Numbers 7:1

_AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FULLY SET UP THE TABERNACLE, AND HAD ANOINTED IT, AND SANCTIFIED IT, AND ALL THE INSTRUMENTS THEREOF, BOTH THE ALTAR AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF, AND HAD ANOINTED THEM, AND SANCTIFIED THEM;_ The day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle. Those who take the word "day" as literally pointing to the exact date of the completion of the tabernacle are under a necessity of considering the sacred narrative as disjointed, and this portion of the history, from the seventh to the eleventh chapters, as out of its place-the chronology requiring that it should have immediately followed the fortieth chapter of Exodus, which relates that the tabernacle was reared on the first day of the first month of the second year. But that the term "day" is used in a loose and indeterminate sense, as synonymous with time, is evident from the fact that not one day...

1._And it came to pass on the day that Moses _This was the second contribution of the people, after the completion of the Tabernacle; for although mention is only made of the princes, it is probable that each of them presented what the whole tribe had subscribed, since there was no private person at that time wealthy enough to give so much gold and silver of his own. Let it be understood, then, that they brought in the name, and at the desire of all, what they had received from the members of their respective tribes. Before, however, I proceed any further, it must be remarked that the sacrifices were not killed, before the sanctuary was anointed. Moses himself is said to have anointed it, as he had his brother Aaron; for the exposition of some, that what properly applies to Aaron is attributed to his brother, does not appear to be sound. We have said elsewhere that God thus freely used t...

1-9 The offering of the princes to the service of the tabernacle was not made till it was fully set up. Necessary observances must always take place of free-will offerings. The more any are advanced, the greater opportunity they have of serving God and their generation. No sooner was the tabernacle set up, than provision is made for the removal of it. Even when but just settled in the world, we must be preparing for changes and removes, especially for the great change....

CHAPTER VII _When the tabernacle was fully set up, it appeared that the_ _princes of the twelve tribes had prepared six covered wagons,_ _drawn by two oxen each, one wagon for two tribes, for the_ _service of the tabernacle_, 1-3. _Moses is commanded to receive this offering, and distribute the_ _whole to the Levites according to their service_, 4, 5. _Moses does so, and gives two wagons and four oxen to the sons of_ Gershon, 6, 7; _and four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of_ Merari, 8. _The sons of_ Kohath have none, becaus

ON THE DAY THAT - i. e. “at the time that,” compare Genesis 2:4. The presentation of the gifts in fact occupied twelve days, as the sequel shows. The enactments set forth in the chapters from Leviticus 10 to Numbers 6 inclusive, were doubtless promulgated at various times between the consecration of the tabernacle and the departure from Sinai, but are for convenience set out connectedly. The contents of the present chapter are accordingly placed after them. The order pursued throughout is justly noted as one which would naturally suggest itself to a narrator who was contemporary with the events....

EXPOSITION THE OFFERINGS OF THE PRINCES (Numbers 7:1). NUMBERS 7:1 ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD fully SET UP THE TABERNACLE. This expression, "on the day", has given rise to considerable difficulty. Strictly speaking it should mean the first day of the first month of the second year (Exodus 40:17); and so the Targum of Palestine, "It was on the day which begins the month Nisan." It is, however, quite clear from the narrative itself, as well as from its position, that the offerings were not actually made until after the taking of the census and the distribution of their resp

AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FULLY SET UP THE TABERNACLE,.... Not on the very exact day on which it was first reared up, for that was on the first day of the first month of the second year from the coming up of Israel out of Egypt, Exodus 40:17; whereas the following offerings of the princes were not offered, and many other things previous to them, recorded in the preceding Chapter s, were not done, until after the first day of the second month of that year, Numbers 1:1; though the Jews say e the first of Nisan, or of the first month, was the first for various things, and the first on which the princes offered; but no one particular day can be intended, because the princes were twelve days successively offering their offerings; wherefore "the day" here only denotes the time about which it was whe

5. THE OFFERINGS OF THE PRINCES CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The princes present their offerings (Numbers 7:1)_ 2. The command concerning these offerings and the Levites (Numbers 7:4) 3. The twelve princes and what they offered (Numbers 7:12) 4. Moses hears the voice from the mercy-seat (Numbers 7:89) This is the longest chapter in Numbers. The princes of Israel appear to bring their free-will offerings in six covered wagons drawn each by two oxen. No command had been given. With a willing heart they devoted of their possessions to the service of the sanctuary. The Lord accepting the offerings gave directions that

OFFERINGS OF WAGONS AND OXEN FOR THE TRANSPORT OF THE TABERNACLE. The offerings here mentioned are represented as having been made immediately after the erection of the Tabernacle (1), so that the date implied is a month earlier than that of ch. 1, though the census there described is here presupposed (2)_._ The wagons were to be used only for the conveyance of the hangings and woodwork of the Tabernacle. The Ark, as being more sacred, could only be borne by the Kohathites upon their shoulders. The idea that this, with the other contents of the Tabernacle, was too holy to be transported in wagons, and might be carried only on the shoulders of consecrated Levites, seems to have really been a post-Mosaic development. Even in David's time the Ark was conveyed in a cart (2 Samuel 6:3); but the death that befell Uzzah ...

TABERNACLE. habitation. Hebrew. _mishkan._ Compare Exodus 40:18. See App-40....