(The Lord speaking is red text)
One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering,
one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;
one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;
One{H259} young{H1241} bullock{H6499}, one{H259} ram{H352}, one{H259} lamb{H3532} of the first{H1121} year{H8141}, for a burnt offering{H5930}:
**Themes:**
Numbers 7:27 is part of a detailed account of offerings made by the leaders of Israel during the dedication of the Tabernacle, which was the portable dwelling place for God's presence among the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness. The verse highlights the following themes:
1. **Worship and Sacrifice:** The offering of animals for burnt offerings was a central act of worship in ancient Israel, symbolizing the complete dedication of the worshiper to God, as the animals were entirely consumed by fire.
2. **Uniformity in Ritual:** Each leader brought the same animals for the burnt offering, emphasizing equality and uniformity in worship.
3. **Commemoration:** The offerings celebrated the completion of the Tabernacle, marking a significant milestone in the religious life of the Israelite community.
4. **Atonement and Consecration:** The burnt offerings served the dual purpose of atonement for sin and the consecration of the people and the Tabernacle to God's service.
**Historical Context:**
The book of Numbers recounts events that occurred after the exodus from Egypt, during the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites, approximately in the 13th century BCE. The Tabernacle had been constructed according to divine instructions, and Numbers 7 describes the offerings brought by each of the twelve tribal leaders of Israel over twelve consecutive days to dedicate the altar. These offerings were meant to inaugurate the altar's use for sacrificial worship and to seek God's favor and blessing upon the nation as they prepared to journey toward the Promised Land.
In Numbers 7:27, specifically, the verse records the offerings brought by the leader of the tribe of Issachar on his designated day. The young bullock, ram, and lamb represented different aspects of the offering: the bullock for the sin offering, the ram for the burnt offering, and the lamb for the peace offering. However, in the context of Numbers 7, the focus is on the burnt offering, which was a voluntary act of devotion and worship, signifying the giver's desire to be fully accepted by God.
The detailed listing of these offerings serves as a historical record of the religious practices of the time and underscores the importance of the Tabernacle as the center of Israelite religious life before the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)