Numbers 7:12 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

He that offered—the first day, was Nahshon, &c.— Bishop Kidder judiciously observes, that though Nahshon offered first, according to the order fixed in chap. 2: and might upon that account be envied for the conspicuous place he held, yet is he so far from being therefore magnified, that he is the only person among these officers who is not called prince of his tribe; which might possibly be intended to prevent envy and emulation among the leaders. As the offering consisted of so many particulars, it is probable that the rest of the great men of the tribe of Judah joined with Nahshon in their contributions towards it. The same may be observed respecting the offering of the other chiefs; each of whom, doubtless, offered in the name of the whole tribe. We may note too, once for all, that there is no difference in their offerings; which might be so ordered to prevent all occasion of vanity and emulation among men of equal place and authority. A Greek or Roman historian would have said in one word, they all offered alike, without repeating the same words twelve times over; but such repetitions are agreeable to the simplicity of the primitive times: hence they are found so frequent in Homer.