Numbers 7:2
in Numbers 7And the leaders of Israel, the heads of their families, presented an offering. These men were the tribal leaders who had supervised the registration.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were over them that were numbered:
KJV
That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:
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This verse in Numbers 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle
on Numbers 7:1-3
The chapter is dated to the day the tabernacle was fully set up, anointed and sanctified, which Exodus 40:17 puts on the first day of the first month of the second year. The princes bring transport before they bring anything else, six covered wagons and twelve oxen, so the first gift to the sanctuary is the means of moving it. Nothing in the tabernacle instructions had asked for wagons.
This site's exposition
who had supervised the registration
Calvin reads the phrase to mean these twelve were made chiefs once the census was finished, and he calls the idea that they helped count the people far-fetched. Numbers 1:5-15 names the same twelve as the men who assisted Moses at the count. Matthew Henry notes that the highest in rank give first.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That the princes of Israel,....
Note, Those that are above others in power and dignity ought to go before others, and endeavour to go beyond them, in every thing that is good. The more any are advanced the more is expected from them, on account of the greater opportunity they have of serving God and their generation.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
“Scripture does not say ‘on the day that Moses set up’ [but it states ‘on the day that Moses had finished setting up’].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙ | vaiyakrivu | and they brought near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| נְשִׂיאֵ֣י | nesiei | [the] leaders of | H5387 → | 134 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| רָאשֵׁ֖י | rashei | [the] heads of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲבֹתָ֑ם | ʾavotam | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הֵ֚ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| נְשִׂיאֵ֣י | nesiei | [were] [the] leaders of | H5387 → | 134 times |
| הַמַּטֹּ֔ת | hamatot | the tribes | H4294 → | 252 times |
| הֵ֥ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| הָעֹמְדִ֖ים | haomedim | [were] the [ones who] stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַפְּקֻדִֽים׃ | hapekudim | the enrolled [men] | H6485 → | 303 times |
וַיַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙and they brought near
vaiyakrivuH7126 →280 times
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י[the] leaders of
nesieiH5387 →134 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
רָאשֵׁ֖י[the] heads of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אֲבֹתָ֑םancestors their
ʾavotamH1 →1212 times
הֵ֚םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י[were] [the] leaders of
nesieiH5387 →134 times
הַמַּטֹּ֔תthe tribes
hamatotH4294 →252 times
הֵ֥םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
הָעֹמְדִ֖ים[were] the [ones who] stood
haomedimH5975 →521 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַפְּקֻדִֽים׃the enrolled [men]
hapekudimH6485 →303 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 35:27The leaders brought onyx stones and gemstones to mount on the ephod and breastpiece,
it leads to
- Ezra 2:68
When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site.
- 1 Chronicles 29:6
Then the leaders of the households, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.
- Exodus 35:9
and onyx stones and gemstones to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
- Ezra 2:68
Through
2 Chronicles 35:8His officials also contributed willingly to the people and priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 Passover offerings and 300 bulls.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 29:31–33
Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings,…
- Ezra 7:16
together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in…
- Nehemiah 7:70–72
Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments.
- 1 Chronicles 9:20
In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.
- Psalms 45:12
The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; men of wealth will seek your favor.
- 2 Chronicles 29:31–33
About Numbers
This page draws on John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.