Chapter Seven

Offerings of the leaders of the Hebrew tribes at the dedication of the tabernacle.

Numbers 7:11. And the Lord said to Moses: “Let one leader of a tribe present his offering each day for the dedication of the altar. “One leader each day”: for greater solemnity, greater focus of attention on the offerings and the one presenting them, and also for the inconvenience of combining the abundant offerings of the tribes. The valuable offerings and the animals brought as sacrifices were entirely identical, which suggests a preliminary inter-tribal agreement.

Numbers 7:15. one bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; Numbers 7:16. one male goat for a sin offering; Numbers 7:17. and for the sacrifice of well-being, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. First was offered the sin offering (Lev 4:22-23), then — the burnt offering (Lev 1:3-9) and finally — the offering of well-being (Lev 3:3-9), with a concluding meal.