Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges The offerings of the princes This chapter affords the most striking instance in the Pentateuch of the Priestly style. The mechanical formulas and verbal repetitions are, to modern ears, monotonous and tautological; but for the writer it was evidently a delight to emphasize by this means the liberality of the princes. The twelve princes named in Numbers 1:5-15, one for each of the secular tribes, brought gifts for the Tabernacle. Firstly (Numbers 7:1-9), each prince gave an ox and each pair of princes gave a wagon. These were assigned by Moses to the Gershonites and Merarites for their work of transport. Secondly (Numbers 7:10-83), each prince made an offering, identically the same in every case—flour mingled with oil in silver vessels for meal-offerings, a golden saucer or pan (R.V. ‘spoon’) full of incense, and animals for burnt-, sin-, and peace-offerings. Jehovah commanded them to present their gifts on successive days (Numbers 7:11), and the writer therefore enumerates the items practically verbatim twelve times. And in Numbers 7:84-88 he repeats them yet again with the figures multiplied by twelve, in order to sum up the grand total. He draws this ideal picture probably in order to encourage liberality for Temple purposes in his own day. 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; 1. on the day that] If this is understood strictly, it is the date given in Exodus 40:17, and is one month earlier than the date of Numbers 1:1. But the following verse (‘them that were numbered’) presupposes the census and the appointment of the tribal chiefs which occurred after the erection of the Tabernacle. Either the writer of this chapter was later than the writer of ch. 1, and failed to notice the discrepancy, or ‘on the day that’ must be understood loosely to mean ‘at the time when’—‘after.’ Cf. Numbers 7:84 (‘in the day when it was anointed’) with Numbers 7:88 (‘after that it was anointed’).The anointing of the Tabernacle and the Altar was commanded in Exodus 40:9 f. 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, offered: 2. offered] The verb cannot, as in English, stand alone with an absolute force. It is intended to govern ‘their oblation’ in Numbers 7:3; but the remainder of the verse is a parenthesis, and the sentence is then resumed with another verb, ‘and they brought.’covered wagons] The word zâbh, rendered ‘covered,’ is doubtful. It is the singular of a substantive found only in Isaiah 66:20 (R.V. ‘litters’). The expression may mean litter-wagons, i.e. wagons covered like a litter or palanquin. So LXX. ἁμάξας λαμπηνικάς, ‘wagons like covered chariots.’ But perhaps the text is corrupt. And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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.
And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.
Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service: 7–9. The transport duties of each of the Levitical families are laid down in ch. 4.And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
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. 9. the sanctuary] the holy things. See on Numbers 4:15.upon their shoulders] In early days this form of honour was not always paid to the ark; see 2 Samuel 6:3. And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. 10. The gifts which they brought after the wagons and oxen were such as to provide the first complete set of offerings upon the altar for all the different forms of sacrifice.offered for the dedication] offered the dedication-gift (as R.V. marg.). The abstract word ‘dedication’ or ‘inauguration’ is employed with a concrete meaning. And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.
And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:
And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, 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 meat offering: 13. charger] a dish. Cf. Exodus 25:29; Exodus 37:16.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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer:
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:
One spoon of gold of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, did offer:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
On the eighth day offered Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.
On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered:
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:
One golden spoon of ten shekels, 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 offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
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:
Each charger of silver weighing an hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
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.
All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering: and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve.
And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.
And 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 upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him. 89. An isolated and mutilated fragment describing the intercourse of God with Moses in the sanctuary, and relating the fulfilment of Exodus 25:22. The words ‘with him’ imply that Jehovah has been mentioned previously in the original context of the passage. The verbs ‘went,’ ‘heard’ and ‘spake’ are not frequentative, describing what usually happened. It is a single incident, introducing some words of Jehovah which have been lost. They cannot be the commands in the following chapter, for in that case Numbers 7:1 would be a meaningless repetition.The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub |
    |