The Lord then appointed Joshua to this office as a man "who had spirit." רוּה (spirit) does not mean "insight and wisdom" (Knobel), but the higher power inspired by God into the soul, which quickens the moral and religious life, and determines its development; in this case, therefore, it was the spiritual endowment requisite for the office he was called to fill. Moses was to consecrate him for entering upon this office by the laying on of hands, or, as is more fully explained in Numbers 27:19 and Numbers 27:20, he was to set him before Eleazar the high priest and the congregation, to command (צוּה) him, i.e., instruct him with regard to his office before their eyes, and to lay of his eminence (הוד) upon him, i.e., to transfer a portion of his own dignity and majesty to him by the imposition of hands, that the whole congregation might hearken to him, or trust to his guidance. The object to ישׁמעוּ (hearken) must be supplied from the context, viz., אליו (to him), as Deuteronomy 34:9 clearly shows. The מן (of) in Numbers 27:20 is partitive, as in Genesis 4:4, etc. The eminence and authority of Moses were not to be entirely transferred to Joshua, for they were bound up with his own person alone (cf. Numbers 12:6-8), but only so much of it as he needed for the discharge of the duties of his office. Joshua was to be neither the lawgiver nor the absolute governor of Israel, but to be placed under the judgment of the Urim, with which Eleazar was entrusted, so far as the supreme decision of the affairs of Israel was concerned. This is the meaning of Numbers 27:21 : "Eleazar shall ask to him (for him) the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah." Urim is an abbreviation for Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30), and denotes the means with which the high priest was entrusted of ascertaining the divine will and counsel in all the important business of the congregation. "After his mouth" (i.e., according to the decision of the high priest, by virtue of the right of Urim and Thummim entrusted to him), Joshua and the whole congregation were to go out and in, i.e., to regulate their conduct and decide upon their undertakings. "All the congregation," in distinction from 'all the children of Israel," denotes the whole body of heads of the people, or the college of elders, which represented the congregation and administered its affairs.

Numbers 28:1 Parallel Commentaries

for a sweet savour unto me. Heb. savour of my rest

Numbers 15:3,7,24 And will make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering...

Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet smell; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake...

Exodus 29:18 And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a sweet smell...

Leviticus 1:9,13,17 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice...

Leviticus 3:11 And the priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to the LORD.

Ezekiel 16:19 My meat also which I gave you, fine flour, and oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you have even set it before them for a sweet smell...

Ezekiel 20:41 I will accept you with your sweet smell, when I bring you out from the people...

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God a sweet smell of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us...

Philippians 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell...

in their due season. The stated sacrifices and service of the tabernacle having, probably, been greatly interrupted for several years, and a new generation having arisen, who were children or minors when the law was given respecting these ordinances; and as they were now about to enter into the promised land, where they must be established and constantly observed; God commands Moses to repeat them to the people in the following order: --1. Daily: the morning and evening sacrifices; a lamb each time.

2. Weekly: the sabbath offerings; two lambs of a year old.

3. Monthly: at the beginning of each month, two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, and a he-goat. The day of first-fruits; the sacrifices the same as on the beginning of the month.

Numbers 9:2,3,7,13 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season...

Exodus 23:15 You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you...

Psalm 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.