Numbers 7:10

The Time of Presentation

7:10 The leaders offered gifts for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed. And the leaders presented their offering before the altar.

Numbers 7:2

7:2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans, made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising the numbering.

Numbers 15:33

15:33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community.

Numbers 7:3

7:3 They brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts 10  and twelve oxen – one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.


tn The verse begins with the preterite and vav (ו) consecutive: “and they offered.”

tn The direct object, “gifts,” is implied but not actually stated in the Hebrew text. It has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.

tn The sign of the accusative here must indicate an adverbial accusative and not the direct object; they offered their gifts for the dedication of the altar.

sn Some commentators take the word “dedication” in the sense of a dedication gift, and so make it the direct object. Many modern scholars assume that this is a late word, belonging only in P, the Chronicler, and the heading of Ps 30 (a Davidic psalm).

tn The adverbial clause uses the Niphal infinitive construct as the main verb. The word is the well-known מָשַׁח (mashakh, “to anoint, smear”).

tn Heb “offered,” but this is redundant and has been translated as “presented” for stylistic reasons. The same phrase occurs in vv. 11 and 12.

tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”

tn The form is the Qal active participle from the verb “to stand” (עָמַד, ’amad). The form describes these leaders as “the ones standing over [the ones numbered].” The expression, along with the clear indication of the first census in chapter 1, shows that this was a supervisory capacity.

13 tn Heb “and they brought.”

14 sn For a discussion and drawings, see W. S. McCullough, IDB 1:540. But see also D. J. Wiseman, IBD 1:254.