Numbers 7:88

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.

And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks,.... Each prince bringing two: the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty; five of each being brought by every prince; so that the whole number of beasts for peace offerings only, which were to feast with, were two hundred four: this was the dedication of the altar after that it was anointed; this clearly shows, that it was not the precise day the altar was anointed the dedication was made, but some little time after; even that the first prince brought his presents and offerings for the dedication of it.

84-88. This was the dedication of the altar—The inspired historian here sums up the separate items detailed in the preceding narrative, and the aggregate amount is as follows: 12 silver chargers, each weighing 130 shekels equals 1560; 12 silver bowls, each 70 shekels equals 840: total weight. A silver charger at 130 shekels, reduced to troy weight, made 75 ounces, 9 pennyweights, 168.31 grains; and a silver bowl at 70 shekels amounts to 40 ounces, 12 pennyweights, 2121.31 grains. The total weight of the 12 chargers is therefore 905 ounces, 16 pennyweights, 33.11 grains; and that of the 12 bowls 487 ounces, 14 pennyweights, 204.31 grains; making the total weight of silver vessels 1393 ounces, 10 pennyweights, 237.31 grains; which at 5s. per ounce, is equal to £383 1s. 8½d. The 12 golden spoons, allowing each to be 5 ounces, 16 pennyweights, 3.31 grains, amount to 69 ounces, 3 pennyweights, 135.31 grains, which, at £4 per ounce, is equal to £320 14s. 10½d., and added to the amount of the silver, makes a total of £703 16s. 6½d. Besides these the offerings comprised twelve bullocks, twelve rams, twelve lambs, twenty-four goats, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty lambs—amounting in all to 240. So large a collection of cattle offered for sacrifice on one occasion proves both the large flocks of the Israelites and the abundance of pastures which were then, and still are, found in the valleys that lie between the Sinaitic Mountains.

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] he twelve princes offer gifts; which are delivered to the Gershonites and the Merarites, Num_7:1-11. What they offered in particular of silver, gold, vessels, and beasts, Num_7:12-83. The sum thereof, Num_7:84- 88. God spake to Moses from the mercy-seat, Num_7:89. ## On the day; either, ## 1. Precisely; and so this history, as many others, is put out of its proper place, and this chapter, and the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th, should follow next after Exo 40 and this day is the same on which the tabernacle was erected, which was the first day of the first month of the second year, Exo_40:17 ,18 . Or, ## 2. Largely, day being put for time, and ## o n the day for about the time , or, a little after the time. And thus it seems to be taken here, because all the princes did not offer the se things upo n one and the same day, but on several days, as here it follows. And so there is no disorder in the history, and this chapter comes in its proper place, and those things were done in the second month of the second year after the tabernacle, and altar, and all other instruments thereof were anointed, as is here expressed ; and after the Levites were separated to the service of ## the tabernacle, and appointed to their several works, as is manifest from Num_7:5-9, which was done about a month after the tabernacle was erected, &c.; and after the numbering of the people, Num 1

[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

Leviticus 21:22 , Ezekiel 42:13 , Ezra 2:63 , 2 Chronicles 31:14 ); of things ‘devoted’ to Jehovah ( Leviticus 27:28 ); of the entire Temple, with the territory belonging to it, in Ezekiel’s vision ( Ezekiel 43:12 ; Ezekiel 45:3 ; Ezekiel 48:12 ); and once (perhaps) of the priests ( 1 Chronicles 23:13 ), ‘And Aaron was separated, to sanctify him as (a thing) most holy[337], him and his sons for ever, to burn incense, &c.’: ‘ the holy of holies,’ or ‘ the most holy (place),’ is also the name, in particular, of the inmost part of the Tent of meeting, and of the Temple, in which the ark was ( Exodus 26:33 , and frequently). As no object is called in particular ‘a most holy (thing),’ general considerations, viewed in the light of the context, can alone determine what is here intended. A material object, rather than a person, is certainly most naturally denoted by the expression, and most probably either the altar of burnt-offering (which was in particular desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes), or the Temple generally, is what is meant. The term anoint is used both of the altar of burnt-offering in particular, and of the Tent of meeting and vessels belonging to it in general, in Exodus 29:36 ; Exodus 30:26-28 (cf. Exodus 40:9-11 ; Leviticus 8:10-11 ; Numbers 7:1 ; Numbers 7:10 ; Numbers 7:84 ; Numbers 7:88 ),—each time immediately preceding the passages quoted above for the use in the same connexion of the term ‘most holy.’ The consecration of a temple in the Messianic age (cf.