^7:1¹ When Moses had completed setting up the tabernacle,² he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and he anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. ^7:2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans,³ made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising⁴ the numbering. ^7:3They brought⁵ their offering before the Lord, six covered carts⁶ and twelve oxen—one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.

The Distribution of the Gifts

^7:4Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ^7:5“Receive these gifts⁷ from them, that they may be⁸ used in doing the work⁹ of the tent of meeting; and you must give them to the Levites, to every man¹⁰ as his service requires.”¹¹

^7:6So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. ^7:7He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their service required; ^7:8and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their service required, under the authority¹² of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. ^7:9But to the Kohathites he gave none, because the service of the holy things, which they carried¹³ on their shoulders, was their responsibility.¹⁴

The Time of Presentation

^7:10The leaders offered¹⁵ gifts¹⁶ for¹⁷ the dedication¹⁸ of the altar when it was anointed.¹⁹ And the leaders presented²⁰ their offering before the altar. ^7:11For the Lord said to Moses, “They must present their offering, one leader for each day,²¹ for the dedication of the altar.”

The Tribal Offerings

^7:12The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah.²²^7:13His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels,²³ and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:14one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:15one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:16one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

^7:18On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. ^7:19He offered for his offering one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:20one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:21one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:22one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

^7:24On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the Zebulunites, presented an offering.²⁴^7:25His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:26one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:27one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:28one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

^7:30On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the Reubenites, presented an offering. ^7:31His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:32one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:33one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:34one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

^7:36On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the Simeonites, presented an offering. ^7:37His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:38one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:39one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:40one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Sheloumiel son of Zurishaddai.

^7:42On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the Gadites, presented an offering. ^7:43His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:44one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:45one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:46one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

^7:48On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the Ephraimites, presented an offering. ^7:49His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:50one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:51one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:52one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

^7:54On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the Manassehites, presented an offering. ^7:55His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:56one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:57one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:58one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

^7:60On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites, presented an offering. ^7:61His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:62one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:63one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:64one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

^7:66On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Amishaddai, leader of the Danites, presented an offering. ^7:67His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:68one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:69one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:70one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Amishaddai.

^7:72On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, leader of the Asherites, presented an offering. ^7:73His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:74one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:75one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:76one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

^7:78On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the Naphtalites, presented an offering. ^7:79His offering was one silver platter weighing 130 shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing 70 shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each of them full of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ^7:80one gold pan weighing 10 shekels, full of incense; ^7:81one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; ^7:82one male goat for a purification offering; ^7:83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

Summary

^7:84This was the dedication for the altar from the leaders of Israel, when it was anointed: twelve…

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Footnotes

1 This long and repetitious chapter has several parts to it: the introduction (vv. 1–3), the assigning of gifts (vv. 4–9), the time of presentation (vv. 10–11), and then the tribes (vv. 12–83), and then a summary (vv. 84–89).
2 The construction of this line begins with the temporal indicator (traditionally translated “and it came to pass”) and then after the idiomatic “in the day of” (= “when”) uses the Piel infinitive construct from כָּלָה (kalah). The infinitive is governed by the subjective genitive, “Moses,” the formal subject of the clause. The object of the infinitive is the second infinitive, “to set up” (לְהָקִים, léhaqim). This infinitive, the Hiphil, serves as the direct object, answering the question of what it was that Moses completed. The entire clause is an adverbial clause of time. This chapter belongs chronologically after Lev 8:11, because Aaron and his sons were not yet made the celebrants and officiants of the new shrine (completed in Exodus). Here then chapters 7–9 are actually earlier than chapters 1–6, and form a supplement by adding information not found in Exodus and Leviticus. The first verse here recapitulates the first act of Moses in consecrating the shrine (Exod 30:23–31).
3 Heb “the house of their fathers.”
4 The form is the Qal active participle from the verb “to stand” (עָמַד, ’amad). The form describes these leaders as “the ones standing over [the ones numbered].” The expression, along with the clear indication of the first census in chapter 1, shows that this was a supervisory capacity.
5 Heb “and they brought.”
6 For a discussion and drawings, see W. S. McCullough, 1:540. But see also D. J. Wiseman, IBD 1:254.
7 The object is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied.
8 The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; following the imperative, this could be given an independent volitive translation (“they shall be”), but more fittingly a subordinated translation expressing the purpose of receiving the gifts.
9 The sentence uses the infinitive construct expressing purpose, followed by its cognate accusative: “[that they may be] for doing the work of” (literally, “serving the service of”).
10 The noun אִישׁ (’ish) is in apposition to the word “Levites,” and is to be taken in a distributive sense: “to the Levites, [to each] man according to his service.”
11 The expression כְּפִי (kéfi) is “according to the mouth of.” Here, it would say “according to the mouth of his service,” which would mean “what his service calls for.”
12 Heb “hand.”
13 The verb is the imperfect tense, but it describes their customary activity—they had to carry, they used to carry.
14 Heb “upon them,” meaning “their duty.”
15 The verse begins with the preterite and vav (ו) consecutive: “and they offered.”
16 The direct object, “gifts,” is implied but not actually stated in the Hebrew text. It has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
17 The sign of the accusative here must indicate an adverbial accusative and not the direct object; they offered their gifts for the dedication of the altar.
18 Some commentators take the word “dedication” in the sense of a dedication gift, and so make it the direct object. Many modern scholars assume that this is a late word, belonging only in P, the Chronicler, and the heading of Ps 30 (a Davidic psalm).
19 The adverbial clause uses the Niphal infinitive construct as the main verb. The word is the well-known מָשַׁח (mashakh, “to anoint, smear”).
20 Heb “offered,” but this is redundant and has been translated as “presented” for stylistic reasons. The same phrase occurs in vv. 11 and 12.
21 The distributive sense is achieved by repetition: “one leader for the day, one leader for the day.”
22 The tribe of Judah is listed first. It seems that it had already achieved a place of prominence based on the patriarchal promise of the Messiahship in Judah (Gen 49:10).
23 The word “shekels” has been supplied in the translation for clarity. So also in vv. 19, 20, 25, 26, 31, 32, 37, 38, 43, 44, 49, 50, 55, 56, 60, 62, 66, 68, 73, 74, 79, 85, 86.
24 The phrase “presented an offering” is not found in the Hebrew text at this point but has been supplied to clarify what action is being done. The same phrase is absent from the Hebrew text in the following verses which tell who makes the offerings (7:30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60, 66, 72, 78).