Exodus 29:38

Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

THE LAW OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE, AND THE PROMISE OF GOD’S PRESENCE.

(38-42) The consecration of the altar, which took place during the consecration of the priests, was to be followed immediately by the establishment of the daily sacrifice. Two lambs were to be offered every day, one in the morning, the other “between the evenings” (Exodus 29:39); partly in expiation of the daily sins of the nation, but mainly as a sign that the nation daily renewed its self-dedication to Jehovah, and offered itself afresh to be “a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice” to Him. Meat and drink offerings were to accompany the burnt sacrifice—signs of the gratitude due to God for His perpetual mercies, and acknowledgments of His protecting care and lovingkindness. At the same time incense was to be burnt upon the golden altar before the vail, as a figure of the perpetual prayer that it behoved the nation to send up to the Throne of Grace for a continuance of the Divine favour. (See Exodus 30:7-8.)

(38) Two lambs of the first year.—See Note on Exodus 12:5. The LXX. insert ἀμώμους, “without blemish;” but this general requirement (Leviticus 22:22; Leviticus 22:24-25), relaxed only in the case of free-will offerings (Leviticus 22:23), does not need to be perpetually repeated.

(39) At even.—Heb., between the two evenings. (On the meaning of the phrase, see Note 2 on Exodus 12:6.)

(40) A tenth deal.—Heb., a tenth. A tenth of what measure is not said, but we may presume an ephah to be intended. The tenth part of an ephah was an omer (Exodus 16:36). The omer is reckoned at rather less than half a gallon.

An hin.—The hin was, like the omer and the ephah, an Egyptian measure. It is estimated at about three-quarters of a gallon.

Beaten oil.—See Note 1 on Exodus 27:20.

(41) The meat offering . . . the drink offering.—A “handful” of each meat offering was thrown upon the altar and burnt (Leviticus 2:2); the remainder belonged to the priests (Leviticus 2:3). Scripture says nothing of the disposal of the drink offering. According to Josephus (Ant. Jud. iii. 9, § 4), it was poured out in libation upon the altar. According to others, a portion only was thus disposed of, while the rest was the priests’. The latter view seems the more probable.

(42) The tabernacle of the congregation.—Rather, the tent of meeting.

Where I will meet you.—This passage determines the meaning of the expression, “tent of meeting.” It was not the place where the congregation met together, for the congregation were forbidden to enter it, but the place where God met His people through their mediator and representative, the high priest, who could there commune with God and obtain replies from Him on all practical matters that were of national importance. (See Exodus 25:22 and Note ad loc.) The fact that all communication was to be through the high priest is indicated by the change of person: “Where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.”

Benson Commentary

Exodus 29:38. Two lambs day by day continually — This daily service, a lamb offered upon the altar every morning, and also every evening, typified the continual intercession which Christ ever lives to make, in the virtue of his satisfaction, for the continual sanctification of his church: though he offered himself once for all, yet that one offering thus becomes a continual offering. And this teaches us to offer up to God the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise every day, morning and evening, in humble acknowledgment of our dependance upon him, and our obligations to him.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:38-46 A lamb was to be offered upon the altar every morning, and a lamb every evening. This typified the continual intercession which Christ ever lives to make for his church. Though he offered himself but once for all, that one offering thus becomes a continual offering. This also teaches us to offer to God the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise every day, morning and evening. Our daily devotions are the most needful of our daily works, and the most pleasant of our daily comforts. Prayer-time must be kept up as duly as meal-time. Those starve their own souls, who keep not up constant attendance on the throne of grace; constancy in religion brings in the comfort of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Exodus 29:38

The continual burnt-offering - The primary purpose of the national altar is here set forth. The victim slain every morning and every evening was an acknowledgment that the life of the people belonged to Yahweh; the offering of meal was an acknowledgment that all their works rightly done were His due (see Leviticus 2); while the incense symbolized their daily prayers.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Ex 29:38-46. Institution of Daily Service.

38. two lambs of the first year day by day continually—The sacred preliminaries being completed, Moses was instructed in the end or design to which these preparations were subservient, namely, the worship of God; and hence the institution of the morning and evening sacrifice. The institution was so imperative, that in no circumstances was this daily oblation to be dispensed with; and the due observance of it would secure the oft-promised grace and blessing of their heavenly King.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This is that which thou shalt offer: this is the chief end and use of this altar, though it served also for other sacrifices.

Day by day continually; to show, partly, that men do daily contract new defilement, and daily need new pardons; and partly, that God is not only to be worshipped upon rite sabbath days, and other set and solemn times, but every day.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar,.... An altar being ordered to be built, and this sanctified and expiated, and priests being appointed and consecrated to the service of it; an account is given of the offerings that should be offered up upon it every day, besides those that should be offered occasionally, and at other set times:

two lambs of the first year day by day continually; typical of Christ the Lamb of God, who continually, through the efficacy of his blood, and the virtue of his sacrifice, which are ever the same, takes away day by day the sins of his people. A lamb is a proper emblem of him for innocence and harmlessness, for meekness and humility, for patience, for usefulness for food and clothing, and especially for sacrifice; and these being of the

first year, may denote the tenderness of Christ, who as he grew up as a tender plant, so as a tender lamb, encompassed with infirmities, being in all things like unto his people, excepting sin; and as these were to be

without spot, Numbers 28:3 and so here, in the Septuagint version, it may point at the purity of Christ, who is the Lamb of God, without spot and blemish, and who offered himself without spot to God, and was a fit sacrifice to be offered up for the taking away of the sins of men.

Geneva Study Bible

Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

38. the altar) the altar of burnt-offering, just referred to (v. 36 f.).

offer (twice)] lit. do, as v. 36 (see on Exodus 10:25). So v. 41.

of the first year] see on Exodus 12:5.

continually] i.e. regularly: see on Exodus 27:20, and cf. v. 42.

38–42. The burnt-offering, to be offered daily, morning and evening, on behalf of the community. A law in great measure verbally identical, but somewhat fuller, recurs in Numbers 28:3-8, in a table, Numbers 28-29, of public sacrifices prescribed for different days in the year. Here it interrupts the connexion between vv. 37 and 43; so it is probable (Di. al.) that it has been introduced here from Numbers 28 with some abridgements, and adjustments in vv. 38a, 42b, fitting it to its new place, by a later hand, just as Exodus 27:20 f. seems to have been similarly introduced from Leviticus 24:2 f. Its position (after v. 36 f.) is suitable: for the daily burnt-offering was a central and fundamental element in the worship (cf. Wellh. Hist. p. 80)—notice the terms in which its suspension by Antiochus Epiphanes is alluded to in Daniel 8:12 f., Daniel 11:31, Daniel 12:11—and its proper maintenance was one of the chief duties to be performed on the altar of v. 36 f.

The law, like Numbers 28:3-8 (cf. also Leviticus 6:9), regulates the post exilic usage. Before the exile, as 2 Kings 16:15 shews, it was the custom to offer a burnt-offering in the morning, but only a minḥâh, i.e. a cereal, or ‘meal,’ offering in the evening; Ezek. also (Ezekiel 48:13-15) prescribes for the restored temple only a morning burnt-offering (with accompanying meal-offering: he prescribes no evening offering at all). Before the exile the minḥâh thus held an independent position, as the evening offering: the present law duplicates the burnt-offering, and at the same time subordinates the evening minḥâh to the evening burnt-offering (cf. on v. 40).

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 38-42. - THE DAILY SACRIFICE. The consecration of the altar, which is made a part of the consecration of the priests, is to be followed immediately by the establishment of the daily sacrifice. Two lambs are to be offered day by day to the Lord, one in the morning and the other in the evening, as "a continual burnt-offering" (ver. 42), in acknowledgment that the life of the people belonged to Jehovah (Cook), aria that they were bound to offer perpetually "themselves, their souls and bodies, to be a reasonable holy, and lively sacrifice" to him. The burnt-offerings were to be accompanied by appropriate "meat and drink-offerings" - i.e., by a certain quantity of flour mingled with olive oil for the one, and a certain quantity of wine for the other - indications of the debt of gratitude which the nation owed to God for his continual benefits Verse 38. - Lambs of the first year. Compare Exodus 12:5. The LXX. add "without blemish." But this is unnecessary, as all victims were to be without blemish (Leviticus 22:20: Deuteronomy 15:21, etc.) Exodus 29:38

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The Daily Burnt-Offering, Meat-Offering, and Drink-Offering. - The directions concerning these are attached to the instructions for the consecration of the priests, because these sacrifices commenced immediately after the completion of the tabernacle, and, like the shew-bread (Exodus 25:30), the daily trimming of the lamps (Exodus 27:20-21), and the daily incense-offering (Exodus 30:7.), were most intimately connected with the erection of the sanctuary.

Exodus 29:38-40

"And this is what thou shalt make (offer) upon the altar; yearling lambs two a day continually," one in the morning, the other between the two evenings (see at Exodus 12:6); to every one a meat-offering (minchah) of a tenth of fine wheaten flour (soleth, see at Leviticus 2:1), mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil (cathith, see at Exodus 27:20), and a drink-offering (nesek) of a quarter of a hin of wine. עשּׂרן (a tenth) is equivalent to האיפה עשׂירית, the tenth part of an ephah (Numbers 28:5), or 198-5 Parisian cubic inches according to Bertheau's measurement. Thenius, however, sets it down at 101-4 inches, whilst the Rabbins reckon it as equivalent to 43 hen's eggs of average size, i.e., somewhat more than 2 1/4 lbs. A hin (a word of Egyptian origin) is 330-9 inches according to Bertheau, 168-9 according to Thenius, or 72 eggs, so that a quarter of a hin would be 18 eggs.