1. Thu: 1 John 1-3
  2. Fri: Obadiah
  3. Sat: Proverbs 7-9
Sunday · Week 41
The Books of the Law

Numbers 29-31

Week 41 · about 15 min
  1. Mon: Acts 1-3
  2. Tue: Jeremiah 34-35
  3. Wed: 2 Chronicles 7-12

Offerings for the feasts, rules about vows, and the war against Midian.

Keep Your Word

If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

Numbers 30:2 (KJV)

Chapter 29 lists the offerings for the fall feasts. At Tabernacles, the number of bulls starts at thirteen on the first day and goes down by one each day. Chapter 30 is about vows. A man must do whatever he promised. In that culture a father or husband could cancel a woman’s vow on the day he heard it, but a widow’s vow stood. Chapter 31 is the judgment on Midian for leading Israel into sin at Peor. Balaam is killed in the battle. It turns out the plan to trap Israel at Peor was his idea. The prophet who couldn’t curse Israel found another way to hurt them.

Reflect: Is there anything you’ve said you’d do that you haven’t done?

Numbers 29

1‘And in the seventh month, in the first of the month, a holy convocation ye have, ye do no servile work; a day of shouting it is to you;

2and ye have prepared a burnt-offering, for sweet fragrance to Jehovah: one bullock, a son of the herd, one ram, seven lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

3and their present, flour mixed with oil, three-tenth deals for the bullock, two-tenth deals for the ram,

4and one-tenth deal for the one lamb, for the seven lambs;

5and one kid of the goats, a sin-offering, to make atonement for you;

6apart from the burnt-offering of the month, and its present, and the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and their libations, according to their ordinance, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering to Jehovah.

7‘And on the tenth of this seventh month a holy convocation ye have, and ye have humbled your souls; ye do no work;

8and ye have brought near a burnt-offering to Jehovah, a sweet fragrance, one bullock, a son of the herd, one ram, seven lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones they are for you,

9and their present, flour mixed with oil, three-tenth deals for the bullock, two-tenth deals for the one ram,

10a several tenth deal for the one lamb, for the seven lambs,

11one kid of the goats, a sin-offering; apart from the sin-offering of the atonements, and the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and their libations.

12‘And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month a holy convocation ye have; ye do no servile work; and ye have celebrated a festival to Jehovah seven days,

13and have brought near a burnt-offering, a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance, to Jehovah; thirteen bullocks, sons of the herd, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year; perfect ones they are;

14and their present, flour mixed with oil, three-tenth deals to the one bullock, for the thirteen bullocks, two-tenth deals to the one ram, for the two rams,

15and a several tenth deal to the one lamb, for the fourteen lambs,

16and one kid of the goats, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation.

17‘And on the second day twelve bullocks, sons of the herd, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

18and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the sheep, in their number, according to the ordinance;

19and one kid of the goats, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and their libations.

20‘And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

21and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

22and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and its libation.

23‘And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

24their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

25and one kid of the goats, a sin-offering, apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation.

26‘And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

27and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

28and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and its libation.

29‘And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

30and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

31and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation.

32‘And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

33and their present, and their libations, for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

34and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, its present, and its libation.

35‘On the eighth day a restraint ye have, ye do no servile work;

36and ye have brought near a burnt-offering, a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance, to Jehovah; one bullock, one ram, seven lambs, sons of a year, perfect ones;

37their present, and their libations, for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, in their number, according to the ordinance;

38and one goat, a sin-offering; apart from the continual burnt-offering, and its present, and its libation.

39‘These ye prepare to Jehovah in your appointed seasons, apart from your vows, and your free-will offerings, for your burnt-offerings, and for your presents, and for your libations, and for your peace-offerings.'

40And Moses saith unto the sons of Israel according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

Numbers 30

1And Moses speaketh unto the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded:

2‘When a man voweth a vow to Jehovah, or hath sworn an oath to bind a bond on his soul, he doth not pollute his word; according to all that is going out from his mouth he doth.

3‘And when a woman voweth a vow to Jehovah, and hath bound a bond in the house of her father in her youth,

4and her father hath heard her vow, and her bond which she hath bound on her soul, and her father hath kept silent at her, then have all her vows been established, and every bond which she hath bound on her soul is established.

5‘And if her father hath disallowed her in the day of his hearing, none of her vows and her bonds which she hath bound on her soul is established, and Jehovah is propitious to her, for her father hath disallowed her.

6‘And if she be at all to a husband, and her vows are on her, or a wrongful utterance on her lips, which she hath bound on her soul,

7and her husband hath heard, and in the day of his hearing, he hath kept silent at her, then have her vows been established, and her bonds which she hath bound on her soul are established.

8‘And if in the day of her husband's hearing he disalloweth her, then he hath broken her vow which is on her, and the wrongful utterance of her lips which she hath bound on her soul, and Jehovah is propitious to her.

9‘As to the vow of a widow or cast-out woman, all that she hath bound on her soul is established on her.

10‘And if in the house of her husband she hath vowed, or hath bound a bond on her soul with an oath,

11and her husband hath heard, and hath kept silent at her -- he hath not disallowed her -- then have all her vows been established, and every bond which she hath bound on her soul is established.

12‘And if her husband doth certainly break them in the day of his hearing, none of the outgoing of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, is established -- her husband hath broken them -- and Jehovah is propitious to her.

13‘Every vow and every oath -- a bond to humble a soul -- her husband doth establish it, or her husband doth break it;

14and if her husband certainly keep silent at her, from day unto day, then he hath established all her vows, or all her bonds which are upon her; he hath established them, for he hath kept silent at her in the day of his hearing;

15and if he doth at all break them after his hearing, then he hath borne her iniquity.'

16These are the statutes which Jehovah hath commanded Moses between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, in her youth, in the house of her father.

Numbers 31

1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2‘Execute the vengeance of the sons of Israel against the Midianites -- afterwards thou art gathered unto thy people.'

3And Moses speaketh unto the people, saying, ‘Be ye armed some of you for the host, and they are against Midian, to put the vengeance of Jehovah on Midian;

4a thousand for a tribe -- a thousand for a tribe, to all the tribes of Israel -- ye do send to the host.'

5And there are given out of the thousands of Israel a thousand for a tribe, twelve thousand armed ones of the host;

6and Moses sendeth them, a thousand for a tribe, to the host, them and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, to the host; and the holy vessels, and the trumpets of the shouting, in his hand.

7And they war against Midian, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses, and slay every male;

8and the kings of Midian they have slain, besides their pierced ones, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian; and Balaam son of Beor, they have slain with the sword.

9And the sons of Israel take captive the women of Midian, and their infants; and all their cattle, and all their substance, and all their wealth they have plundered;

10and all their cities, with their habitations, and all their towers, they have burnt with fire.

11And they take all the spoil, and all the prey, among man and among beast;

12and they bring in, unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the company of the sons of Israel, the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto the camp, unto the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan, near Jericho.

13And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the company, go out to meet them, unto the outside of the camp,

14and Moses is wroth against the inspectors of the force, chiefs of the thousands, and chiefs of the hundreds, who are coming in from the host of the battle.

15And Moses saith unto them, ‘Have ye kept alive every female?

16lo, they -- they have been to the sons of Israel, through the word of Balaam, to cause a trespass against Jehovah in the matter of Peor, and the plague is in the company of Jehovah.

17‘And now, slay ye every male among the infants, yea, every woman known of man by the lying of a male ye have slain;

18and all the infants among the women, who have not known the lying of a male, ye have kept alive for yourselves.

19‘And ye, encamp ye at the outside of the camp seven days -- any who hath slain a person, and any who hath come against a pierced one, ye cleanse yourselves on the third day, and on the seventh day -- ye and your captives;

20and every garment, and every skin vessel, and every work of goats' hair, and every wooden vessel, ye yourselves cleanse.'

21And Eleazar the priest saith unto the men of the host who go in to battle, ‘This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded Moses:

22only, the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23every thing which may go into fire, ye cause to pass over through fire, and it hath been clean; only, with the water of separation it is cleansed, and all that may not go into fire, ye cause to pass over through water;

24and ye have washed your garments on the seventh day, and have been clean, and afterwards ye come in unto the camp.'

25And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

26‘Take up the sum of the prey of the captives, among man and among beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers of the company;

27and thou hast halved the prey between those handling the battle who go out to the host and all the company;

28and thou hast raised a tribute to Jehovah from the men of war, who go out to the host, one body out of five hundred, of man, and of the herd, and of the asses, and of the flock;

29from their half ye do take, and thou hast given to Eleazar the priest -- the heave-offering of Jehovah.

30‘And from the sons of Israel's half thou dost take one possession out of fifty, of man, of the herd, of the asses, and of the flock, of all the cattle, and thou hast given them to the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.'

31And Moses doth -- Eleazar the priest also -- as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

32And the prey, the residue of the spoil which the people of the host have spoiled, is of the flock six hundred thousand, and seventy thousand, and five thousand;

33and of the herd two and seventy thousand;

34and of asses one and sixty thousand;

35and of human beings -- of the women who have not known the lying of a male -- all the persons are two and thirty thousand.

36And the half -- the portion of those who go out into the host -- the number of the flock is three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, and seven thousand and five hundred.

37And the tribute to Jehovah of the sheep is six hundred five and seventy;

38and the herd is six and thirty thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah is two and seventy;

39and the asses are thirty thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to Jehovah is one and sixty;

40and the human beings are sixteen thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah is two and thirty persons.

41And Moses giveth the tribute -- Jehovah's heave-offering -- to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

42And of the sons of Israel's half, which Moses halved from the men who war --

43and the company's half is, of the flock three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, seven thousand and five hundred;

44and of the herd six and thirty thousand;

45and of asses thirty thousand and five hundred;

46and of human beings sixteen thousand --

47Moses taketh from the sons of Israel's half the one possession from the fifty, of man and of beast, and giveth them to the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

48And the inspectors whom the thousands of the host hath, (heads of the thousands and heads of the hundreds), draw near unto Moses,

49and they say unto Moses, ‘Thy servants have taken up the sum of the men of war who are with us, and not a man of us hath been missed;

50and we bring near Jehovah's offering, each that which he hath found, vessels of gold -- chain, and bracelet, seal-ring, ear-ring, and bead -- to make atonement for ourselves before Jehovah.'

51And Moses receiveth -- Eleazar the priest also -- the gold from them, every made vessel,

52and all the gold of the heave-offering which they have lifted up to Jehovah is sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, from heads of the thousands, and from heads of the hundreds;

53(the men of the host have spoiled each for himself);

54and Moses taketh -- Eleazar the priest also -- the gold from the heads of the thousands and of the hundreds, and they bring it in unto the tent of meeting -- a memorial for the sons of Israel before Jehovah.

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT). Public domain.