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Numbers 7: What the Passage Says

240 claims across 89 verses, in the order the chapter makes them.

Not a sermon outline. What Numbers 7 says, and what its hard words meant. The reading of it is yours.

The Chapter in a Sentence

On the day the tabernacle was set up and anointed, the twelve tribal leaders brought six covered wagons and twelve oxen, which Moses handed over to the Gershonites and Merarites for hauling the tent; the Kohathites got none, since they carried the holy objects on their shoulders. Then, one leader per day for twelve days, each brought an identical set of gifts for the dedication of the altar: a silver platter and bowl filled with flour and oil, a gold dish of incense, and animals for burnt, sin, and peace offerings. The chapter lists every leader's offering in full and then totals them all up. It closes with Moses entering the tent and hearing the voice speak to him from above the ark.

Claim by Claim

  1. 7:1
    • There was a day when Moses finished setting up the tabernacle.
    • Moses anointed the tabernacle.
    • Moses consecrated the tabernacle.
    • Moses anointed and consecrated all the tabernacle's furnishings.
    • Moses anointed the altar and all its utensils.
    • Moses consecrated the altar and all its utensils.
  2. 7:2
    • The leaders of Israel presented an offering.
    • These leaders were the heads of their fathers' houses.
    • These leaders were the leaders of the tribes.
    • These leaders were the ones who had stood over those who were counted.
  3. 7:3
    • They brought their offering before the LORD.
    • The offering was six covered wagons and twelve oxen.
    • There was one wagon for every two leaders.
    • There was one ox for each leader.
    • They presented them before the tabernacle.
  4. 7:4
    • The LORD spoke to Moses.
  5. 7:5
    • The LORD told Moses to accept the gifts from them.
    • The LORD said the gifts were to be used for the work of the tent of meeting.
    • The LORD told Moses to give them to the Levites.
    • The LORD said each man was to receive according to his service.
  6. 7:6
    • Moses took the wagons and the oxen.
    • Moses gave them to the Levites.
  7. 7:7
    • Moses gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon.
    • The gift to the sons of Gershon was according to their service.
  8. 7:8
    • Moses gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari.
    • The gift to the sons of Merari was according to their service.
    • The sons of Merari were under the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
  9. 7:9
    • Moses gave none to the sons of Kohath.
    • The service of the holy things belonged to the sons of Kohath.
    • The sons of Kohath were to carry it on their shoulders.
  10. 7:10
    • The leaders presented offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed.
    • The leaders presented their offering before the altar.
  11. 7:11
    • The LORD said to Moses that one leader per day was to present his offering.
    • The offerings were for the dedication of the altar.
  12. 7:12
    • The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab.
    • Nahshon was of the tribe of Judah.
  13. 7:13
    • Nahshon's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  14. 7:14
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  15. 7:15
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  16. 7:16
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  17. 7:17
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
  18. 7:18
    • On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar presented an offering.
    • Nethanel was leader of Issachar.
  19. 7:19
    • Nethanel's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  20. 7:20
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  21. 7:21
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  22. 7:22
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  23. 7:23
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
  24. 7:24
    • On the third day the leader of the sons of Zebulun presented an offering.
    • That leader was Eliab son of Helon.
  25. 7:25
    • Eliab's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  26. 7:26
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  27. 7:27
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  28. 7:28
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  29. 7:29
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
  30. 7:30
    • On the fourth day the leader of the sons of Reuben presented an offering.
    • That leader was Elizur son of Shedeur.
  31. 7:31
    • Elizur's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  32. 7:32
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  33. 7:33
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  34. 7:34
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  35. 7:35
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
  36. 7:36
    • On the fifth day the leader of the sons of Simeon presented an offering.
    • That leader was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
  37. 7:37
    • Shelumiel's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  38. 7:38
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  39. 7:39
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  40. 7:40
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  41. 7:41
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
  42. 7:42
    • On the sixth day the leader of the sons of Gad presented an offering.
    • That leader was Eliasaph son of Deuel.
  43. 7:43
    • Eliasaph's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  44. 7:44
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  45. 7:45
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  46. 7:46
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  47. 7:47
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
  48. 7:48
    • On the seventh day the leader of the sons of Ephraim presented an offering.
    • That leader was Elishama son of Ammihud.
  49. 7:49
    • Elishama's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  50. 7:50
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  51. 7:51
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  52. 7:52
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  53. 7:53
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
  54. 7:54
    • On the eighth day the leader of the sons of Manasseh presented an offering.
    • That leader was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
  55. 7:55
    • Gamaliel's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  56. 7:56
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  57. 7:57
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  58. 7:58
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  59. 7:59
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
  60. 7:60
    • On the ninth day the leader of the sons of Benjamin presented an offering.
    • That leader was Abidan son of Gideoni.
  61. 7:61
    • Abidan's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  62. 7:62
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  63. 7:63
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  64. 7:64
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  65. 7:65
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
  66. 7:66
    • On the tenth day the leader of the sons of Dan presented an offering.
    • That leader was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
  67. 7:67
    • Ahiezer's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  68. 7:68
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  69. 7:69
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  70. 7:70
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  71. 7:71
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
  72. 7:72
    • On the eleventh day the leader of the sons of Asher presented an offering.
    • That leader was Pagiel son of Ocran.
  73. 7:73
    • Pagiel's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  74. 7:74
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  75. 7:75
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  76. 7:76
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  77. 7:77
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.
  78. 7:78
    • On the twelfth day the leader of the sons of Naphtali presented an offering.
    • That leader was Ahira son of Enan.
  79. 7:79
    • Ahira's offering included one silver platter.
    • The silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • His offering included one silver bowl of seventy shekels.
    • The weights were by the sanctuary shekel.
    • Both vessels were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
    • The flour and oil were for a grain offering.
  80. 7:80
    • His offering included one dish of gold weighing ten shekels.
    • The gold dish was full of incense.
  81. 7:81
    • His offering included one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old.
    • These were for a burnt offering.
  82. 7:82
    • His offering included one male goat for a sin offering.
  83. 7:83
    • For the peace offering sacrifice he offered two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old.
    • This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
  84. 7:84
    • This was the dedication offering of the altar on the day it was anointed.
    • The dedication offering came from the leaders of Israel.
    • It included twelve silver platters.
    • It included twelve silver bowls.
    • It included twelve gold dishes.
  85. 7:85
    • Each silver platter weighed one hundred thirty shekels.
    • Each bowl weighed seventy shekels.
    • All the silver of the vessels weighed two thousand four hundred shekels by the sanctuary shekel.
  86. 7:86
    • There were twelve gold dishes full of incense.
    • Each dish weighed ten shekels by the sanctuary shekel.
    • All the gold of the dishes was one hundred twenty shekels.
  87. 7:87
    • The livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls.
    • The rams totaled twelve.
    • The male lambs a year old totaled twelve.
    • Their grain offering accompanied them.
    • The male goats for the sin offering totaled twelve.
  88. 7:88
    • The livestock for the peace offering sacrifice totaled twenty-four bulls.
    • The rams totaled sixty.
    • The male goats totaled sixty.
    • The male lambs a year old totaled sixty.
    • This was the dedication offering of the altar after it was anointed.
  89. 7:89
    • Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him.
    • Moses heard the voice speaking to him.
    • The voice came from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony.
    • The voice came from between the two cherubim.
    • He spoke to Moses.

Words Worth Explaining

Every language note in this chapter, gathered. These explain what a word meant, never what it means for the reader.

7:1
The tabernacle was the portable tent-sanctuary Israel carried through the wilderness. Its construction and setting up are described at the end of Exodus, dated to the first day of the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt (about a month before the census that opens Numbers, so this chapter reaches back to an earlier moment. "Anointed" means smeared or poured over with a specially blended olive oil; to "sanctify" (KJV) is to set an object apart for exclusive use in worship, removing it from ordinary use. The "instruments" and "vessels" of the KJV are simply the furnishings and utensils) tools, pans, basins.
7:2
KJV "princes" does not mean royal sons; the Hebrew word means chiefs or leaders, the men at the head of each tribe. A "house of their fathers" is an extended family group traced from a common ancestor. "Them that were numbered" refers to the census of fighting men in Numbers 1, which these same men supervised.
7:3
The Hebrew word for these wagons occurs rarely and its exact form is uncertain; "covered" may mean roofed or awninged, or possibly litter-like. Oxen were the standard draft animals for heavy hauling.
7:5
"Tabernacle of the congregation" (KJV) is better understood as tent of meeting, the place where God and Moses met, not a place where the congregation assembled inside.
7:6
The Levites were the descendants of Levi, one of Jacob's twelve sons. Instead of receiving territory, they were assigned the care, transport and guarding of the sanctuary.
7:7
Gershon, Kohath and Merari were the three sons of Levi, and their descendants formed three clans with separate duties. The Gershonites carried the tabernacle's fabric: curtains, coverings, hangings and screens, bulky but light, so two wagons sufficed.
7:8
The Merarites carried the tabernacle's frame (the wooden boards, bars, pillars, pegs and their metal sockets) the heaviest load, hence twice as many wagons. Ithamar was Aaron's youngest surviving son; he supervised these two clans.
7:9
The Kohathites were responsible for the most sacred objects (the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars) which were fitted with poles and carried by hand rather than transported on carts.
7:10
Dedication here means the ceremony inaugurating the altar for use, marking the point at which it began to function.
7:11
The ceremony ran twelve days, one tribe per day, and each brought exactly the same gift. No tribe was allowed to outdo another or to be crowded out.
7:12
Nahshon leads because the tribes present their gifts in the order of their camping arrangement set out in Numbers 2 (Judah first on the east, then Issachar and Zebulun, and so on around the camp), not in the order of the brothers' birth.
7:13
A "charger" in 1611 English is a large flat serving dish or platter, nothing to do with horses. A shekel was a unit of weight, not yet a coin; the "shekel of the sanctuary" was the official standard kept for sacred use, about 11.4 grams (two-fifths of an ounce). The platter therefore weighed roughly 1.5 kg (3¼ lb) of silver and the bowl about 800 g (1¾ lb). KJV "meat offering" is a false friend: in 1611 "meat" meant food of any kind, and this offering contained no flesh at all: it was an offering of grain, flour mixed with olive oil.
7:14
KJV "spoon" translates a word for a shallow dish or pan, roughly the shape of a cupped hand. Incense was a blend of aromatic gum resins burned to produce fragrant smoke; ten shekels of gold is about 115 g (4 oz).
7:15
In a burnt offering the whole animal was burned on the altar, with nothing kept back to be eaten.
7:16
"Kid of the goats" simply means a young male goat. The sin offering (the Hebrew term also carries the sense of a purification offering) was made to cleanse the sanctuary and the worshiper of defilement.
7:17
The peace offering, also translated fellowship or well-being offering, was the one sacrifice shared as a meal: certain fatty portions were burned, a share went to the priests, and the rest was eaten by the person who brought it and his household.
7:18
From here the text repeats the identical inventory twelve times, once for each tribe, instead of saying "the same again." The full listing is deliberate: each tribe's gift is recorded in its own right, in the manner of an official register.
7:19
This was a gift of grain to God.
7:42
This leader's father is called Deuel here and in Numbers 1 and 10, but Reuel in Numbers 2. The difference is a single similar-looking Hebrew letter, and ancient manuscripts and translations divide over which is original.
7:48
Levi does not appear among these twelve leaders, because that tribe was assigned to the sanctuary rather than counted with the rest. Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each head a tribe of their own, which keeps the total at twelve.
7:84
This closing summary works like an inventory receipt, listing the totals so the record could be checked. Such itemized totals were standard practice in ancient temple and palace accounts.
7:85
The total silver comes to roughly 27 kg (about 60 lb).
7:86
The total gold comes to roughly 1.4 kg (about 3 lb).
7:89
The "mercy seat" is the solid gold cover of the ark; the Hebrew word is related to the verb for wiping away or atoning, and some translators render it "cover" or "place of atonement." The ark was a gold-plated wooden chest holding the stone tablets, called the "testimony" because they recorded the terms God set out for Israel. Cherubim were winged composite figures, familiar in ancient Near Eastern art as guardians flanking a throne; "cherubims" in the KJV is a double plural, since the -im ending is already the Hebrew plural. The Hebrew of the verse leaves "to speak with him" without naming who "him" is, though the sense is that Moses went in to speak with the LORD.

Read Numbers 7