Bible Commentaries
Numbers 7

Verses 1-89

The Gifts of the Princes.

The incident which is here related took place just after the Tabernacle had been erected, its equipment put into place, and the entire Sanctuary with all its furniture consecrated to the Lord, Leviticus 8-10. In order not to interrupt the connection of the legislation, Moses inserted the story of this important happening at this point.

v. 1. And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the Tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them,

v. 2. that the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, the same ones that are mentioned Numbers 1:5-15 as having been in actual charge of the census, offered.

v. 3. And they brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons, probably on the order of our prairie schooners of a few decades ago, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox; and they brought them before the Tabernacle.

v. 4. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

v. 5. Take it of them that they may be to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service, according to the work which he was expected to perform in moving the Tabernacle and its equipment from one station to another.

v. 6. And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, accepted them for the Lord, and gave them unto the Levites, placed them at their disposal.

v. 7. Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon according to their service, for they were entrusted with the transportation of the lighter articles, the various coverings with the exception of the veil of the Most Holy Place;

v. 8. and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, for they had charge of the transportation of the heavy planks and pillars, under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron, the priest.

v. 9. But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the Sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders; they carried the furniture and the holy vessels on bearing-poles.

v. 10. And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, in things which were necessary for the dedicating of the altar, even the princes offered their offering before the altar.

v. 11. And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, to be used at once, and on consecutive days, lest the amount be too great for the priests to handle at one time, for the dedicating of the altar.

v. 12. And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah;

v. 13. and his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels (a little more than four pounds), one silver bowl of seventy shekels (somewhat more than two pounds), after the shekel of the Sanctuary, that is, standard weight; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering, all ready for the sacrifice;

v. 14. one spoon, or paten, of ten shekels of gold (at 253 grains each), full of incense;

v. 15. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, less than a year old, for a burnt offering;

v. 16. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, Leviticus 4:23;

v. 19. He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 20. one spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 21. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 22. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 24. On the third day Eliab, the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer;

v. 25. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 26. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 27. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 28. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 30. On the fourth day Elizur, the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer;

v. 31. his offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 32. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 33. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 34. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 36. On the fifth day Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, did offer;

v. 37. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 38. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 39. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 40. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 42. On the sixth day Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered;

v. 43. his offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 44. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 45. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 46. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 48. On the seventh day Elishama, the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered;

v. 49. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 50. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 51. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 52. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 54. On the eighth day offered Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh;

v. 55. his offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

v. 56. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 57. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 58. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 60. On the ninth day Abidan, the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered;

v. 61. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 62. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 63. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 64. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 66. On the tenth day Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered;

v. 67. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 68. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 69. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 70. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 72. On the eleventh day Pagiel, the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered;

v. 73. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 74. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 75. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 76. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 78. On the twelfth day Ahira, the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered;

v. 79. his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering;

v. 80. one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

v. 81. one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

v. 82. one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;

v. 83. and for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahira, the son of Enan. So all the tribes of the children of Israel were equally represented in these initiatory sacrifices and gifts, both as to their number and as to their value. They all had an equal share in the altar, and an equal interest in the sacrifices that were offered upon it.

v. 84. This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel; twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold;

v. 85. each charger of silver weighing an hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy; all the silver bowls weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary (about seventy-five pounds);

v. 86. the golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons was an hundred and twenty shekels (worth almost $1,200).

v. 89. And when Moses was gone into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to speak with Him, to commune with the Lord, then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from off the Mercy-seat that was upon the Ark of Testimony, for there it was that God condescended to communicate with His servant, Exodus 25:22, from between the two cherubim; and He spake unto him, this being the usual form of revelation and communication during the wilderness journey.