Numbers 7 - Introduction

The offerings of the princes

This chapter affords the most striking instance in the Pentateuch of the Priestly style. The mechanical formulas and verbal repetitions are, to modern ears, monotonous and tautological; but for the writer it was evidently a delight to emphasize by this means the liberality of the princes. The twelve princes named in Numbers 1:5-15, one for each of the secular tribes, brought gifts for the Tabernacle. Firstly (Numbers 7:1), each prince gave an ox and each pair of princes gave a wagon. These were assigned by Moses to the Gershonites and Merarites for their work of transport. Secondly (Numbers 7:10), each prince made an offering, identically the same in every case flour mingled with oil in silver vessels for meal-offerings, a golden saucer or pan (R.V. -spoon") full of incense, and animals for burnt-, sin-, and peace-offerings. Jehovah commanded them to present their gifts on successive days (Numbers 7:11), and the writer therefore enumerates the items practically verbatimtwelve times. And in Numbers 7:84 he repeats them yet again with the figures multiplied by twelve, in order to sum up the grand total. He draws this ideal picture probably in order to encourage liberality for Temple purposes in his own day.