Numbers 29:28

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

And one {H259} goat {H8163} for a sin offering {H2403}; beside the continual {H8548} burnt offering {H5930}, and his meat offering {H4503}, and his drink offering {H5262}.

Complete Jewish Bible

also one male goat as a sin offering; in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

Berean Standard Bible

Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

American Standard Version

and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 29:28 meticulously details a specific offering for the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): a single goat designated as a sin offering. This instruction is given in addition to the regular daily burnt offering, along with its associated grain and drink offerings. The verse underscores the ongoing need for atonement even amidst joyous celebration, highlighting God's meticulous requirements for worship and the constant necessity of purification for His covenant people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers chapters 28 and 29 constitute a detailed liturgical calendar, outlining the precise sacrifices required for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual observances. This particular section, Numbers 29:12-38, focuses entirely on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), a seven-day festival followed by an eighth-day solemn assembly. The instructions for Sukkot are unique in their progression: the number of bulls offered decreases daily from thirteen on the first day to seven on the seventh day. However, the number of rams (two), lambs (fourteen), and, critically for this verse, the single goat for a sin offering, remains constant each day of the seven-day festival. Numbers 29:28 specifically addresses the sin offering for the seventh day, indicating that even on the final day of the primary festival period, a specific atonement sacrifice was still required, alongside the foundational "continual burnt offering" that was offered daily throughout the year.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was one of the three great pilgrimage festivals (alongside Passover and Pentecost) when all Israelite males were commanded to appear before the Lord. Commanded in [Leviticus 23:34-43](/leviticus/23-34 "Leviticus 23:34-43 - The Feast of Tabernacles"), it served a dual purpose: first, to commemorate God's faithful provision and protection during the forty years of wilderness wandering, when the Israelites lived in temporary shelters or "tabernacles" (sukkot); and second, as a harvest festival, celebrating the ingathering of the year's crops. The act of dwelling in temporary booths reminded the people of their transient nature and God's constant dwelling among them. The elaborate and numerous sacrifices, especially the decreasing number of bulls, may have also symbolized the nations of the world (traditionally 70 nations, corresponding to the total of 70 bulls offered over the seven days), for whom Israel also offered prayers and sacrifices.
* **Key Themes:** The meticulous instructions for the Feast of Tabernacles, including the specific sin offering in [Numbers 29:28](/numbers/29-28 "Numbers 29:28 - Sin Offering for the Seventh Day of Sukkot"), contribute to several overarching themes in the book of Numbers and the Pentateuch. First, **Divine Specificity and Obedience** are paramount; God's detailed commands for worship underscore that true worship is offered on His terms, not human preference. Second, the constant inclusion of a **Sin Offering** highlights the pervasive nature of sin and the continuous need for **Atonement and Purification** to maintain fellowship with a holy God. Even during a joyous festival, the reality of human sinfulness and the necessity of divine provision for reconciliation were never forgotten. Third, the entire sacrificial system, including these daily offerings, serves as **Foreshadowing of Christ**, pointing forward to the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus. The repeated shedding of animal blood symbolized the temporary covering of sin until the [Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), would offer Himself once for all, as elaborated in [Hebrews 10:10](/hebrews/10-10 "Hebrews 10:10 - Christ's One-Time Sacrifice").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Goat (Hebrew, _sa'ir'_):** This term refers to a male goat, often specifically used for sin offerings in the Mosaic Law. Unlike other animals which might be used for burnt offerings (wholly consumed) or peace offerings (shared meal), the goat for a sin offering (חַטָּאת, *chatta't*) carried a specific connotation of dealing with sin and ritual impurity. Its blood was crucial for purification, and its body was often disposed of outside the camp or eaten by the priests in a holy place, depending on the nature of the sin and the offerer.
* **Sin Offering (Hebrew, _chatta't'_):** This is one of the most significant categories of sacrifice in the Old Testament. The *chatta't* was not primarily for intentional, high-handed sins, but rather for unintentional sins, ritual impurities, or cleansing after certain events (e.g., childbirth, skin diseases). Its purpose was to purify the offerer or the sanctuary from defilement, thereby restoring the covenant relationship and allowing the individual or community to remain in God's holy presence. The inclusion of a daily sin offering during Sukkot, even on the seventh day, emphasized the ongoing need for cleansing from any daily or inadvertent impurities that might accumulate, ensuring the people remained in a state of ritual purity acceptable for worship.
* **Continual (Hebrew, _tamid'_):** While not explicitly in Numbers 29:28, the phrase "continual burnt offering" (עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד, *olat ha-tamid*) is referenced. *Tamid* signifies "continual," "regular," or "perpetual." It refers to the daily morning and evening burnt offerings (see [Numbers 28:3-8](/numbers/28-3 "Numbers 28:3-8 - The Continual Burnt Offering")) that formed the bedrock of Israel's worship. The fact that the Sukkot offerings, including the sin offering, were "beside" or "in addition to" this *tamid* offering underscores its foundational and indispensable nature. It highlights that special festival offerings did not replace, but rather augmented, the constant daily commitment to God.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And one goat [for] a sin offering":** This clause specifies the particular animal and its purpose for the seventh day of Sukkot. The "one goat" (שָׂעִיר אֶחָד, *sa'ir echad*) is designated as a *chatta't*, a sin offering. This highlights the ever-present reality of sin and the need for atonement, even during times of national celebration and thanksgiving. It implies that despite the joy and remembrance of God's faithfulness, the people still required purification from inadvertent sins or ritual impurities to maintain their covenant standing before a holy God.
* **"beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering":** This phrase clarifies that the goat sin offering was not a replacement for, but an *addition* to, the regular daily sacrifices. The "continual burnt offering" (עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד, *olat ha-tamid*) was a daily morning and evening sacrifice of a lamb, symbolizing constant devotion and atonement. Its "meat offering" (מִנְחָה, *minchah*, typically a grain offering) and "drink offering" (נֶסֶךְ, *nesech*, a libation of wine) were integral components that accompanied the burnt offering. The inclusion of this phrase emphasizes that the special festival sacrifices were supplementary layers of worship and atonement built upon the foundational daily commitment to God.

#### Literary Devices
The passage, like much of the sacrificial legislation in Numbers, primarily employs **Enumeration** and **Repetition**. The precise listing of animals and their quantities for each day of the festival (see [Numbers 29:12-38](/numbers/29-12 "Numbers 29:12-38 - Offerings for Sukkot")) serves to emphasize the divine authority and meticulousness required in Israelite worship. This **Repetition** of sacrificial formulas, while seemingly monotonous, reinforces the importance of exact obedience and the sanctity of the ritual. Furthermore, the very nature of the sacrifices themselves functions as **Symbolism**. The goat, as a sin offering, symbolizes the transfer of impurity and the need for cleansing. The burnt offering symbolizes complete dedication and propitiation. The offerings collectively serve as **Typology**, pointing forward to the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who would fulfill and supersede all these temporary shadows.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 29:28, with its prescription of a sin offering during the joyous Feast of Tabernacles, powerfully reinforces the pervasive theological truth of humanity's sinfulness and the constant need for divine atonement. Even in a season of thanksgiving for God's provision and dwelling among His people, the reality of sin's defilement necessitated ongoing purification. This highlights God's absolute holiness, which cannot tolerate sin, and His gracious provision for reconciliation. The meticulous nature of the command underscores that access to God is not on human terms but according to His divine design, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the cost of redemption.

* [Leviticus 4:27-31](/leviticus/4-27 "Leviticus 4:27-31 - Sin Offering for an Individual")
* [Hebrews 9:22](/hebrews/9-22 "Hebrews 9:22 - Without the Shedding of Blood")
* [Romans 3:23-26](/romans/3-23 "Romans 3:23-26 - All Have Sinned and Are Justified by Grace")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 29:28, though rooted in ancient Israelite ritual, offers profound spiritual insights for believers today. The constant need for a sin offering, even during a celebratory festival, reminds us that sin is an ever-present reality in our lives, requiring continuous acknowledgment and reliance on God's provision for forgiveness. It teaches us that true worship is not merely an outward act but requires an inward posture of humility, recognizing our brokenness and God's holiness. While we no longer offer animal sacrifices, the principle of offering our "best" to God remains. This means dedicating our lives as "living sacrifices" ([Romans 12:1](/romans/12-1 "Romans 12:1 - Living Sacrifices")), pursuing holiness, and confessing our sins daily, trusting in the perfect and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The meticulousness of God's commands in Numbers also calls us to intentionality and diligence in our spiritual lives, ensuring our worship and obedience are not haphazard but deeply considered and offered with reverence.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the inclusion of a sin offering during a joyous festival like Sukkot challenge our understanding of sin's pervasive nature?**
* **In what ways can we, as New Covenant believers, apply the principle of offering our "best" to God in our daily lives?**
* **How does understanding the continual need for atonement in the Old Testament deepen our appreciation for Christ's "once for all" sacrifice?**

### FAQ
**Why was a sin offering still needed on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles?**

Answer: The inclusion of a sin offering on the seventh day, as specified in [Numbers 29:28](/numbers/29-28 "Numbers 29:28 - Sin Offering for the Seventh Day of Sukkot"), highlights the pervasive nature of sin and ritual impurity in the Israelite community. Even during a joyous and divinely ordained festival, inadvertent sins or ritual defilements could occur. The sin offering served to cleanse the people and the sanctuary from such impurities, ensuring that they remained in a state of ritual purity acceptable to a holy God. It underscored that even amidst celebration and thanksgiving for God's faithfulness, the reality of human brokenness and the constant need for atonement were never absent. This continuous need for purification emphasized God's absolute holiness and the meticulous requirements for maintaining a covenant relationship with Him.

**What is the "continual burnt offering" mentioned in this verse?**

Answer: The "continual burnt offering" (עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד, *olat ha-tamid*) refers to the daily morning and evening sacrifices of a lamb, as prescribed in [Numbers 28:3-8](/numbers/28-3 "Numbers 28:3-8 - The Continual Burnt Offering"). This offering was the foundational and most frequent sacrifice in the Israelite cultic system, symbolizing constant devotion, propitiation, and atonement for the nation. Numbers 29:28 specifies that the festival offerings, including the sin offering for Sukkot, were to be made "beside" or "in addition to" this continual offering. This indicates that the special festival sacrifices did not replace the daily, ongoing commitment to God but rather augmented it, demonstrating an even greater measure of worship and dedication during these significant times in the Israelite calendar.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 29:28, with its focus on the sin offering during the Feast of Tabernacles, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The repeated offering of goats and other animals for sin in the Old Testament, including those during Sukkot, served as a powerful, albeit temporary, shadow of the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice to come. These animal sacrifices could only cover sin, not truly take it away, and had to be continually repeated because of the ongoing reality of human sinfulness and the inadequacy of animal blood to provide ultimate cleansing ([Hebrews 10:1-4](/hebrews/10-1 "Hebrews 10:1-4 - The Law as a Shadow")). Jesus, however, is the true [Lamb of God](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), the spotless and blemish-free sacrifice, whose shed blood provides eternal redemption and perfect purification from sin ([Hebrews 9:11-14](/hebrews/9-11 "Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ's Perfect Sacrifice")). He is the fulfillment of every sin offering, bearing the full weight of humanity's transgressions and reconciling us to God through His death on the cross ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Made Sin for Us")). The Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrated God's dwelling among His people in temporary shelters, also points to Christ, who "tabernacled" among us in human flesh ([John 1:14](/john/1-14 "John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh")), and ultimately to the eternal dwelling of God with His redeemed people in the new heavens and new earth, where there will be no more sin or need for sacrifice ([Revelation 21:3-4](/revelation/21-3 "Revelation 21:3-4 - God Dwells with His People")).

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.