Numbers 7:11 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They shall offer—each prince on his day— Thus the dedication or handseling of the altar continued no less than twelve days; which made it very solemn, and gave every tribe an opportunity, by its representative, to express its devotion and reverence to God, and to find a gracious acceptance from him. It is not easy to determine when these twelve days began. The computation, however, which Bishop Patrick produces from Schachi, seems as reasonable as any other. According to him, the tabernacle being erected on the first day of the first month of the second year after the Exodus, (Exodus 40:17.) seven days were spent in the consecration of it and the altar, &c. Exodus 29:37. On the eighth day, the consecration of the priests began, which lasted seven days longer; Leviticus 8:33 then, on the fourteenth day, they kept the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread, (chap. Numbers 9:1; Numbers 9:3.) which lasted till the twenty-second. The rest of the month we may suppose to have been spent in delivering the laws mentioned in the Book of Leviticus; after which, on the first day of the second month, began the numbering of the people, (Numbers 1.) which may be supposed to have lasted three days; and then, on the fourth, the Levites were numbered, chap. Numbers 3:14-15. On the next day, we may suppose they were offered unto God, and given unto the priests. On the sixth day followed their consecration, mentioned chap. Numbers 8:7. On the seventh, their several charges were parted among them; chap. 4: after which we may suppose the princes to have begun to offer on the eighth day of the second month, which offering lasted twelve days, i.e. till the nineteenth day inclusive; and on the twentieth of this second month, they removed from Sinai to the wilderness of Paran, chap. Numbers 10:11-12.