Numbers 7:71

Summary

This verse lists the animals designated for the zevach ha-shelamim ("sacrifice of peace offerings"): two oxen, five rams, five goats, and five year-old lambs. The verse closes by identifying this entire offering as belonging to Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the tribe of Dan.

Key words

• Zevach ("sacrifice of", H2077) — masculine singular construct noun, linking directly to what follows (ha-shelamim) to form the technical term for a peace/communion offering.
• she.la.Mim ("peace offerings", H8002) — masculine plural noun with definite article; the plural form is characteristic of this offering category throughout Numbers 7.
• chamishah ("five", H2568) — cardinal number repeated three times (for rams, goats, and lambs), each time following its noun rather than preceding it, a common pattern in these enumerations.
• benei shanah ("sons of a year", H1121H + H8141) — construct phrase literally meaning "sons of a year," idiomatically indicating animals one year old, modifying kevasim ("lambs", H3532).
• korban ("offering of", H7133A) — masculine singular construct noun summarizing the entirety of what Ahiezer brought, syntactically tying together all items listed in the fuller offering (of which this verse is the concluding portion).

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence structure lists offering items in construct or paratactic sequence without repeating verbs: each animal type is followed by its quantity, using cardinal numbers placed after the noun they modify (eilim chamishah, "rams five"; atudim chamishah, "goats five"). This numeral-after-noun pattern is consistent within Priestly enumerative lists and creates a rhythmic, list-like cadence rather than a narrative flow.

The phrase benei shanah ("sons of a year", H1121H + H8141) modifying kevasim ("lambs", H3532) is a construct idiom expressing age — the lambs are one year old — rather than a literal genealogical statement. The verse closes with the demonstrative zeh ("this", H2088) pointing back to the entire list just given, followed by korban ("offering of", H7133A) in construct with the name Ahiezer, which grammatically binds the whole preceding inventory to a single named offerer, son of Ammishaddai.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders zevach ha-shelamim ("sacrifice of peace offerings", H2077 + H8002) as θυσίαν σωτηρίου ("sacrifice of salvation/deliverance"), a translation choice that shifts the semantic field from "peace/wellbeing" toward "salvation." The Vulgate uses hostias pacificorum ("sacrifices of peaceful things"), closer to the Hebrew sense of shalom-related offerings. The LXX also renders bakar ("oxen", H1241) as δαμάλεις ("heifers," feminine), while the Hebrew term is common gender and the Vulgate's boves ("oxen") remains gender-neutral like the Hebrew.