Numbers 7:11

Num 7:11 And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.

Ver. 11. For the dedicating of the altar.] No warrant at all for Popish dedications of altars, churches, religious houses built for superstitious uses, as appears in stories: {a} as pro remissione et redemptione peccatorum; pro remedio et liberatione animae; pro amore caelestis patriae; pro salute regnorum; in honorem gloriosae virginis, &c.

{a} Act. and Mon.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 7:11. Each prince in his day — Thus the dedication continued no less than twelve days, which made it very solemn, and gave to every tribe an opportunity, by its representative, to express their devotion and reverence to God, and to receive tokens of gracious acceptance From him. And in this offering they followed the order of their camp, and not of their birth.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They shall offer . . . each prince on his day, &c.--Eastern princes were accustomed anciently, as they are in Persia still on a certain yearly festival, to sit upon their thrones in great state, when the princes and nobles, from all parts of their dominions, appear before them with tributary presents, which form a large proportion of their royal revenue. And in the offering of all gifts or presents to great personages, every article is presented singly and with ostentatious display. The tabernacle being the palace of their great King, as well as the sanctuary of their God, the princes of Israel may be viewed, on the occasion under notice, as presenting their tributary offerings, and in the same manner of successive detail, which accords with the immemorial usages of the East. A day was set apart for each, as much for the imposing solemnity and splendor of the ceremony, as for the prevention of disorder and hurry; and it is observable that, in the order of offering, regard was paid to priority not of birth, but of rank and dignity as they were ranked in the camp--beginning at the east, proceeding to the south, then to the west, and closing with the north, according to the course of the sun.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And the Lord said unto Moses,.... For before this was said to him, even what follows, Moses knew not, as the same writer observes, how they should offer, in what order, whether according to their birth, or whether according to the journeying of their camps, or whether they should offer together, or one after another, one day after another (g); this affair is set in a clear light:

they shall offer their offering each prince on his day; one on one day, and the other on the next, and so on successively for twelve days running; and this was ordered for the greater solemnity of the service, and that it might be taken notice of, and each have the honour and credit of it; and this was done, not according to the order of their birth, but as their standards were fixed, first Judah, and those under him, and so the rest in course:

for the dedicating of the altar; see Num 7:10.

(g) Vid. Siphri apud Yalkut in loc.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Altar of holocausts, the dedication of which continued seven days, Exodus xxix. 36. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

As well for the greater solemnity and splendour of the work, as for the prevention of confusion. And in this offering they follow the order of their camp, and not of their birth.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Lord said unto Moses. Doubtless in answer to his inquiry (see verse 89), at the time when the princes desired to make their offerings. Each prince on his day. For more convenience and solemnity, that the sacrifices might not be hurried over, and that none might feel neglected.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

On his day - And in this offering they followed the order of their camp, and not of their birth.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

יקריבו את קרבנם לחנכת המזבח THEY SHALL OFFER THEIR OFFERING, [EACH PRINCE ON HIS DAY] FOR THE DEDICATING OF THE ALTAR — but Moses did not yet know how they were to bring their offerings — whether according to the order of their birth (i.e. according to the order in which the sons of Jacob after whom the tribes were named were born, in which case the prince of the tribe of Reuben would have offered first), or according to the order in which they moved off on the journeys, (when Judah would be the first), until he was told by the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He: “according to the order on the journeys shall they offer” — yet each prince on his day (and not three together as they actually journeyed) (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 47).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.