Numbers 28:14 (KJV)

What does Numbers 28:14 mean?

Numbers 28:14 gives specific instructions for the amount of wine to be offered as a drink offering alongside burnt offerings each month: half a hin for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a fourth of a hin for a lamb. This verse sets the standard for these monthly offerings throughout the year.

In this part of Numbers, God is speaking to Moses, giving him detailed directions for the Israelites about their regular worship practices. The focus here is on the precise quantities for the drink offerings that accompanied the animal sacrifices at the start of each month, showing the importance of order and consistency in Israel’s worship.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 28:14

• הִין (hin, H1969): This is an ancient Hebrew measure of liquid, often estimated at about 3.8 to 6 liters (roughly 1 gallon to 1.5 gallons). The verse uses fractions of a hin to specify the amount of wine for each animal, highlighting the careful attention to detail in the offerings.
• יָיִן (yayin, H3196): This word means "wine." Its use here shows that the drink offering was not just water or another liquid, but specifically wine, which had symbolic significance in Israelite worship.
• חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh, H2320): This word means "month." The repetition in the verse ("every month throughout the months of the year") emphasizes that these offerings were to be made regularly, marking the start of each new month.

Why Numbers 28:14 matters

• Numbers 28:14 clears up any confusion about how much wine was to be offered with each type of animal, showing that the requirements were not the same for every sacrifice.
• The verse emphasizes the importance of regular, repeated worship practices in Israel’s calendar, connecting the people’s routine to their relationship with God.
• By specifying these details, Numbers 28:14 links the Israelites’ worship to both time (the monthly cycle) and to careful obedience, themes that run throughout the book of Numbers.