🔢WEB · Numbers 7:15
What does Numbers 7:15 mean?
"one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;"
— Numbers 7:15 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah,
and his offering was: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
one male goat for a sin offering;
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, gave his offering.
Explanation
Numbers 7:15 records part of a repeated formula describing the gifts brought by the leaders of Israel's twelve tribes at the dedication of the tabernacle. In plain language, this particular leader brought three animals to be offered as a burnt offering: a young bull, a ram, and a male lamb that was one year old. These specifications mattered in ancient Israelite worship — the animals had to be male, without defect, and of a specified age, ensuring that what was offered to God was of genuine value and met the standards laid out in the sacrificial law given earlier in Exodus and Leviticus.
The context is the aftermath of the tabernacle's completion, described in Numbers 7. Moses had just finished setting up the tabernacle and anointing it, and the leaders of each of the twelve tribes came forward, one by one, over twelve days, to present offerings for its dedication. This chapter is written by Moses (or compiled under his direction, as part of the Pentateuch) to record for Israel — and for future generations — exactly what each
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