Numbers 7:12

Num 7:12 And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:

Ver. 12. Of the tribe of Judah.] Ut ubique superemineat praerogativa Christi a Iuda oriundi.

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.

7:12-83 One by one, the tribal leaders brought their dedicatory gifts and offerings until the entire Hebrew confederation had participated. The repetitious pattern of describing each tribal gift emphasizes the communal nature of this ceremony; all tribes played a role in consecrating their place of worship. The detailed listing might reflect the meticulous record keeping of an archive or ledger. As noted in the record for each tribe, the silver vessels contained grain offerings, and the gold vessels held incense. Every tribe also brought animals as a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering, as specified in Leviticus.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon . . . of the tribe of Judah, &c.--Judah having had the precedence assigned to it, the prince or head of that tribe was the first admitted to offer as its representative; and his offering, as well as that of the others, is thought, from its costliness, to have been furnished not from his own private means, but from the general contributions of each tribe. Some parts of the offering, as the animals for sacrifice, were for the ritual service of the day, the peace offerings being by much the most numerous, as the princes and some of the people joined with the priests afterwards in celebrating the occasion with festive rejoicing. Hence the feast of dedication became afterwards an anniversary festival. Other parts of the offering were intended for permanent use, as utensils necessary in the service of the sanctuary; such as an immense platter and bowl (Exo 25:29). Being of silver, they were to be employed at the altar of burnt offering, or in the court, not in the holy place, all the furniture of which was of solid or plated gold; and there was a golden spoon, the contents of which show its destination to have been the altar of incense. The word rendered "spoon" means a hollow cup, in the shape of a hand, with which the priests on ordinary occasions might lift a quantity from the incense-box to throw on the altar-fire, or into the censers; but on the ceremonial on the day of the annual atonement no instrument was allowed but the high priest's own hands (Lev 16:12).

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 he that offered his offering on the first day,.... Was he whose standard was pitched first, at the east, to the rising sun: and this

was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; who was the prince and captain of that tribe, though the title is not here given him, as to the rest of the princes, this being left to be concluded from his offering first; for if they that offered after him were princes, he must needs be one; or it may be this title is omitted, because the chief prince, of the prince of the tribe of Judah, most peculiarly belongs to a greater Personage, even the Messiah, who was to spring, and did spring from that tribe, Ch1 5:2; and, as Baal Hatturim says, from Nahshon; and who also observes, that Ben Nahshon is the Messiah.

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

The several princes make their offerings in the order assigned to the tribes Num. 2. It was doubtless the tribes themselves which presented these gifts through their chiefs. The twelve offerings are strictly alike, and were offered on twelve separate days.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In whose name and behalf this offering was made, and so in the rest.

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

Nahshon. The same appointed to act with Moses in the census, and to be captain of the children of Judah. (Num_1:7 Num_2:3) The names of the other princes are to be found in the same passages, and their order in presenting is their order for the march. This seems to show that their off, rings were actually made after the arrangement of the camps had been settled.

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

All the princes brought the same gifts. The order in which the twelve princes, whose names have already been given at Num 1:5-15, made their presentation, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp (ch. 2), the tribe-prince of Judah taking the lead, and the prince of Naphtali coming last. In the statements as to the weight of the silver kearoth and the golden cappoth, the word shekel is invariably omitted, as in Gen 20:16, etc. - In Num 7:84-86, the dedication gifts are summed up, and the total weight given, viz., twelve silver dishes and twelve silver bowls, weighing together 2400 shekels, and twelve golden spoons, weighing 120 shekels in all. On the sacred shekel, see at Exo 30:13; and on the probable value of the shekel of gold, at Exo 38:24-25. The sacrificial animals are added together in the same way in Num 7:87, Num 7:88.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

the first day

"day 1" or "day number 1" (See: Ordinal Numbers)

Nahshon son of Amminadab

These are the names of men. See how you translated these names in Numbers 1:7

weighing 130 shekels

"weighing one hundred and thirty shekels." If necessary, these weights can be written in modern measurements. AT: "weighing nearly one and a half kilograms" or "weighing one kilogram and 430 grams" (See: Numbers and Biblical Weight)

one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels

"one silver bowl weighing 70 shekels." If necessary, these weights can be written in modern measurements. AT: "one silver bowl weighing nearly eight tenths of a kilogram" or "one silver bowl weighting 770 grams" (See: Biblical Weight and Numbers)

by the standard weight of the sanctuary shekel

There were shekels of different weights. This is the one that people had to use in the sanctuary of the sacred tent. If you are converting the weights to modern measures, here is another way to translate this phrase. AT: "measured by the standard weights used in the sanctuary" (See: Biblical Weight)

fine flour mixed with oil

This can be stated in active form. AT: "fine flour that he had mixed with oil" (See: Active or Passive)

one gold dish that weighed ten shekels

If necessary, this can be written in modern measurements. AT: "one gold dish that weighed one tenth of a kilogram" or "one gold dish that weighed 110 grams" (See: Biblical Weight)

translationWords

tribe

Judah

silver

sanctuary

oil

grain offering

gold

incense

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ביום הראשון ON THE FIRST DAY — That day received ten crowns (was distinguished in ten different ways): it was the same day as was the first day of Creation, the first day on which the princes offered etc., as it is set forth in Seder Olam 7 (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 9:1 and Note 2 thereon).

למטה יהודה [NACHSHON THE SON OF AMINADAB,] OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH — By these words Scripture merely states his genealogy after his tribe, and they do not mean that he collected the offerings from his tribe and offered them on their behalf. Or perhaps it does state למטה יהודה only to intimate that he collected the offerings from his tribe and then brought them? Scripture, however, states, (v. 17): this was the offering of Nachshon — he brought it of that which was his own (Sifrei Bamidbar 48).

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.