Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
Nahshon's offering was one silver changer that had been fashioned for
the sanctuary, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels; on
bowl of equal size, but of lighter weight, of seventy shekels; both of
them full of fine flour mingles with oil for a meat offering.
Furthermore, one spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense; on
young bullock, the picked of his herd; one excellent ram, and one lamb
a year old, these three for a burnt offering; and a kid of the goats
for a sin offering, to atone for a possible uncleanness in the
sanctuary. These sacrifices and gifts Nahshon offered out of his own
possessions, not out of those of his tribe. God's acceptance of the
offerings of the princes of the tribes shows how dear they were to God;
for at no other time was and individual allowed to offer up incense, as
Nahshon and his fellows did. They also brought sin offerings, which is
ordinarily not permitted unless on is conscious of having committed a
sin. Finally the prince of the tribe of Ephraim brought his offering on
the seventh day of the dedication, which was on a Sabbath, though
ordinarily none but the daily sacrificed may be offered on the Sabbath.
[389]
The offerings of all the princes of the tribes were identical, but they
had a different significance for each tribe. From the time of Jacob,
who foretold it to them, every tribe knew his future history to the
time of the Messiah, hence at the dedication every prince brought such
offerings as symbolized the history of his tribe.
Nahshon, the prince of Judah, brought a silver charger and a silver
bowl, the one to stand for the sea, the other for the mainland,
indicating that out of his tribe would spring such men as Solomon and
the Messiah, who would rule over all the world, both land and sea. The
golden spoon of ten shekels signified the ten generations from Perez,
son of Judah, to David, first of Judean kings, all whose actions were
sweet as the incense contained in the spoon. The three burnt offerings,
the bullock, the ram, and the lamb, corresponded to the three
Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whereas the kid of the goats was
to atone for the sin of Judah, who sought to deceive his father with
the blood of a kid. The two oxen of the peace offering pointed to David
and Solomon, and the three small cattle of the peace offering, the
rams, the goats, and the lambs, corresponded to the descendants and
successors of these two Judean kings, who may also be classified in
three groups, the very pious, the very wicked, and those who were
neither pious nor wicked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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