Bible Commentaries
Numbers 7

Verses 1-89

Chapter 7

Now in chapter seven we find that the twelve princes of the tribes of Israel brought in their offerings to the Lord. And in verse three we read,

They brought six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; and a wagon for two of the princes ( Numbers 7:3 ),

In other words, every two princes brought one wagon and an ox from each.

and they brought them to the tabernacle ( Numbers 7:3 ).

And they were to be given to the tribe of Levi, the families in order to help them as they carried some of the curtains and all that went with the tabernacle.

And so two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon: four wagons and eight oxen they gave to the sons of Merari, according to the service, that they did. But the sons of Kohath who carried the ark of the covenant and all, they did not use the wagons they were carried on those golden staves and so they were to be born upon their shoulders ( Numbers 7:7-9 ).

They did not get any wagons. Now, each of the princes then came forth and they brought their offering of

one silver charger, the weight of it was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal offering: And one spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense: One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: One kid of the goats for a sin offering: And for a sacrifice of peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab ( Numbers 7:13-17 ).

And each of the princes brought the identical, same offering and so it would only be redundant if we read each of them in the seventh chapter. But each of them brought the same offering to the Lord and it was given unto the Lord. This was for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, the princes of Israel brought these offerings unto the Lord and they are summed up beginning with verse eighty-four to the end of the chapter.

And in verse eighty-nine

When Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was on the ark of the covenant, between the two cherubims: and there God spoke to Moses ( Numbers 7:89 ).

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