Numbers 7:86

The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons was an hundred and twenty shekels.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:10-89 The princes and great men were most forward in the service of God. Here is an example to those in authority, and of the highest rank; they ought to use their honour and power, their estate and interest, to promote religion and the service of God in the places where they live. Though it was a time of joy and rejoicing, yet still, in the midst of their sacrifices, we find a sin-offering. As, in our best services, we are conscious that there is sin, there should be repentance, even in our most joyful services. In all approaches to God we must by faith look to Christ as the Sin-offering. They brought their offerings each on a day. God's work should not be done confusedly, or in a hurry; take time, and we shall have done the sooner, or, at least, we shall have done the better. If services are to be done for twelve days together, we must not call it a task and a burden. All their offerings were the same; all the tribes of Israel had an equal share in the altar, and an equal interest in the sacrifices offered upon it. He who now spake to Moses, as the Shechinah or Divine Majesty, from between the Cherubim, was the Eternal Word, the second Person in the Trinity; for all God's communion with man is by his Son, by whom he made the world, and rules the church, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The aggregate worth, by weight, of the whole of the offerings was about 438 British pounds: But the real worth of such a sum, when measured by the prices of clothing and food at that time, must have been vastly greater.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

84-88. This was the dedication of the altar—The inspired historian here sums up the separate items detailed in the preceding narrative, and the aggregate amount is as follows: 12 silver chargers, each weighing 130 shekels equals 1560; 12 silver bowls, each 70 shekels equals 840: total weight. A silver charger at 130 shekels, reduced to troy weight, made 75 ounces, 9 pennyweights, 168.31 grains; and a silver bowl at 70 shekels amounts to 40 ounces, 12 pennyweights, 2121.31 grains. The total weight of the 12 chargers is therefore 905 ounces, 16 pennyweights, 33.11 grains; and that of the 12 bowls 487 ounces, 14 pennyweights, 204.31 grains; making the total weight of silver vessels 1393 ounces, 10 pennyweights, 237.31 grains; which at 5s. per ounce, is equal to £383 1s. 8½d. The 12 golden spoons, allowing each to be 5 ounces, 16 pennyweights, 3.31 grains, amount to 69 ounces, 3 pennyweights, 135.31 grains, which, at £4 per ounce, is equal to £320 14s. 10½d., and added to the amount of the silver, makes a total of £703 16s. 6½d. Besides these the offerings comprised twelve bullocks, twelve rams, twelve lambs, twenty-four goats, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty lambs—amounting in all to 240. So large a collection of cattle offered for sacrifice on one occasion proves both the large flocks of the Israelites and the abundance of pastures which were then, and still are, found in the valleys that lie between the Sinaitic Mountains. All travellers attest the luxuriant verdure of those extensive wadies; and that they were equally or still more rich in pasture anciently, is confirmed by the numerous flocks of the Amalekites, as well as of Nabal, which were fed in the wilderness of Paran (1Sa 15:9).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense,.... Which points at the use those spoons or cups were of, namely, to carry incense in them, such as were used on the day of atonement (l):

weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary; See Gill on Numbers 7:14,

all the gold of the spoons was twenty shekels; which amounted to forty nine ounces, five drachms, scruples, and eight gains, worth about seventy five pounds of our money.

(l) Misn. Yoma, c. 4, 4. & 5, 1.

Geneva Study Bible

The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons was an hundred and twenty shekels.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 86. - An hundred and twenty shekels. About L138. These values were not very great, nor was the number of the animals very large, as compared with the lavish, and perhaps extravagant, profusion displayed at the dedication of the temple and altar by Solomon; but we may believe they were at least as acceptable. The verb substantive should be removed from verses 86-88, which simply continue the totals of the offerings which formed the dedication. Numbers 7:86

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

All the princes brought the same gifts. The order in which the twelve princes, whose names have already been given at Numbers 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 Genesis 20:16, etc. - In Numbers 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 Exodus 30:13; and on the probable value of the shekel of gold, at Exodus 38:24-25. The sacrificial animals are added together in the same way in Numbers 7:87, Numbers 7:88.