Numbers 7 30

Numbers 7:30 kjv

On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer:

Numbers 7:30 nkjv

On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the children of Reuben, presented an offering.

Numbers 7:30 niv

On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering.

Numbers 7:30 esv

On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, the chief of the people of Reuben:

Numbers 7:30 nlt

On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the tribe of Reuben, presented his offering.

Numbers 7 verses

Numbers 7 30 Meaning

Numbers 7:30 describes the presentation of an offering by Elizur, the leader of the tribe of Reuben, on the fourth day of the Tabernacle's dedication ceremony. This verse is embedded in a lengthy passage where each of the twelve tribal leaders brings the same set of specific offerings over consecutive days. The passage highlights the precise adherence to divine command required for worshipping God, and illustrates the communal dedication of all the tribes to the consecrated Tabernacle, emphasizing the equality of their participation in the national act of worship regardless of their specific tribal history or standing.

Numbers 7 30 Context

Numbers chapter 7 provides a detailed record of the twelve tribal leaders' offerings presented for the dedication of the Tabernacle and its altars, immediately following its completion and anointing (Num 7:1). This chapter occupies a significant portion of the book of Numbers due to its repetitive nature, recording identical offerings from each leader for twelve consecutive days. The repetition is intentional, underscoring the meticulous obedience demanded by God in worship, and emphasizing the communal unity and precise order among the tribes of Israel. It portrays a comprehensive national act of corporate worship, with each leader representing their respective tribe in consecrating God's dwelling place among them. Numbers 7:30 specifically highlights Elizur's contribution on the fourth day, placing the tribe of Reuben within this divinely appointed sequence of offerings.

Numbers 7 30 Word analysis

• On the fourth day: (Hebrew: ba-yom ha-revi'i, בַּיּוֹם הָרְבִיעִי).
  • This temporal phrase precisely places the event within the divinely ordained sequence of the dedication ceremony. It signifies God's meticulous order in establishing worship and Israel's careful adherence to His instructions, emphasizing that nothing about the Tabernacle's operation or the acts of worship was left to human discretion but followed a divine pattern.
• Elizur: (Hebrew: 'Eliytsuwr, אֱלִיצוּר).
  • Meaning: "God is my rock" or "My God is a rock."
  • This name profoundly emphasizes divine steadfastness and stability. It is particularly significant for the leader of the tribe of Reuben, whose patriarch, Reuben, was famously characterized by instability (Gen 49:4). The name subtly points to reliance on God as the true source of strength and firmness, especially relevant for a lineage with a challenging past, and signifies God's ongoing grace to a covenant people.
• son of Shedeur: (Hebrew: ben Shedē'ūr, בֶּן־שְׁדֵיאּוּר).
  • Meaning: "Almighty is light" or "Dweller of light." (Derives from Shaddai - Almighty, and ur - light).
  • The father's name complements Elizur's, focusing on God's omnipotence and illuminating presence. Together, the names "God is my rock" and "Almighty is light" imbue Elizur with a theological identity centered on God's foundational character and enlightening truth. This lineage further grounds the leader and his actions in a profound connection to the divine.
• the leader: (Hebrew: nasī', נָשִׂיא).
  • Meaning: Prince, chief, tribal head.
  • This title denotes Elizur's official position and authority within the tribal structure. As nasi, he was the designated representative of his tribe for civil, administrative, and importantly, spiritual duties, acting on behalf of all the people of Reuben. His participation in the Tabernacle's dedication was thus a corporate act for the entire tribe.
• of the people of Reuben: (Hebrew: livenē Rĕ'ūḇēn, לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן).
  • Meaning: "to the sons of Reuben."
  • Despite the historical shortcomings of their patriarch Reuben (Gen 35:22; 49:3-4), this phrase emphasizes the continued inclusion and full participation of the tribe of Reuben in the national covenant and the central act of Tabernacle dedication. It highlights God's faithfulness to His covenant with all Israel, ensuring every tribe's full integration into the nation's spiritual life.
• presented his offering: (Hebrew: hiqriyb qorḇānō, הִקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹ).
  • Meaning: "brought near his gift/sacrifice."
  • The verb hiqriyb (from qrb, "to bring near") points to the fundamental act of worship as an approach to God through an appointed gift or sacrifice (qorbān). This phrase denotes the official act of bringing the precisely stipulated and valuable items to the altar of the newly dedicated Tabernacle. This act of "drawing near" signified the tribe's devotion, acknowledging atonement, and establishing peace with God through the prescribed means, ensuring their part in the consecrated worship space.

Words-group analysis:

• "On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur": This grouping provides crucial chronological and personal identification for the action. The specification "On the fourth day" underlines the precise, unvarying schedule mandated by God for the dedication. The mention of "Elizur son of Shedeur," with names deeply affirming God's attributes ("God is my rock," "Almighty is light"), highlights the spiritual nature and divine appointment behind the person chosen for this significant task, demonstrating that leadership and divine recognition are integral to Israel's worship.
• "the leader of the people of Reuben presented his offering": This phrase ties together leadership, tribal identity, and the core act of worship. It signifies that the presentation was not merely an individual's pious act but a corporate one, where the designated leader officially represented his entire tribe in drawing near to God. This underlines the collective nature of the covenant and the unified commitment of Israel's tribes to the newly established central place of worship, illustrating how tribal distinctiveness converges into a singular, national act of devotion to Yahweh.

Numbers 7 30 Bonus section

• The identical nature of all twelve offerings across the days (Num 7:12-88) is not a result of human desire for simplicity, but rather a profound theological statement: every tribe is equally important before God, and the way to approach Him is singular and universally applied. There are no "superior" offerings from larger or more historically prominent tribes; all meet the same standard of dedication.
• The sheer quantity and value of the offerings, described across these verses, would have represented a massive collective contribution from the nascent nation of Israel. This willingness to donate substantial resources for the Tabernacle underscores their profound reverence for God and their commitment to His presence among them.
• The long, repetitive catalog in Numbers 7 serves a literary and pedagogical purpose beyond mere historical record. It emphasizes the concept of order (God's ordering and Israel's obedience), sufficiency (all provisions were made as commanded), and complete dedication (no tribe was missing, all offerings were uniform). This detailed enumeration cements the foundation of their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
• While each day focused on a different tribe, the unity of the 12 tribal offerings collectively signifies the "perfect and complete" nature of the Tabernacle dedication, representing the full body of Israel in worship. This pattern of a structured approach to God in the Old Testament anticipates the ordered nature of the New Testament church, called to worship "in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23).

Numbers 7 30 Commentary

Numbers 7:30, while seemingly a straightforward factual statement within a prolonged list, encapsulates profound theological truths. It is part of the extensive and highly repetitive account of the tribal leaders' offerings during the Tabernacle's dedication. This repetition is not superflous; it meticulously records Israel's full obedience to God's precise commands for worship, reinforcing the principle that God demands exact adherence. The inclusion of Elizur, whose name ("God is my rock") reflects divine steadfastness, especially for the historically unstable tribe of Reuben, highlights God's grace and consistent dealings with His people. As the "leader of the people of Reuben," Elizur's offering was a representative act, bringing his entire tribe into an act of national dedication. This demonstrates that all twelve tribes, irrespective of their past, had equal access to God and participated equally in the central worship life of the nation, through the divinely appointed means. This systematic offering further trained Israel in the nature of approaching a holy God—through costly, specific sacrifices—setting the stage for a deeper understanding of atonement and foreshadowing the ultimate, singular, perfect offering of Christ that brings true and eternal "nearness" to God.