And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.

and they brought their oblation before Jehovah, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.

Their gifts before the Lord, six wagons covered, and twelve oxen. Two princes offered one wagon, and each one an ox, and they offered them before the tabernacle.

and they brought their offering before Jehovah, six covered waggons, and twelve oxen; a waggon for two princes, and an ox for each; and they presented them before the tabernacle.

yea, they bring their offering before Jehovah, six waggons covered, and twelve oxen, a waggon for two of the princes, and an ox for one, and they bring them near before the tabernacle.

And they came with their offerings before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen; a cart for every two of the chiefs, and for every one an ox.

and they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.

their gifts in the sight of the Lord: six covered wagons with twelve oxen. Two leaders offered one wagon, and each offered one ox, and they offered these in the sight of the tabernacle.

Et attulerunt oblationem suam coram Jehova, sex plaustra operta, et duodecim boves, plaustrum pro binis principibus, et bovem in singulos obtulerunt coram tabernaculo.

And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered waggons These waggons were dedicated for the conveyance of the tabernacle: for its pillars and many other parts of it could not be carried on men's shoulders; and therefore they are said to have been covered, lest the things which were deposited in them should be exposed to the rain. For it is by no means suitable to suppose that they were litters; [1] and, in fact, a pair of oxen is assigned to every waggon. It is pretty clear, then, that the materials of the tabernacle were placed in them when they were travelling from one place to another. This oblation is stated to have been made "before the Lord," and then "before the tabernacle," but the meaning is precisely the same; for God had, as it were, put on that face in which he might be beheld by believers. What follows, "But the Lord had spoken to Moses," etc., I thus interpret, That God had required this tribute of the people: I have thought it well, therefore, to render it in the pluperfect tense, whereas others translate it, "The Lord said unto Moses," as if Moses had not been ordered to receive it, before it was actually presented by the princes and the people. Indeed, it is probable that the number of the waggons was not accidentally determined, but by a just calculation of the things which they were to carry.

Footnotes

1 - So Vatablus, quoted in Poole. "In Leviticus 11:29, (says Ainsworth,) tsv (tsab) is a tortoise, so called from the shell that covereth it: accordingly here they may be called glt tsv, (gnegeloth tsab,) waggons of the tortoise, (or of covering,) because they were like to a tortoise, covered above."

Covered wagons - Some prefer to render "litter Isaiah 66:20 wagons:" i. e. litters which were not on wheels, but borne by two oxen, one in front and one behind. Such conveyances would probably be more convenient than wheeled wagons in the rough country to be traversed.

Six covered wagons - שש עגלת צב shesh egloth tsab, six tilted wagons, the Septuagint translate ἑξ ἁμαξας λαμπηνικας, with which the Coptic agrees; but what lampenic chariots were, no person pretends to know. Covered or tilted is probably the meaning of the original. The wagons were given for the more convenient exporting of the heavier parts of the tabernacle, which could not be conveniently carried on men's shoulders.

And they brought their offering before the LORD, six (a) covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.
(a) Like horse litters, to keep the things that were carried in them from the weather.

And they brought their offering before the Lord,.... Before the tabernacle, as it is afterwards explained, where he had now taken up his habitation:
six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; according to the number of the twelve tribes, of which they were princes, two oxen for each wagon, which were to carry the tabernacle, and its vessels, from place to place; and which wagons were covered, not only to hide the things to be put into them from the sight of the people, being sacred, but to preserve them from the rain and dust, and the like; and no doubt, but as they were made of the best materials, So they were covered with rich coverings for the honour of the vessels put into them, being the presents of princes, and in which they joined, and could not be ordinary carriages. The word is rendered "litters" in Isaiah 66:20; and by some, "coaches"; the Targum of Jonathan is,"six wagons yoked,''or drawn with a yoke of oxen; and Aben Ezra says, it signifies a kind of oxen which drew wagons; but the Targum of Jonathan, Jarchi, and Ben Gersom interpret it "covered", as we do:
a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox; two princes joined in the present of one wagon, which shows it could not be a common wagon, but rich carriage, and ornamented, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; and each prince presented an ox, so that there was a yoke of them for each wagon:
and they brought them before the tabernacle; the Targum of Jonathan says, Moses would not receive them, and therefore they brought them before the tabernacle; and so, says Jarchi, Moses received them not at their hands, until it was declared to him by the mouth of the Lord what he should do, as follows.

Waggons - For the more convenient and safe carriage of such things as were most cumbersome.