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 7:79KJV
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Numbers 7:79 (KJV)

What does Numbers 7:79 mean?

Numbers 7:79 records part of a leader’s gift for the altar’s dedication. The gift includes two carefully weighed silver vessels filled with fine flour mixed with oil, presented as a grain offering.

The narrator identifies the vessels by weight rather than by size. The “shekel of the sanctuary” gives a recognized standard for those measurements. Verse 78 names the giver as Ahira, son of Enan, the leader of Naphtali.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 7:79

  • “charger” — קְעָרָה (qeʿarah): This word means a dish or platter. In the KJV, “charger” describes a vessel, not something used to charge or carry electricity.
  • “meat offering” — מִנְחָה (minḥah): This word can mean a gift or offering. Here it refers to an offering of grain; the verse identifies its contents as flour mixed with oil.

Why Numbers 7:79 matters

  • The stated weights emphasize the value of the vessels as well as their contents. The platter weighs 130 shekels, and the bowl weighs 70 shekels, using the sanctuary standard.
  • Ahira’s gift follows the same pattern as the gifts of the other tribal leaders. Numbers 7 records their offerings on successive days, with Ahira bringing the last leader’s gift on the twelfth day.

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 7:67 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.