Numbers 29:12

FEAST OF TABERNACLES

"And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto Jehovah seven days: and ye shall offer a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth parts for each ram of the two rams, and a tenth part for every lamb of the fourteen lambs; and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and their drink-offerings.

And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish; their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; and one he-goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; and one he-goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance; and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.

On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work; but ye shall offer a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah: one bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish; their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance: and one he-goat for a sin-offering; besides the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof."

The ancient style of the language here indicates a mid-fifteenth century B.C. period of history. All of the repetitions here can be telescoped into a very few words. As for example in the following: "The offerings for this eight-day festival were thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen he-lambs, and a he-goat to be offered each day, all sacrifices without blemish, and each including the appropriate meal-offering and the drink-offering, with this exception, that the number of bulls was diminished each day by one: thirteen for the first day, twelve for the second, etc."

In the aggregate, the total sacrifices for this Feast of Tabernacles were larger than any other of the special assignments made for Israel in these chapters. This feast, coming in the fall of the year, was also called the feast of Harvest Home, the Feast of Ingathering, etc. During the feast, the Jews constructed primitive shelters, or "booths" made of the branches of trees and dwelt in these for a whole week, a custom that was continued for centuries after the Jews came into the land of Canaan. It symbolized their poverty and homelessness during the days of the wanderings after God delivered them from Egypt. (See further comment in Leviticus 23.)

In later centuries, the Jews established other special feasts: the Feast of Purim, celebrating God's deliverance through Esther and Mordecai, and centuries later following the triumph over Antiochus Epiphanes which permitted the reopening of the Temple and the reading of the Torah, they established the Feast of Lights (circa 164 B.C.)