It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

NUMBERS 28:6KJV
Know the Bible

Numbers 28:6 (KJV)

What does Numbers 28:6 mean?

Numbers 28:6 explains that the daily burnt offering was a continual sacrifice, first commanded by God at Mount Sinai, meant to be pleasing to Him as a burnt offering made by fire. This verse highlights the regular, ongoing nature of this sacrifice and its purpose as something acceptable and pleasing to the LORD.

In this part of Numbers, God is instructing Moses to remind the Israelites about the daily offerings they are to bring. The setting is the wilderness, with Moses relaying God’s instructions to the people as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. The verse points back to the original command at Mount Sinai, showing that this practice is not new but a continuation of what God had already established.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 28:6

  • "continual" (תָּמִיד, tamid): This word means ongoing or regular, emphasizing that the burnt offering was not a one-time event but a daily, never-ceasing practice.
  • "offering" (עֹלָה, olah): This refers to a burnt offering, a specific type of sacrifice that was completely burned on the altar, symbolizing total dedication to God.
  • "ordained" (עָשָׂה, asah): This word means to do, make, or appoint, pointing to the fact that God Himself established this practice at Mount Sinai.
  • "sweet" (נִיחוֹחַ, nichoach) and "savour" (רֵיחַ, reyach): Together, these words describe the offering as producing a "pleasing aroma," a phrase used in the Old Testament to show that the sacrifice was accepted by God.

Why Numbers 28:6 matters

  • Numbers 28:6 clarifies that the daily burnt offering was not a new ritual but one rooted in the covenant relationship established at Mount Sinai, reinforcing its importance in Israel’s worship.
  • The verse stresses the continual nature of the offering, showing that devotion to God was meant to be constant, not occasional.
  • By calling the offering a "sweet savour," the verse emphasizes that these sacrifices were about pleasing God, not just following ritual for its own sake. This helps the reader see the heart behind the command, not just the action.

Where else these words appear

“Sinai” Hebrew H5514 · used in 34 verses

  • Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
  • Exodus 34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
  • Numbers 9:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

“sweet” Hebrew H5207 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
  • Leviticus 6:21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
  • Numbers 28:2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.

“savour” Hebrew H7381 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
  • Leviticus 8:28 And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
  • Numbers 29:6 Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

“fire” Hebrew H801 · used in 64 verses

  • Exodus 29:18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
  • Leviticus 6:17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
  • Leviticus 23:37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: