Offerings of Dedication

Moses finishes and consecrates the tabernacle, and Israel’s leaders bring transport gifts for its work. At the LORD’s instruction, Moses distributes the carts and oxen to the Levites according to their distinct tasks, except for the Kohathites, who carry holy things by shoulder.

O¹n the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, along with the altar and all its utensils. ²And the leaders of Israel, the heads of their families, presented an offering. These men were the tribal leaders who had supervised the registration. ³They brought as their offering before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen — an ox from each leader and a cart from every two leaders — and presented them before the tabernacle. ⁴And the LORD said to Moses, ⁵“Accept these gifts from them, that they may be used in the work of the Tent of Meeting. And give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” ⁶So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷He gave the Gershonites two carts and four oxen, as their service required, ⁸and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. ⁹But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.

The leaders then come for the altar’s dedication, and the LORD appoints a twelve-day sequence, one leader each day. Nahshon of Judah begins with the full pattern of grain, incense, burnt, sin, and peace offerings that will frame the whole ceremony.

¹⁰When the altar was anointed, the leaders approached with their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. ¹¹And the LORD said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the altar.” ¹²On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah drew near with his offering. ¹³His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ¹⁵one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ¹⁶one male goat for a sin offering; ¹⁷and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

Issachar and Zebulun follow on the second and third days, and each brings the same offering as Judah. The repeated form keeps attention on equal participation rather than distinction.

¹⁸On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, drew near. ¹⁹The offering he presented was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ²¹one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ²²one male goat for a sin offering; ²³and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar. ²⁴On the third day Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the Zebulunites, drew near. ²⁵His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ²⁷one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ²⁸one male goat for a sin offering; ²⁹and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

Reuben and Simeon present their offerings on the fourth and fifth days, again matching what has already been brought. The sameness of the gifts lets each tribe stand beside the others before the altar.

³⁰On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the Reubenites, drew near. ³¹His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³²one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ³³one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ³⁴one male goat for a sin offering; ³⁵and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur. ³⁶On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the Simeonites, drew near. ³⁷His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³⁸one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ³⁹one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁴⁰one male goat for a sin offering; ⁴¹and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

Gad offers on the sixth day, and Ephraim on the seventh, each with the same measured gifts and animals. The dedication continues without variation, preserving the same honor for each leader and tribe.

⁴²On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the Gadites, drew near. ⁴³His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁴⁵one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁴⁶one male goat for a sin offering; ⁴⁷and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. ⁴⁸On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the Ephraimites, drew near. ⁴⁹His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁵¹one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁵²one male goat for a sin offering; ⁵³and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

Manasseh and Benjamin come on the eighth and ninth days with offerings identical to those before them. The record keeps naming each leader in full, as if to make every act of giving individually remembered.

⁵⁴On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the Manassites, drew near. ⁵⁵His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁵⁷one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁵⁸one male goat for a sin offering; ⁵⁹and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. ⁶⁰On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the Benjamites, drew near. ⁶¹His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶²one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁶³one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁶⁴one male goat for a sin offering; ⁶⁵and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

Dan and Asher bring the same dedication offerings on the tenth and eleventh days. By now the repetition itself becomes the point: the altar is dedicated through a complete, ordered procession of equal gifts.

⁶⁶On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the Danites, drew near. ⁶⁷His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁶⁹one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁷⁰one male goat for a sin offering; ⁷¹and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ⁷²On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the Asherites, drew near. ⁷³His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁷⁵one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁷⁶one male goat for a sin offering; ⁷⁷and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

Naphtali completes the twelve-day sequence, after which the chapter totals the vessels, gold, and animals offered for the altar’s dedication. The scene then turns from Israel’s gifts to God’s response, as Moses enters the Tent and hears the LORD speaking from above the ark.

⁷⁸On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the Naphtalites, drew near. ⁷⁹His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁸¹one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁸²one male goat for a sin offering; ⁸³and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan. ⁸⁴So these were the offerings from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold dishes. ⁸⁵Each silver platter weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each silver bowl seventy shekels. The total weight of the silver articles was two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁸⁶The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. The total weight of the gold dishes was a hundred and twenty shekels. ⁸⁷All the livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old — together with their grain offerings — and twelve male goats for the sin offering. ⁸⁸All the livestock sacrificed for the peace offering totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed. ⁸⁹When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony. Thus the LORD spoke to him.