🔢WEB · Numbers 7:2
What does Numbers 7:2 mean?
"the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were counted:"
— Numbers 7:2 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
On the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them;
the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were counted:
and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”
Explanation
Numbers 7:2 introduces the leaders of Israel who came forward to present offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle. In plain language, the verse tells us that the "princes" — a term meaning tribal chiefs or leaders, not royalty in the modern sense — brought gifts. These men are identified as "heads of their fathers' houses," meaning they were the patriarchal leaders of their extended family clans within each of the twelve tribes. The verse also notes that these were the same men who had earlier been placed in charge of the census, tying this moment back to the numbering of the people described in Numbers 1 and 2.
The book of Numbers was written by Moses, addressed to the Israelites during their wilderness journey after the exodus from Egypt. This particular chapter falls right after the tabernacle has been completed and consecrated (as recorded at the end of
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