Numbers 7 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

1. Preparing to leave Sinai (1:1–10:10) * Offerings from the tribes, dedicating the Levites, celebrating the Passover, and the cloud over the Dwelling (7:1–9:23)This chapter lists the offerings that each leader of the 12 Israelite tribes gave to Yahweh after Moses dedicated the altar.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Anointing and dedicating the altar

To set the altar apart for Yahweh, Moses poured olive oil on it. This was the “dedication” of the altar. After Moses did this, the leaders of the 12 tribes presented offerings to Yahweh, which Yahweh told Moses to give to the Levites. These offerings were called a “dedication,” since they were presented at the dedication of the altar. (See: dedicate and anoint)

The offerings

The leaders of the 12 Israelite tribes together presented six wagons and 12 oxen. The Levites would use these wagons and oxen as they set up, took down, and transported the sacred tent. Then, on successive days, each of the 12 leaders presented an offering to Yahweh. Each offering was identical with the others and included a silver dish and basin with flour and oil filling them, a small bowl or ladle with incense filling it, and animals for a burnt offering (a bull, a ram, and a male lamb), for a sin offering (a male goat), and for a peace offering (two cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs). The priests would use the animals, flour, and incense to make sacrifices to Yahweh. The priests would use the dishes, basins, and ladles regularly during their work at the sacred tent.

The shekel of the holy place

A “shekel” is a standard of weight. There were several different definitions of the weight of a “shekel.” The phrase “the shekel of the holy place” identifies a specific definition: the one used by the priests at the sacred tent. This shekel weighed about 11 grams. Throughout this chapter, the author makes it clear that it is this weight for “shekel” that the leaders used to weigh the gold and silver dishes that they presented to Yahweh. (See: translate-bweight)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Sequence with the previous chapters

This chapter begins with a specific date: the day that Moses set up and consecrated the sacred tent and the altar. According to [Exodus 40:17](../exo/40/17.md), that day was the first day of the first month of the second year. However, [Numbers 1:1](../01/01.md) indicates that the census and the instructions for the Levites in chapters 1–4 began on the first day of the second month of the second year. So, the events narrated in this chapter took place before the events of Numbers 1–4. You may need to make this explicit for your readers. See the notes on [7:1–2](../07/01.md) for specific issues and translation options.

“Sons of [tribe or clan]”

Throughout this chapter, the phrase “sons of [tribe or clan name]” appears. This phrase refers to the people who belong to the tribe or clan as if they were the direct “sons” of the man whom the tribe or clan was named after. Consider how you would naturally refer to the members of a tribe or clan. The UST uses the phrase “descendants of [tribe name].” (See: figs-metaphor)

Names from earlier in Numbers

In this chapter, the author includes twice the name of each leader and the name of each leader’s father. These names already appeared in Numbers 1 in identical form. Be sure that you translate them in exactly the same way in this chapter. (See: translate-names)

Repetition

The list of items offered by each of the leaders is very repetitive. In fact, words that indicate what items the leader gave are exactly identical in each of the twelve sections. Most likely, this kind of repetition represents a list or table in sentence form. The author thought that listing each item for each leader was important, perhaps to indicate that each tribe shared equally in this task or to reenact with words how the Israelites dedicated the altar with these offerings. Because of this, it is recommended that you do not shorten the repetition. Instead, be sure that the repeated verses are translated in the same way. You could also use formatting to make these verses look more like a list and enable readers to follow the repetition better. See the UST for an example of one way to do this.