Numbers7

Numbers chapter seven details the extensive dedication of the newly erected Tabernacle and its altar. Following its anointing, the princes of Israel presented wagons and oxen for the Levites' service in transporting the Tabernacle's components. Subsequently, for twelve consecutive days, each tribal prince offered an identical, elaborate set of gifts and sacrifices to dedicate the altar. The chapter concludes with Moses hearing the Lord's voice speaking from the mercy seat within the Tabernacle.

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Dedication of the Tabernacle Begins

1

And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture thereof, and the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them;

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that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were over them that were numbered:

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and they brought their oblation before Jehovah, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.

Gifts Allocated to the Levites

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And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

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Take it of them, that they may be used in doing the service of the tent of meeting; 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 belonged unto them; they bare it upon their shoulders.

The Princes Dedicate the Altar

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And the princes offered for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their oblation before the altar.

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And Jehovah said unto Moses, They shall offer their oblation, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar.

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

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and his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

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

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he offered for his oblation one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

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

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation 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:

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation 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:

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation 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:

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation 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:

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

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

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation 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:

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation 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:

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

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

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

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

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his oblation was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a 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 meal-offering;

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one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

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one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt-offering;

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one male of the goats for a sin-offering;

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and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the oblation of Ahira the son of Enan.

Summary of the Offerings

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This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden spoons;

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each silver platterweighinga hundred and thirtyshekels, and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand and four hundredshekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary;

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the twelve golden spoons, full of incense, weighingtenshekelsapiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons a hundred and twentyshekels;

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all the oxen for the burnt-offering twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the he-lambs a year old twelve, and their meal-offering; and the males of the goats for a sin-offering twelve;

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and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace-offerings twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the he-lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.

God Speaks from the Mercy Seat

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And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spake unto him.

Study Notes for Numbers 7

Verse 1

This verse contextualizes the chapter, placing the offerings immediately after the completion and anointing of the Tabernacle structures described in Exodus 40. This event signifies the formal beginning of the desert sanctuary service.

Verse 2

The donors are the “princes” or heads of the tribes, emphasizing that this was a corporate offering representing the commitment and resources of all Israel to the newly established sanctuary.

Verse 5

The wagons and oxen were practical necessities for the Levites, who were responsible for dismantling and transporting the heavy, bulky parts of the Tabernacle complex during their desert journeys.

Verse 9

A crucial distinction is made for the Kohathites, who were responsible for the most sacred items (Ark, altars). These items were required by law to be carried reverently on the shoulders using poles, forbidding the use of carts.

Verse 10

This event marks the formal consecration of the altar for use, following its anointing. The entire dedication ceremony spanned twelve consecutive days, symbolizing the unity of all twelve tribes in the worship of Yahweh.

Verse 11

God commands the structured, 12-day offering sequence, ensuring order and recognizing the equality and individual commitment of each tribe in establishing the central covenant ritual structure.

Verse 12

Nahshon, the prince of Judah, offers first. Although the order here differs slightly from the camp formation in Numbers 2, Judah consistently maintains its position as the leading tribe.

Verse 13

The precise measurements, especially the 'shekel of the sanctuary,' highlight the required value and sacredness of the offering. The grain offering (fine flour with oil) was an essential element of daily worship.

Verse 16

The inclusion of a sin offering, even during a dedication ceremony, acknowledges the inherent sinfulness of the people and the necessity for continuous atonement, even during times of celebration.

Verse 18

This begins the lengthy repetition of the identical offering given by all twelve princes. This repetition stresses the equality of the tribes and the standardized nature of acceptable worship before God.

Verse 84

This verse transitions from the detailed daily account to a cumulative summary, highlighting the immense collective contribution made by the tribal leaders toward the dedication.

Verse 85

The total silver weight of 2,400 shekels (roughly 60–75 pounds) demonstrates the great wealth and sacrifice involved, showing the high value placed on the Tabernacle furnishings.

Verse 88

The large quantity of animals designated for peace offerings (180 total) would have provided meat for a massive communal feast, symbolizing reconciliation and joyful fellowship between God and Israel.

Verse 89

This is the theological climax of the dedication. After Israel provides the physical sanctuary and offerings, God responds by meeting Moses and speaking directly from the Mercy Seat, confirming His active presence among His people.

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