Numbers 7

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.

Numbers 7:1

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 Num 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.

Numbers 7:2

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 zβbh, 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. ἁμάξαςλαμπηνικάς, ‘wagons like covered chariots.’ But perhaps the text is corrupt.

Numbers 7:7-9

7–9. The transport duties of each of the Levitical families are laid down in ch. 4.

Numbers 7:9

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.

Numbers 7:10

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.

Numbers 7:13

13. charger] a dish. Cf. Exodus 25:29; Exodus 37:16.

Numbers 7:89

89. An isolated and mutilated fragment describing the intercourse of God with Moses in the sanctuary, and relating the fulfilment of Exo 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.