. The meat-offerings and drink-offerings attended all the sacrifices, according to their number, after the manner. Be there ever so much flesh, it is no feast without bread and drink, therefore these must never be omitted at God's altar, which was his table. We must not think that doing much in religion will be accepted if we do not do it well, and after the manner that God has appointed. 6. Every day there must be a sin-offering presented, as we observed in the other feasts. Our burnt-offerings of praise cannot be accepted of God unless we have an interest in the great sacrifice of propitiation which Christ offered when for us he made himself a sin-offering. 7. Even when all these sacrifices were offered, yet the continual burnt-offering must not be omitted either morning or evening, but each day this must be offered first in the morning and last in the evening. No extraordinary services should jostle out our stated devotions. 8. Though all these sacrifices were required to be presented by the body of the congregation, at the common charge, yet, besides these, particular persons were to glorify God with their vows and their free-will offerings, Num 29:39. When God commanded that this they must do, he left room for the generosity of their devotion, a great deal more they might do, not inventing other worships, but abounding in these, as Ch2 30:23, Ch2 30:24. Large directions had been given in Leviticus concerning the offerings of all sorts that should be brought by particular persons according to the providences of God concerning them and the graces of God in them. Though every Israelite had an interest in these common sacrifices, yet he must not think that these will serve instead of his vows and his free-will offerings. Thus our ministers' praying with us and for us will not excuse us from praying for ourselves.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 12–40. Public domain.

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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.

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