* the fifteenth day.
This was the feast of Tabernacles, kept in commemoration of
their dwelling in tents in the wilderness for forty years.
The first and last days were to be kept as sabbaths, on which
there were solemn assemblies; and for seven days sacrifices
were offered. On the other festivals, two bullocks sufficed,
(ch. 28:11, 19, 27), and on the festival at the beginning of
this month, only one was appointed; but, on the first day of
this festival, thirteen young bullocks were appointed; and so
on each successive day, with the decrease of only one bullock,
till on the seventh day, there were only seven, making in all
seventy bullocks. The lambs, and the rams also, were in a
double proportion to the number sacrificed at any other
festival. This was an expensive service; but more easy at
this time of the year than any other, as Bishop Patrick
observes, because now their barns were full, and their
wine-presses overflowed; and their hearts might well be
supposed to be more enlarged than at other times, in
thankfulness to God for the multitude of his mercies. The
Jewish doctors give this reason for the daily diminution of
the number of the bullocks: the whole number, say they, was
according to the languages of the seventy nations of the
world; and the diminution of one every day signified, that
there should be a gradual diminution of those nations till all
things were brought under the government of the Messiah; in
whose days "no sacrifices shall remain, but those of
thanksgiving, prayer, and praise."
Ex 23:16 34:22 Le 23:33-43 De 16:13,14 Ne 8:14,18 Eze 45:25
Zec 14:16-19 Joh 1:14 Heb 11:9-13
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