Numbers 28:21
A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
Original Language Analysis
תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה
shalt thou offer
H6213
תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה
shalt thou offer
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
3 of 7
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
הָֽאֶחָ֑ד
for every
H259
הָֽאֶחָ֑ד
for every
Strong's:
H259
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, united, i.e., one; or (as an ordinal) first
Historical Context
During Second Temple times, these daily offerings during Passover week were maintained scrupulously, funded by the Temple tax (half-shekel) collected from all males. Josephus records that Passover drew over 250,000 pilgrims to Jerusalem, making it Israel's largest religious gathering. The Gospels place Jesus's crucifixion during this very week, amid these very offerings.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the repetition of detailed offerings throughout a seven-day feast teach perseverance in worship, not just initial enthusiasm?
- What does the symbolic number seven (completeness) reveal about God's design for rhythms of rest and worship?
- How might modern worship recover the balance between spontaneity and ordered liturgy reflected in these prescriptions?
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Analysis & Commentary
A several tenth deal (עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן, issaron issaron)—the repetition emphasizes individuality: one-tenth ephah for each lamb. Throughout the seven-day feast, with seven lambs offered daily, this amounted to 49 lambs total (7 days × 7 lambs), a number signifying completeness and perfection. The seven lambs echo the seven days of creation, suggesting that worship reorders chaotic time back toward Edenic perfection.
The detailed repetition throughout Numbers 28-29 might seem tedious, but it underscores that God cares about specifics. Worship is neither vague spirituality nor emotional spontaneity alone, but includes tangible, ordered, repeated acts of devotion. The Levitical precision prefigures Christ's perfect obedience in all points (Hebrews 4:15), fulfilling every ritual shadow with substantive reality.