His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:

NUMBERS 7:61KJV
Know the Bible

Numbers 7:61 (KJV)

What does Numbers 7:61 mean?

Numbers 7:61 describes part of the gift brought by Ahira, a leader of the tribe of Naphtali, for the dedication of the altar. His gift includes carefully weighed silver vessels filled with fine flour and oil, a combination presented as an offering.

Following Ahira’s introduction in verse 60, the description gives the weight of each vessel according to the sanctuary’s standard. The vessels are part of a larger gift whose other items are listed in the verses that follow.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 7:61

  • “charger” — קְעָרָה (qeʿarah): This word refers to a large dish or platter. In the KJV, “charger” names the silver container, not the flour inside it.
  • “bowl” — מִזְרָק (mizraq): This word refers to a bowl used in sacred service. The name helps identify the smaller silver vessel as an item intended for use at the place of worship.
  • “offering” — מִנְחָה (minḥah): This word can mean a gift or an offering. Here it refers to the flour-and-oil offering that the KJV calls a “meat offering”; “meat” is an older English term for food and does not mean animal flesh here.

Why Numbers 7:61 matters

  • The weights give a consistent measure for the silver. The phrase “after the shekel of the sanctuary” identifies the standard used for the stated weights of 130 and 70 shekels.
  • The same quantities appear in the gifts brought by the other tribal leaders in Numbers 7. That repeated pattern shows that Ahira’s gift matches theirs in these details.

Where else these words appear

“charger” Hebrew H7086 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
  • Numbers 7:25 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • Numbers 7:55 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:

“bowl” Hebrew H4219 · used in 32 verses

  • Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
  • Numbers 7:55 His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 2 Kings 25:15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

“weight” Hebrew H4948 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 24:22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
  • Numbers 7:73 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 28:14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

“mingled” Hebrew H1101 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
  • Numbers 7:13 And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • Numbers 15:9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.