Catholic Commentary on Numbers 29

"On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets." (Numbers 29:1)

The Feasts of the Seventh Month

The seventh month is the most sacred month in the Israelite calendar, and Numbers 29 specifies its three great observances. The first day is the Feast of Trumpets, a sacred assembly with no regular work and a day of trumpet blasts. The tenth day is the Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the year, described more fully in Leviticus 16. From the fifteenth to the twenty-second day is the Feast of Tabernacles, the week-long celebration of the wilderness sojourn, accompanied by a remarkable escalating series of burnt offerings that peaks on the seventh day and then descends, culminating in a closing assembly on the eighth day. In the seven days of Tabernacles, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, and then seven bulls are offered; the total of seventy bulls offered during the feast corresponds to the seventy nations of Genesis 10, suggesting that the Feast of Tabernacles is implicitly universal in scope.

The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated by Jesus in John 7 in a way that identifies him as its fulfilment: on the last and greatest day of the feast he cries out, if anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink. The Catechism identifies this self-identification of Jesus with the feast's water-pouring ceremony as the claim to be the source of the living water that the feast anticipated (CCC 728). On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the feasts of the seventh month reach from the trumpets that call the community to attention through the solemn atonement to the joyful tabernacles of harvest. They trace the arc from repentance to celebration. Let your own liturgical year carry this movement: the sacred assembly, the serious reckoning with sin, and then the joy of harvest. All three are necessary.

Prayer

Lord God, sound the trumpet that calls us to sacred assembly. Lead us through the solemn atonement to the joyful feast of tabernacles. And let us dwell in the tent of your presence, knowing that you dwell among us as you dwelt with Israel in the wilderness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

29
The Feast of Trumpets
(Leviticus 23:23–25)
1 “On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you must not do any regular work. This will be a day for you to sound the trumpets.
 
2 As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 3 together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah * 29:3 Three-tenths of an ephah is approximately 6 dry quarts or 6.6 liters (probably about 7.6 pounds or 3.5 kilograms of flour); also in verses 9 and 14. with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah † 29:3 Two-tenths of an ephah is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters (probably about 5.1 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of flour); also in verses 9 and 14. with the ram, 4 and a tenth of an ephah ‡ 29:4 A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour); also in verses 10 and 15. with each of the seven male lambs.
 
5 Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6 These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
The Day of Atonement
(Leviticus 16:1–34; Leviticus 23:26–32)
 
7 On the tenth day of this seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you shall humble yourselves;§ 29:7 Or afflict your souls or deny yourselves you must not do any work.
 
8 Present as a pleasing aroma to the LORD a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 9 together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with the bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, 10 and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs.
 
11 Include one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings.
The Feast of Tabernacles
(Deuteronomy 16:13–17)
 
12 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days.
 
13 As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 14 along with the grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil with each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths of an ephah with each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth of an ephah with each of the fourteen lambs. 16 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
17 On the second day you are to present twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 18 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 19 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
20 On the third day you are to present eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 21 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 22 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
23 On the fourth day you are to present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 24 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 25 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
26 On the fifth day you are to present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 27 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 28 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
29 On the sixth day you are to present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 30 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 31 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
32 On the seventh day you are to present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 33 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 34 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
35 On the eighth day you are to hold a solemn assembly; you must not do any regular work. 36 As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, 37 along with the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, according to the number prescribed. 38 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
39 You are to present these offerings to the LORD at your appointed times, in addition to your vow and freewill offerings, whether burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, or peace offerings.”
 
40 So Moses spoke all this to the Israelites just as the LORD had commanded him.

*29:3 29:3 Three-tenths of an ephah is approximately 6 dry quarts or 6.6 liters (probably about 7.6 pounds or 3.5 kilograms of flour); also in verses 9 and 14.

†29:3 29:3 Two-tenths of an ephah is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters (probably about 5.1 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of flour); also in verses 9 and 14.

‡29:4 29:4 A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour); also in verses 10 and 15.

§29:7 29:7 Or afflict your souls or deny yourselves

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