Exodus 29:39-42 · Bible study
Exodus 29:39-42 Commentary: The Daily Burnt Offering
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the theological meaning of the daily morning and evening burnt offerings in Exodus 29: their structure, purpose, and God's promise to meet His people.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The daily burnt offering consecrated Israel's life to God, provided daily atonement, and secured God's presence among them.
- Key words: tamid (continually), olah (burnt offering), minchah (grain offering), nesek (drink offering).
- Main debate: Whether the evening offering was originally a burnt offering or a grain offering in pre-exilic practice (see 2 Kings 16:15; Cambridge Bible).
- Theological theme: God desires to dwell among His people through regular, covenantal worship that involves cost and constancy.
- Best use: Teaching on the rhythm of grace, the cost of atonement, and Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the daily sacrifice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
39Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight.
40With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives, and a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine.
41And offer the second lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
42For the generations to come, this burnt offering shall be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you.
WEB World English Bible 2000
39The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening;
40and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
41The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
42It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you.
KJV King James Version 1769
39The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
40And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
41And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
42This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
39The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
40and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink-offering.
41And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meal-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
42It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tent of meeting before Jehovah, where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
39the one lamb thou dost prepare in the morning, and the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings;
40and a tenth deal of fine flour, mixed with beaten oil, a fourth part of a hin, and a libation, a fourth part of a hin, of wine, is for the one lamb.
41`And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; according to the present of the morning, and according to its libation, thou dost prepare for it, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering, to Jehovah: --
42a continual burnt-offering for your generations, at the opening of the tent of meeting, before Jehovah, whither I am met with you, to speak unto thee there,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
39The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer between the two evenings.
40And with the one lamb a tenth part of wheaten flour mingled with beaten oil, a fourth part of a hin; and a drink-offering, a fourth part of a hin of wine.
41And the second lamb shalt thou offer between the two evenings; as the oblation in the morning, and as its drink-offering shalt thou offer with this, for a sweet odour, an offering by fire to Jehovah.
42It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before Jehovah, where I will meet with you, to speak there with thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
39One lamb in the morning, and another in the evening.
40With one lamb a tenth part of flour tempered with beaten oil, of the fourth part of a hin, and wine for libation of the same measure.
41And the other lamb thou shalt offer in the evening, according to the rite of the morning oblation, and according to what we have said, for a savour of sweetness:
42It is a sacrifice to the Lord, by perpetual oblation unto your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony before the Lord, where I will appoint to speak unto thee.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 29:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that these verses prescribe the foundational sacrifice of Israel's worship: two yearling lambs offered daily, one at morning and one at evening, each accompanied by a grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil and a drink offering of wine.
Clarke records the Jewish tradition that the morning lamb atoned for sins committed during the night and the evening lamb for sins of the day. Barnes observes that the burnt offering acknowledged the people's life as belonging to Yahweh, while the grain offering recognized their work as His due. Keil and Delitzsch see the perpetual offering as directly tied to God's promise to dwell among Israel.
All agree on the key elements: the sacrifice was continual (tamid), it was a "pleasant aroma" signifying God's acceptance, and it took place "before Yahweh" at the door of the Tent of Meeting. The offerings reflected the whole of daily existence, life, labor, and festivity, consecrated to God from morning to evening.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The passage commands a daily morning and evening burnt offering of two lambs with specified grain and drink offerings, as a perpetual ordinance, and God promises to meet His people there.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of the evening sacrifice | The evening lamb was offered 'between the evenings,' understood by Jewish tradition as the period when the sun begins to descend toward sunset. | Some scholars (Cambridge Bible) argue that pre-exilic practice had only a morning burnt offering with a grain offering in the evening; the present text may harmonize later post-exilic usage with Numbers 28. |
| Purpose of the sacrifice | It was a burnt offering for atonement and consecration, offered daily on behalf of the whole nation. | Jewish tradition (cited by Clarke) saw it as atoning for specific sins of the preceding period; Barnes and Calvin emphasize it as an acknowledgment of God's ownership and a gift of worship. |
| The drink offering (nesek) | A quarter hin of wine was poured out with each lamb, likely on the altar of burnt offering (see Exod 30:9). | The exact method of pouring is not specified; some traditions hold it was poured around the base of the altar, others at the side. |
| Continuity after the exile | The daily sacrifice was restored after the exile (Ezra 3:3-6) and continued until the Temple's destruction in AD 70. | Whether the post-exilic practice exactly matched the Mosaic prescription is debated; some adjustments in the book of Ezekiel suggest variations. |
Historical & Cultural Context
These instructions appear in the midst of the consecration of the priests (Exodus 29), but they establish a perpetual ordinance for the entire nation. The morning lamb was offered at dawn; the evening lamb was offered bein ha'arbayim, "between the evenings," a phrase the rabbis understood as the time when the sun began to descend (about 2:30, 5 p.m., depending on the season).
The grain offering used solet (fine flour), the finest grade of wheat, mixed with shemen katit (beaten oil), oil from the first press, of highest quality. The drink offering (nesek) was wine, a quarter of a hin (about 1.5 pints). Barnes notes that a hin derived from an Egyptian measure and held roughly one gallon and two pints; a quarter hin was thus about a pint and a half of wine, and a tenth of an ephah of flour (an omer) weighed approximately 3, 4 pounds. These were not meager portions: the daily sacrifice cost the community substantially.
Cambridge Bible points out that before the exile, the evening offering may have been only a grain offering (2 Kings 16:15). The present text, likely harmonized with Numbers 28:3, 8, duplicates the burnt offering for evening. The location, "at the door of the Tent of Meeting", designated the altar of burnt offering in the courtyard. From this place God promised to speak to Moses and meet with all Israel. The daily sacrifice was so central that its suspension by Antiochus Epiphanes became a defining tragedy (Daniel 8:11, 13, 11:31).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for these verses. A few commentators (Cambridge Bible) suggest on literary-critical grounds that the passage may have been inserted from Numbers 28:3, 8 by a later editor; this is a judgment about composition, not a manuscript variant. Received Hebrew manuscripts are consistent.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, the daily tamid was the most constant feature of the Temple liturgy. Its cessation under Antiochus Epiphanes (168 BC) is recorded as the "abomination of desolation" in Daniel 8:11, 13 and 11:31.
Early Christian writers saw the daily sacrifice as a type of Christ's perfect offering. The author of Hebrews contrasts the repeated sacrifices, which could never fully cleanse, with the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:6, 10, 25, 28). The practice of morning and evening prayer in Christian tradition draws on this rhythm of daily devotion. In art and liturgy, the two lambs came to symbolize Christ as the Lamb of God, offered once but eternally effective.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Daily Rhythm of Devotion: Morning and evening, the lamb framed each day with sacrifice and prayer, reminding Israel of dependence on God at the start and end of every day.
- Total Consecration: The lamb (life), the fine flour and oil (sustenance and work), and the wine (joy and festivity) together signaled that every part of existence belonged to God.
- Divine Appointment: God promised to meet His people at the door of the Tent, He initiated relationship through this regular worship.
Five-point outline
- The Sacrifice of Constancy: Tamid (continually) appears repeatedly; this offering never ceased, pointing to the ongoing need for atonement and gratitude.
- The Cost of Sin: Two lambs every day, without fail, blood was shed to maintain covenant relationship.
- The Offering of Substance: Fine flour, beaten oil, and wine were not cheap; true worship costs the worshiper something.
- The Promise of Presence: “Where I will meet with you” is the central promise, God is not distant but draws near when His people draw near.
- The Fulfillment in Christ: Hebrews 9, 10 contrasts these repeated sacrifices with Christ’s once-for-all offering; the daily lamb points to the Lamb who takes away sin permanently.
Illustration hooks
- Daily routines, morning coffee, evening wind-down, show how small, regular actions shape a life. The Israelites used sacrifice to shape theirs.
- A marriage survives on small, daily investments: a text, a shared meal, a word of thanks. God scheduled a daily meeting with His people.
- An employee gives the best of their time and skill to work; the first oil, the finest flour, God asked for the best.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did God require animal sacrifices? Did they actually take away sin?
- How does this ancient ritual apply to Christians? Do we need to offer something every morning and evening?
- What does it mean that God “meets” us in worship? Is that automatic, or are there conditions?
Leading a Discussion
The daily burnt offering was the heartbeat of Israel's worship, a constant reminder of dependence, atonement, and God's presence. This passage invites us to consider what regular, costly worship looks like in our own lives.
Discussion questions
- What does the timing of the sacrifice (morning and evening) suggest about human spiritual need?
- Why do you think God required both an animal and a grain/drink offering? What might each represent?
- The sacrifice is called a “pleasant aroma” (v.41). How does that phrase fit with the seriousness of atonement?
- In what ways did the daily sacrifice shape Israel’s identity as a people?
- How does Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice change the way we understand daily devotion (Hebrews 10:11, 14)?
- What would it look like to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) on a daily basis?
- This passage ends with God promising to meet His people. How does that promise encourage your personal times of worship?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 16:15 | King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; but the bronze altar will be for me to inquire by.” |
| II Chronicles 13:11 | They burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table, and care for the gold lamp stand with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken him. |
| Psalms 5:3 | Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly. |
| Psalms 55:16 | As for me, I will call on God. Yahweh will save me. |
| Psalms 55:17 | Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice. |
| Ezekiel 46:13 | “‘“You shall prepare a lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering to Yahweh daily. Morning by morning you shall prepare it. |
| Ezekiel 46:15 | Thus they shall prepare the lamb, the meal offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering.” |
| Luke 1:10 | The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the Jewish tradition that the morning lamb sacrifice atoned for sins committed during the night, and the evening lamb sacrifice atoned for sins of the day. He also provides specific measurements for the flour and wine offerings that accompanied the lambs.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees the daily offerings as the people's regular acknowledgment that their lives belong to God and their works are His due. The consecration of priests and sanctuary served a national purpose: to consecrate the whole nation for daily life in God's presence as a kingdom of priests.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the tabernacle is best called a "convention" because God appointed it as the place where He and His people would meet by mutual agreement. He insists this meaning comes from the Hebrew root, not from ideas of testimony or assembly. God alone sanctifies both the place and the people.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary notes that this law prescribing a daily burnt-offering morning and evening reflects post-exilic practice, not earlier custom. Before the exile, only a morning burnt-offering was offered, with the evening meal-offering standing on its own. This law duplicates the burnt-offering and subordinates the meal-offering, and likely was inserted here from Numbers 28.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that this daily sacrifice of two lambs was not merely ritual; it was the appointed place where God promised to meet and speak with His people. The continual burnt offering at the tabernacle door became the regular occasion for divine communion.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the two daily lambs as spanning the whole of redemptive history. The morning lamb points to Christ slain in God’s eternal purpose and in the faith of Old Testament believers; the evening lamb prefigures his actual sacrifice at the close of the Jewish age. Their daily repetition underscores the insufficiency of animal offerings and teaches believers to offer prayer and praise each morning and evening, relying on Christ’s continual atoning blood.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that God's promise to meet Israel applies directly to the altar of burnt-offering, not just the ark of the covenant. They insist it is the people, not the altar itself, who are sanctified by God's glory when He meets them there.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the consecration instructions appear early in Exodus to show the priesthood has a role far beyond mere ritual. By having Moses, the prophet, consecrate Aaron, the text establishes the prophetic office as primary. The priesthood serves symbolic, educational, and oracular functions that support the whole theocracy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that these daily lambs were not optional extras but the constant duty of every day, offered at public expense for the entire nation. Their purpose was to atone for daily sins and acknowledge daily mercies. The later removal of this very sacrifice, as Daniel foretold, marked the church's greatest distress.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley gives the practical size of Old Testament measures in familiar terms. A tenth of an ephah equals roughly three quarts, and a hin holds about five quarts.