Numbers 7 · WEB
Offerings of the Tribal Leaders
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On the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them,
2the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, offered — these were the princes of the tribes, those who were over those who were numbered:
3and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two princes and an ox for each one; and they presented them before the tabernacle.
4Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
5"Accept these from them, that they may be used for doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service."
6Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.
7He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service.
8And he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
9But he gave none to the sons of Kohath, because their service was the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders.
10The princes gave offerings for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes gave their offering before the altar.
11Yahweh said to Moses, "They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar."
12He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah.
13His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
14one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
15one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
16one male goat for a sin offering;
17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, offered.
19He offered for his offering: one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
20one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
21one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
22one male goat for a sin offering;
23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.
24On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun.
25His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
26one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
27one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
28one male goat for a sin offering;
29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
30On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben.
31His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
32one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
33one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
34one male goat for a sin offering;
35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
36On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon.
37His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
38one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
39one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
40one male goat for a sin offering;
41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
42On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad.
43His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
44one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
45one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
46one male goat for a sin offering;
47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
48On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim.
49His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
50one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
51one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
52one male goat for a sin offering;
53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
54On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh.
55His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
56one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
57one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
58one male goat for a sin offering;
59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
60On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin.
61His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
62one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
63one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
64one male goat for a sin offering;
65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
66On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan.
67His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
68one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
69one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
70one male goat for a sin offering;
71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
72On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher.
73His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
74one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
75one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
76one male goat for a sin offering;
77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.
78On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali.
79His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels; one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
80one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
81one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
82one male goat for a sin offering;
83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
84This was the dedication offering of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, from the princes of Israel: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden ladles;
85each silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary;
86the twelve golden ladles full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the ladles was one hundred twenty shekels;
87all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve young bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their meal offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering;
88and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering of the altar, after it was anointed.
89When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Yahweh, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to him.
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Summary
Over twelve consecutive days, each tribal leader brings an identical offering to dedicate the newly anointed altar, one tribe per day. The repetition emphasizes that every tribe participates equally in the dedication — no tribe is more important than another before God. The chapter concludes with a remarkable note: Moses could enter the Tent of Meeting and hear God speaking to him from above the mercy seat between the cherubim.
Themes
- Equal participation and worth of every tribe before God
- Generosity in dedicating God's house
- God's accessibility to those he calls into his presence
- The importance of communal worship and giving
- Celebration and worship as responses to God's provision
Key verses
- Num 7:5 — “Accept these from them, that they may be used for doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”
- Num 7:84 — “This was the dedication offering of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, from the princes of Israel.”
- Num 7:89 — “When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Yahweh, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to him.”
Context & background
Numbers 7 is the longest chapter in the entire Bible (89 verses) and is set at the completion of the Tabernacle at Mount Sinai (Sinai Peninsula, modern Egypt). The deliberate repetition of each identical offering twelve times is theologically intentional: it honors each tribe individually rather than grouping them. The wagons and oxen given to the Gershonites and Merarites (but not the Kohathites, who carried on their shoulders) reflects the careful system of chapter 4. The closing verse about Moses hearing God from the mercy seat connects the elaborate dedication offerings to the ultimate purpose of the Tabernacle: not a building, but a meeting place between God and his people.
Cross-references
- 1 Kgs 8:62-66 — Solomon's massive dedication offerings at the completion of the Temple mirror this tribal pattern
- 2 Chr 7:1-3 — God's fire consuming the offerings and his glory filling the Temple, echoing the dedication of v. 89
- Ex 40:9-11 — The anointing of the Tabernacle and altar that preceded these offerings
- Heb 9:5 — The mercy seat (cherubim) referenced in v. 89 is interpreted in the context of Christ's atonement
- John 1:14 — "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us" — the ultimate fulfillment of the Tabernacle's purpose