Numbers 7:14 (KJV)

What does Numbers 7:14 mean?

Numbers 7:14 describes one part of a leader’s gift for the dedication of the altar. The gift was a gold container holding incense, a fragrant substance used in worship. Its stated weight was ten shekels, a measure of weight used at the time.

The KJV calls the container a “spoon.” Readers today might picture a small eating utensil, but the word here suggests a shallow vessel capable of holding incense. The verse adds this gold item to the silver vessels described just before it.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 7:14

• “spoon” — כַּף (kaf): This word can refer to the palm of a hand or a hollow, palm-shaped object. Here it describes a small vessel rather than necessarily a spoon like one used at a table.
• “incense” — קְטֹרֶת (qetoret): This word refers to fragrant material burned to produce a scented smoke. The offering puts that material inside the gold vessel.

Why Numbers 7:14 matters

• The gift had a named weight, not a price. “Ten shekels of gold” identifies the amount of gold by a standard measure of weight.
• The vessel was given with its contents. “Full of incense” presents the container and the fragrant material as one part of the offering.
• The gift belonged to a particular leader’s presentation. Numbers 7:12 names Nahshon of the tribe of Judah, while later passages record the same kind of gift from other tribal leaders.