Numbers 7:71

7:10-89 The princes and great men were most forward in the service of God. Here is an example to those in authority, and of the highest rank; they ought to use their honour and power, their estate and interest, to promote religion and the service of God in the places where they live. Though it was a time of joy and rejoicing, yet still, in the midst of their sacrifices, we find a sin-offering. As, in our best services, we are conscious that there is sin, there should be repentance, even in our most joyful services. In all approaches to God we must by faith look to Christ as the Sin-offering. They brought their offerings each on a day. God's work should not be done confusedly, or in a hurry; take time, and we shall have done the sooner, or, at least, we shall have done the better. If services are to be done for twelve days together, we must not call it a task and a burden. All their offerings were the same; all the tribes of Israel had an equal share in the altar, and an equal interest in the sacrifices offered upon it. He who now spake to Moses, as the Shechinah or Divine Majesty, from between the Cherubim, was the Eternal Word, the second Person in the Trinity; for all God's communion with man is by his Son, by whom he made the world, and rules the church, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

48. On the seventh day—Surprise has been expressed by some that this work of presentation was continued on the Sabbath. But assuming that the seventh day referred to was a Sabbath (which is uncertain), the work was of a directly religious character, and perfectly in accordance with the design of the sacred day.

All the princes brought the same gifts. The order in which the twelve princes, whose names have already been given at Numbers 1:5-15 , made their presentation, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp (ch. 2), the tribe-prince of Judah taking the lead, and the prince of Naphtali coming last. In the statements as to the weight of the silver kearoth and the golden cappoth, the word shekel is invariably omitted, as in Genesis 20:16 , etc. - In Numbers 7:84-86 , the dedication gifts are summed up, and the total weight given, viz., twelve silver dishes and twelve silver bowls, weighing together 2400 shekels, and twelve golden spoons, weighing 120 shekels in all. On the sacred shekel, see at Exodus 30:13 ; and on the probable value of the shekel of gold, at Exodus 38:24-25 . The sacrificial animals are added together in the same way in Numbers 7:87 , Numbers 7:88 .

[Reformed Biblical] mbers 7:70 Numbers 7:71 Numbers 7:72 Numbers 7:73 Numbers 7:74 N umbers 7:75 Numbers 7:76 Numbers 7:77 Numbers 7:78 Numbers 7:79 Numbers 7:80 Numbers 7:81 Numbers 7:82 Numbers 7:83 Numbers 7:84 ## When it was anointed: this is again repeated, to show why it is called the dedication of the altar. because it was the first offering made by any particular persons or tribes. Numbers 7:85 Numbers 7:86 Numbers 7:87 ## The meat-offering was not mentioned before, because it was sufficiently understood from the law which required it, Num_15:3-5, but for greater assurance is her e expressed. Numbers 7:88 Which words are very conveniently added to explain in what sense he had so oft said that this was done

Verse 5. - The report of the numbers as given in this verse does not tally with that of the parallel place. Here they are three hundred thousand more for Israel, and thirty thousand fewer for Judah, than there. No really satisfactory explanation of these discrepancies has yet appeared. The somewhat ingenious suggestion that the Chronicle-compiler counted in the standing army (two hundred and eighty-eight thousand, 1 Chronicles 27:1-15 ) for Israel, and omitted from Judah a supposed "thirty thousand," under the head of "the thirty" of our ch. 11; while the writer of the Book of Samuel did exactly the converse, - can scarcely pass muster, although it must be noticed that it would meet in the main the exigencies of the case. A likelier suggestion might be found in a comparison of the statements of our ver. 6 compared with 1 Chronicles 27:22-24 . Indeed, the last sentence of this last-quoted verse ( 1 Chronicles 27:24 ) may possibly contain the explanation of all (cutup. Numbers 1:47-50 ; Numbers 2:33 ). That Joab utterly refused to number Levi, because this was a thing most distinctly prohibited (and further because it was not material to David's presumable objects), was quite to be expected. And though Joab is said in the following verse not to have numbered Benjamin, it is possible enough that he may have known this number ( 1 Chronicles 7:6-11 ). Yet see what follows. 1 Chronicles 21:5

12 . Cf. Exodus 30:13 ; Leviticus 27:25 ; Numbers 3:47 ; Numbers 18:16 . The verse at present is without meaning. Read after LXX. (cod. Alex.): and the shekel shall be twenty gerahs; five (shekels) shall be five, and ten shekels ten, and fifty shekels shall be your maneh (mina). The text is grammatically suspicious, and the way in which “fifteen” is supposed to be expressed, viz. “ten and five” is without parallel. The statement that “five shekels shall be five,” &c., does not imply that there were five and ten shekel pieces, but means that just weighing of money shall prevail, and five go for five, no more and no less. The passage has been fully discussed by Bertheau ( Zur Gesch. der Israeliten , pp. 8–14), whose table of money weights may be given (p. 14): Talent 1 Maneh 60 1 Shekel 3,000 50 1 Beka 6,000 100 2 1 Gera 60,000 1,000 20 10 1. Cf. Exodus 38:25 ; Leviticus 27:3 ; Leviticus 27:6 ; Joshua 7:21 ; 1 Kings 10:17 ; Ezra 2:69 ; Nehemiah 7:71 .