Numbers – Chapter 7

Old Testament89 Verses

Chapter Summary

Numbers 7 opens with the words: "And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified it with all its…" The chapter centers on Moses, Nathanael and Gideon. Across its 89 verses, two threads run through the text: worship and praise and family and covenant relationships. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified it with all its vessels, the altar likewise and all the vessels thereof,

2The princes of Israel and the heads of the families, in every tribe, who were the rulers of them who had been numbered, offered

3Their gifts before the Lord, six wagons covered, and twelve oxen. Two princes offered one wagon, and each one an ox, and they offered them before the tabernacle.

4And the Lord said to Moses:

5Receive them from them to serve in the ministry of the tabernacle, and thou shalt deliver them to the Levites according to the order of their ministry.

6Moses therefore receiving the wagons and the oxen, delivered them to the Levites.

7Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gerson, according to their necessity.

8The other four wagons, and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their offices and service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

9But to the sons of Caath he gave no wagons or oxen: because they serve in the sanctuary and carry their burdens upon their own shoulders.

10And the princes offered for the dedication of the altar on the day when it was anointed, their oblation before the altar.

11And the Lord said to Moses: Let each of the princes one day after another offer their gifts for the dedication of the altar.

12The first day Nahasson the son of Aminadab of the tribe of Juda offered his offering:

13And his offering was a silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

14A little mortar of ten sicles of gold full of incense:

15An ox of the herd, and a ram, and lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

16And a buck goat for sin:

17And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

18The second day Nathanael the son of Suar, prince of the tribe of Issachar, made his offering,

19A silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

20A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

21An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

22And a buck goat for sin:

23And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Nathanael the son of Suar.

24The third day the prince of the sons of Zabulon, Eliab the son of Helon,

25Offered a silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

26A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

27An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

28And a buck goat for sin:

29And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This is the oblation of Eliab the son of Helon.

30The fourth day the prince of the sons of Ruben, Elisur the son of Sedeur,

31Offered a silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

32A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

33An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old, for a holocaust:

34And a buck goat for sin:

35And for victims of peace offerings two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Elisur the son of Sedeur.

36The fifth day the prince of the sons of Simeon, Salamiel the son of Surisaddai,

37Offered a silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles after the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

38A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

39An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

40And a buck goat for sin:

41And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

42The sixth day the prince of the sons of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Duel,

43Offered a silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

44A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

45An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

46And a buck goat for sin:

47And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Duel.

48The seventh day the prince of the sons of Ephraim, Elisama the son of Ammiud,

49Offered a silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

50A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

51An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

52And a buck goat for sin:

53And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Elisama the son of Ammiud.

54The eighth day the prince of the sons of Manasses, Gamaliel the son of Phadassur,

55Offered a silver dish, weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

56A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

57An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

58And a buck goat for sin:

59And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

60The ninth day the prince of the sons of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gedeon,

61Offered a silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

62A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

63An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

64And a buck goat for sin:

65And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gedeon.

66The tenth day the princes of the sons of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai,

67Offered a silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

68A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

69An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

70And a buck goat for sin:

71And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

72The eleventh day the prince of the sons of Aser, Phegiel the son of Ochran,

73Offered a silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

74A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

75An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

76And a buck goat for sin:

77And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Phegiel the son of Ochran.

78The twelfth day the prince of the sons of Nephtali, Ahira the son of Enan,

79Offered a silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles, a silver bowl of seventy sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary, both full of flour tempered with oil for a sacrifice:

80A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense:

81An ox of the herd, and a ram, and a lamb of a year old for a holocaust:

82And a buck goat for sin:

83And for sacrifices of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five buck goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

84These were the offerings made by the princes of Israel in the dedication of the altar, in the day wherein it was consecrated. Twelve dishes of silver: twelve silver bowls: twelve little mortars of gold:

85Each dish weighing a hundred and thirty sicles of silver, and each bowl seventy sicles: that is, putting all the vessels of silver together, two thousand four hundred sicles, by the weight of the sanctuary.

86Twelve little mortars of gold full of incense, weighing ten sicles apiece, by the weight of the sanctuary: that is, in all a hundred and twenty sicles of gold.

87Twelve oxen out of the herd for a holocaust, twelve rams, twelve lambs of a year old, and their libations: twelve buck goats for sin.

88And for sacrifices of peace offerings, oxen twenty-four, rams sixty, buck goats sixty, lambs of a year old sixty. These things were offered in the dedication of the altar, when it was anointed.

89And when Moses entered into the tabernacle of the covenant, to consult the oracle, he heard the voice of one speaking to him from the propitiatory, that is over the ark between the two cherubims, and from this place he spoke to him.

Important Verses in Numbers 7

And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified it with all its vessels, the altar likewise and all the vessels thereof,

Numbers 7:1

And the Lord said to Moses: Let each of the princes one day after another offer their gifts for the dedication of the altar.

Numbers 7:11

And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of a year old. This was the offering of Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

Numbers 7:17

And when Moses entered into the tabernacle of the covenant, to consult the oracle, he heard the voice of one speaking to him from the propitiatory, that is over the ark between the two cherubims, and from this place he spoke to him.

Numbers 7:89

Historical Context

Numbers addresses israel on the threshold of the Promised Land, warned by the failures of the wilderness generation within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 7 of 36 belongs to the early movement of the book, where the narrative or argument is still unfolding. It is a genealogical record linking earlier promises to later generations with 89 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Moses, Nathanael, Gideon and Manasses, the principal figures named in this chapter. The chapter begins: "And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified…" It concludes: "And when Moses entered into the tabernacle of the covenant, to consult the oracle, he heard the voice of one speaking…" In terms of historical background, Numbers takes its name from the two censuses of Israel and covers nearly forty years of wandering between Sinai and the plains of Moab. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Wilderness traditions of the 13th century BC; final form by the 5th century BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses, with priestly editing

When It Was Written

Wilderness traditions of the 13th century BC; final form by the 5th century BC

Catholic Commentary

This chapter traces lines of descent that connect earlier promises to later figures in salvation history. A pivotal line is verse 1: "And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified it with all its vessels, the altar…" The passage repeatedly touches on worship and praise.

Catholic exegesis reads Numbers 7 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. the Church sees Israel's journey as an image of our pilgrimage to heaven (CIC 2119). St. Ambrose and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 461).

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.
  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.

People in This Chapter

Moses5 mentionsNathanael2 mentionsGideon2 mentionsManasses1 mentionSimeon1 mention

Reflection for Today

As Catholics read Numbers Chapter 7, we do so within the living Tradition that has guarded this text for two millennia.

The saints did not treat Scripture as antiquarian literature. St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, and countless others used passages such as this to fuel daily conversion. the Church as mother and teacher remains a practical lesson for modern disciples.

As you continue through Numbers, carry this chapter's lesson into your family, parish, and work. Catholic faith is always ecclesial—God speaks to us as members of Christ's Body, not as isolated individuals.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Numbers Chapter 7 about?

Numbers 7 contains 89 verses. It opens with "And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified…" and closes with "And when Moses entered into the tabernacle of the covenant, to consult the oracle, he heard the voice of one speaking…". The book as a whole is narrative, census lists, and law.

What is a key verse in Numbers 7?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "And it came to pass in the day that Moses had finished the tabernacle, and set it up, and had anointed and sanctified it with all its vessels, the altar likewise and all the…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Numbers Chapter 7?

This chapter mentions Moses, Nathanael, Gideon, Manasses, Simeon.

Who wrote Numbers and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses, with priestly editing. Wilderness traditions of the 13th century BC; final form by the 5th century BC.

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