Numbers 7:21 kjv
One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
Numbers 7:21 nkjv
one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;
Numbers 7:21 niv
one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;
Numbers 7:21 esv
one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
Numbers 7:21 nlt
He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering,
Numbers 7 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 25:29 | "You shall make its plates... spoons, bowls and its pitchers, with which to pour drink offerings." | Utensils for Tabernacle worship. |
| Ex 30:1-10 | "You shall make an altar as a place for burning incense... a gold altar... on it Aaron shall burn fragrant incense..." | Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle. |
| Ex 30:34-38 | "The Lord said to Moses, 'Take fragrant spices... you shall make it a perfume, an incense..." | Divine instruction for holy incense composition. |
| Lev 2:1 | "When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord..." | Examples of dedicated offerings. |
| Lev 16:12 | "He shall take a censer full of coals... and his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil." | Incense in the Day of Atonement rituals. |
| Num 4:7 | "Over the table of the bread of the Presence... the bowls..." | Sacred vessels used in Tabernacle service. |
| Num 7:18-23 | "On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, made his offering..." | Immediate context: Leader of Issachar's offerings. |
| Num 7:84-88 | "These were the dedication offerings for the altar from the leaders of Israel..." | Summary of identical offerings from all tribes. |
| Psa 141:2 | "May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering." | Prayer ascending as incense. |
| Isa 60:6 | "They will bring gold and frankincense..." | Prophecy of precious gifts for God. |
| Eze 44:17 | "They shall have linen turbans on their heads... no wool shall come upon them..." | Purity and holiness in worship standards. |
| Mal 1:11 | "For from the rising of the sun... incense is going to be offered to My name..." | Universal pure offerings to God. |
| Zec 6:11 | "Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua..." | Use of gold for sacred and exalted purposes. |
| Hag 2:8 | "'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the Lord of hosts." | God's ownership of all precious things. |
| Mat 2:11 | "They presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." | Magi's gifts symbolizing Christ's royalty and deity/priesthood. |
| Lk 1:9-10 | "He was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense... the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside." | Temple ritual: incense connected to communal prayer. |
| Rom 12:1 | "Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." | Spiritual offering/worship. |
| Eph 5:2 | "Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." | Christ's sacrifice as a fragrant offering. |
| Phil 4:18 | "I have received everything... an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." | Generosity as a pleasing offering. |
| Heb 9:1-5 | Mentions "the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant..." | Old Covenant sacred objects, including golden items. |
| Rev 5:8 | "Golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." | Prayers explicitly depicted as incense in heaven. |
| Rev 8:3-4 | "Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints..." | Incense mingled with saints' prayers before God. |
Numbers 7 verses
Numbers 7 21 Meaning
Numbers 7:21 describes a specific item among the gifts brought by Nethanel, the leader of the tribe of Issachar, for the dedication of the Tabernacle. It details "one golden dish of ten shekels in weight, full of incense." This costly item, meticulously specified in material and content, symbolizes the value and sacredness of worship offered to God, emphasizing prayer, purity, and the preciousness of drawing near to His presence. It signifies dedicated offerings according to divine instruction, presented collectively by all the tribes.
Numbers 7 21 Context
Numbers Chapter 7 records the specific, extensive, and identical dedication offerings made by each of the twelve tribal leaders for the newly erected Tabernacle. This occurs immediately after the Tabernacle's construction and anointing (Num 7:1) and serves as the culminating act of sanctifying the sacred space and its furnishings, initiating a formal system of worship. Each day for twelve days, a different tribal leader brought the exact same list of costly items, ensuring equality and unity in their commitment to Yahweh and His dwelling place among them. Verse 21 is part of the second day's offering, presented by Nethanel, the leader of the tribe of Issachar, demonstrating the precision and abundance with which Israel was commanded to approach their worship of the Holy God. Historically, these detailed instructions and meticulous fulfillment underscored God's demand for holiness and the people's collective obedience, setting Israel apart from surrounding pagan cultures with their arbitrary or syncretistic religious practices.
Numbers 7 21 Word analysis
One (אֶחָד - echad): Emphasizes a singular, complete unit. Highlights the specific, ordered nature of the offerings; each item was counted and designated according to divine command.
Golden (זָהָב - zahab): Denotes the precious material. Gold symbolizes purity, divine glory, value, and permanence, signifying that only the best and unblemished is suitable for God's service and presence.
Dish (אֲגַרְטֶל - agarṭel): A type of bowl or basin, designed to hold substances. It serves a practical purpose but its golden material elevates it to a sacred vessel specifically for divine ritual, demonstrating its purpose as a container for sacred content.
Of ten shekels (עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקֶל - asarah sheqel): Specifies the exact weight of the dish. The shekel was a standard unit of weight for valuable commodities. This detail underscores meticulous precision, adherence to divine standards, and the intrinsic value of the object, reflecting God's orderliness in worship.
In weight: Implied by the use of "shekel," clarifying that "ten shekels" refers to the mass of the dish itself, not a measurement of the incense. This highlights the scrupulous attention to detail in Tabernacle offerings and logistics.
Full (מְלֵאָה - mᵉlēʾāh): Indicates the capacity being completely filled. This signifies abundance, completeness, and wholeness in the offering, representing generosity and dedication, not merely a token amount.
Of incense (קְטֹרֶת - qᵉṭōreṯ): A specially prepared aromatic substance burned in the Tabernacle/Temple, never for common use. It possessed profound symbolic meaning: it represents the ascending prayers of God's people (Psa 141:2, Rev 5:8); symbolizes a pleasing aroma to God (Eph 5:2); and was part of rites for atonement and divine protection (Num 16:46-48).
Words-group Analysis:
- "One golden dish": Highlights singularity and intrinsic value. The singularity signifies a specific, measured component of the entire offering. The "golden" aspect emphasizes purity, costliness, and suitability for divine worship.
- "Ten shekels in weight": Specifies precision and considerable material value for the dish itself. This detail underscores the exactness required in all aspects of Tabernacle service and offerings, preventing casual or deficient approaches.
- "Full of incense": Emphasizes both the quantity and the spiritual significance of the offering. "Full" indicates generosity and completeness, while "incense" points directly to prayer, worship, and the desire to draw near to God in a pleasing way. This was not just any filler but a specifically prescribed sacred substance, central to Tabernacle ritual.
Numbers 7 21 Bonus section
The exact repetition of identical offerings by each tribal leader over twelve days (Num 7:12-83), including this particular golden dish full of incense, underscores several theological points beyond just generosity. It signifies tribal unity and equality before God, as no tribe was deemed more significant or privileged in their worship (Num 7:84-88). The meticulous specificity of each item within the offerings prevents any individualistic or arbitrary deviation in worship, emphasizing adherence to God's precise commands rather than human innovation. This detailed account served as a pattern for Israel's future worship, teaching that God demands the best, given with order and according to His established ways, demonstrating the gravity and sanctity of divine communion. It foreshadows the principle that worship in the New Covenant should also be offered with reverence and according to truth (Jn 4:23-24; Heb 12:28).
Numbers 7 21 Commentary
Numbers 7:21, though a concise descriptive verse, is profoundly rich in meaning within its Tabernacle dedication context. It is not merely an inventory detail but a statement about the nature of Israel's relationship with God. The offering of a "golden dish full of incense" is both substantial in material value and deep in symbolic significance. The choice of gold, the purest and most precious metal, reflects the excellence and unblemished nature required in all approaches to God, echoing the divine standard for worship (Mal 1:11). The meticulously weighed dish indicates order, precision, and adherence to divine instruction, setting aside any notion of arbitrary worship. Most significantly, the incense, an item repeatedly associated with prayer and divine favor throughout Scripture, transforms a material offering into a spiritual act (Psa 141:2; Rev 8:3-4). This dish and its contents were presented to God, embodying the devotion and earnest supplication of the leader, Nethanel, and by extension, the entire tribe of Issachar, demonstrating their corporate commitment to God's established worship. It highlights that true worship involves both costly material dedication and sincere spiritual aspiration.