“On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering:
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Sabbath sacrifice, though similar to the daily one, is doubled with two lambs, highlighting the special importance and elevated status of this divinely appointed day of rest and worship. This doubling signifies a greater measure of consecration and remembrance for the Lord on this sacred day compared to any other.
“On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering:
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section detailing the various offerings and sacrifices required throughout the Israelite year. Before this, the daily offerings were established, and here, the Sabbath offering is introduced as an addition, doubling the lambs normally sacrificed. Following this, the chapter continues by outlining sacrifices for the New Moon and other significant feasts and holy days.
Did you know the Sabbath wasn't just a day to stop working? It was also a day for more worship, not less!
The verse highlights a special Sabbath sacrifice: two lambs, a larger grain offering, and a drink offering. This was in addition to the regular daily offerings.
Why Double?
Every detail in God's commands mattered, especially the condition of the sacrifice. What does this tell us about God and ourselves?
The requirement for 'two male lambs a year old without blemish' is crucial. This wasn't arbitrary; it pointed to something profound.
The Significance of Perfection
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Understand the original words
shabbat · Hebrew Noun
The seventh day of the week, set apart by God as a holy day of rest and cessation from labor. It serves as a sign of the covenant and a time for consecrated worship.
tamim · Hebrew Adjective
A key requirement for sacrificial animals, signifying that the offering must be whole, healthy, and untainted by disease or deformity. It prefigures the sinless perfection of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Lamb of God.
The specific instructions for Sabbath sacrifices in Numbers 28:9 reveal that the Sabbath was not just a day of rest, but was elevated with a special, doubled offering, underscoring its importance as a day uniquely consecrated to God, even within the framework of daily worship.
c. 1440 BC
Exodus and Sinai Covenant
The Israelites, newly freed from Egypt, receive the Law at Mount Sinai, including the foundational instructions for the Tabernacle and its sacrificial system.
c. 1440 BC
Tabernacle Construction and Dedication
Following the instructions given at Sinai, the Tabernacle is built and consecrated, establishing the central place for Israel's worship and sacrifices.
c. 1440 BC
Daily Sacrifices Instituted
The Lord commands the continual daily burnt offering, a lamb in the morning and another in the evening, symbolizing constant devotion and atonement.
c. 1440 BC
Sabbath Observance Law
The commandment to keep the Sabbath holy is given, establishing it as a day of rest and worship, distinct from other days.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Sabbath Sacrifice Decreed
The Lord commands a specific, doubled sacrifice for the Sabbath day, in addition to the daily offerings, to mark its unique sacredness.
c. 1440 BC
New Moon and Festival Offerings Detailed
Further instructions are given for sacrifices on the first day of each month (New Moon) and for the major annual festivals.
This passage lays out the foundational commandment to remember and keep the Sabbath holy, highlighting its divine institution and setting the stage for understanding why special sacrifices were offered on this day.
Leviticus 23:3This verse reiterates the Sabbath as a day of holy convocation and rest, reinforcing the spiritual significance of the day that the sacrifices in Numbers aim to honor.
Ezekiel 46:4-5This future prophetic vision shows a continuation and even expansion of Sabbath sacrifices, indicating the enduring importance of this day in God's economy and providing a parallel to the instructions given in Numbers.
Psalm 92:1-4This psalm directly speaks about offering praise and thanks on the Sabbath, connecting the act of worship and joyful remembrance to this specific day, much like the prescribed sacrifices did.
bensonNumbers 28:9: "And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:"
Numbers 28:9 . On the sabbath two lambs — The second stated and national sacrifice was weekly. On this day the burnt-offerings and meat-offerings are ordered to be double.
calvinNumbers 28:1-15: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
And their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.
Haec autem libamina eorum e vino: dimidium hin etiam in singulos juvencos, et tertia pars hin in arietem, et quarta pars hin in singulos agnos. Hoc est holocaustum singulorum mensium per singulos menses…
The Sabbath sacrifice, though similar to the daily one, is doubled with two lambs, highlighting the special importance and elevated status of this divinely appointed day of rest and worship. This doubling signifies a greater measure of consecration and remembrance for the Lord on this sacred day compared to any other.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing the various offerings and sacrifices required throughout the Israelite year. Before this, the daily offerings were established, and here, the Sabbath offering is introduced as an addition, doubling the lambs normally sacrificed. Following this, the chapter continues by outlining sacrifices for the New Moon and other significant feasts and holy days.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing the various offerings and sacrifices required throughout the Israelite year. Before this, the daily offerings were established, and here, the Sabbath offering is introduced as an addition, doubling the lambs normally sacrificed. Following this, the chapter continues by outlining sacrifices for the New Moon and other significant feasts and holy days.
"“On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering:" — The Sabbath sacrifice, though similar to the daily one, is doubled with two lambs, highlighting the special importance and elevated status of this divinely appointed day of rest and worship. This dou…
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Last reviewed October 2026