Numbers 7: The Dedication of the Tabernacle and Altar

Numbers 7 Scripture
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;

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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:

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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.

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And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

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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.

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And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.

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Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.

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And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:

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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:

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One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer:

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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:

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One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, did offer:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the eighth day offered Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered:

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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:

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One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:

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One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:

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One kid of the goats for a sin offering:

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Numbers 7 Commentary
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Numbers 7 recounts the dedication of the tabernacle and the altar, marking a significant moment in Israel's journey. This chapter highlights the generosity and devotion of the tribal leaders and establishes a profound connection between God and His people.

Offerings for the Tabernacle's Service (Numbers 7:1-9)

Following the completion and consecration of the tabernacle and its furnishings (Numbers 7:1), the leaders of Israel presented a substantial offering: six covered carts and twelve oxen (Numbers 7:2-3). These gifts were not arbitrary; they were specifically intended to aid the Levites in the crucial task of transporting the tabernacle through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Moses, under divine instruction, distributed these carts and oxen among the Levite families according to their designated responsibilities (Numbers 7:5-6).

The Gershonites, tasked with transporting the lighter components of the tabernacle, such as the curtains and coverings, received two carts and four oxen (Numbers 7:7). The Merarites, responsible for the heavier structural elements like the frames and bars, were given four carts and eight oxen (Numbers 7:8). This allocation demonstrates a practical and efficient approach to resource management, ensuring that each family had the means to fulfill their assigned duties.

Notably, the Kohathites received no carts or oxen (Numbers 7:9). This was because their sacred responsibility involved carrying the holy objects, including the Ark of the Covenant and the altars, on their shoulders. This method of transport was divinely ordained to prevent direct contact with these sacred items (see Numbers 4:1-20), underscoring the sanctity and reverence required in approaching God's presence. A later incident involving Uzzah, who touched the Ark while it was being transported on a cart, tragically demonstrated the importance of adhering to God's instructions in handling sacred objects (2 Samuel 6:1-8).

Dedication Gifts for the Altar (Numbers 7:10-83)

The latter part of Numbers 7 details the dedication gifts brought by the leaders of each of the twelve tribes for the altar in the tabernacle (Numbers 7:10). God instructed each leader to present his offering on a separate day (Numbers 7:11), allowing each gift to be individually honored and celebrated. This deliberate pacing emphasized the significance of each tribe's contribution and fostered a sense of collective participation in the dedication process.

The offerings commenced with Nahshon, the leader of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 7:12), the tribe that would lead the way in battle and in the march (Numbers 2:3-9). His generous offering consisted of a silver platter, a silver bowl, a gold dish, a young bull, a ram, a male lamb, a male goat, and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs (Numbers 7:13-17).

Following Nahshon, the leaders of the remaining eleven tribes each presented identical offerings on consecutive days, mirroring the order in which the tribes were arranged around the tabernacle (Numbers 7:18-83; see Numbers 2:3-31). While the repetition might seem monotonous, it highlights the unity and equality of the tribes before God. Each tribe, regardless of its size or status, contributed equally to the dedication of the altar, symbolizing their shared commitment to worship and service.

God Speaks to Moses (Numbers 7:84-89)

After the meticulous record of the gifts (Numbers 7:84-88), the chapter culminates in a pivotal moment: Moses enters the tent of meeting to communicate with the Lord and hears God's voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat on the Ark of the Testimony (Numbers 7:89). This establishes a new level of intimacy and direct communication between God and His people through Moses. It signifies God's acceptance of the dedication offerings and His continued presence among the Israelites. This direct access to divine guidance was crucial for the Israelites as they continued their journey, providing them with the wisdom and direction they needed to navigate the challenges ahead.

Numbers 7 serves as a testament to the importance of dedication, generosity, and obedience in approaching God. It also highlights the significance of order and structure in serving Him. Through the detailed account of the offerings and the establishment of direct communication between God and Moses, this chapter lays the foundation for a deeper relationship between God and His chosen people.