Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 30:13
This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs: ) a half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.
13. passeth over, &c.] viz. before the officer who took the census, to those that are numbered, and who stand on the other side. Cf. to ‘pass over’ (of sheep being numbered) Lev 27:32, Jer 33:13; and in 2Sa 2:15 Heb.
half ] not the usual Heb. word for ‘half’; in the Hex, found only in P (11 times), and only 4 times elsewhere. So Exo 30:15; Exo 30:23, Exo 38:26.
the shekel of the sanctuary ] Exo 38:24-26, Lev 5:15; Lev 27:3; Lev 27:25, Num 3:47; Num 3:50; Num 3:7 (14 times), Exo 18:16 (all P). Some standard (silver) ‘shekel’ is plainly alluded to: it is not known certainly what. A standard (silver) shekel, of full weight (as opposed to worn shekels in common use), preserved in the sanctuary, has been thought of. Or, as the expression may be rendered with equal, not to say, greater propriety, the sacred shekel (LXX. ), and as moreover the Mishnah ( Bekhrth viii. 7) expressly enjoins that ‘all payments according to the sacred shekel are to be made in Tyrian (i.e. Phoenician) money,’ in which the silver shekel weighed 224 grs., it may (Kennedy, DB. iv. 422; G. F. Hill, EB. Shekel, 5) denote the ancient Hebrew silver shekel (which had the same weight as the Phoenician silver shekel), called ‘sacred’ because it was the traditional standard by which sacred dues were paid (see further ll.cc.). A silver shekel of 224 grains would weigh just 6 grains more than an English half-crown: at the present value of silver (2 Samuel 3 d. an oz.) it would be worth about 1 Samuel 1 d.
the shekel is twenty gerahs
The later institution of an annual Temple-tax of a half-shekel (Mat 17:24 RV.: Gk. , ‘the double drachm’) is based ultimately on this passage. The drachm was worth 6 obols: and the double drachm (= 12 obols) was taken as the equivalent of a half-shekel (= 10 obols): cf. DB. iii. 422 b , 428 b ; EB. iv. 4446, 4786.
an offering ] a contribution, Heb. termh (see on Exo 25:2); here of a contribution levied on, or, to preserve the figure of the original, taken off, the whole of a man’s property for sacred purposes. So vv. 14, 15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 13. Half a shekel] Each of the Israelites was ordered to give as a ransom for his soul (i.e., for his life) half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. From this we may learn,
1. That the life of every man was considered as being forfeited to Divine justice.
2. That the redemption money given, which was doubtless used in the service of the sanctuary, was ultimately devoted to the use and profit of those who gave it.
3. That the standard by which the value of coin was ascertained, was kept in the sanctuary; for this appears to be the meaning of the words, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
4. The shekel is here said to be twenty gerahs. A gerah, according to Maimonides, weighed sixteen barleycorns, a shekel three hundred and twenty of pure silver. The shekel is generally considered to be equal in value to three shillings English; the redemption money, therefore, must be about one shilling and sixpence.
5. The rich were not to give more, the poor not to give less; to signify that all souls were equally precious in the sight of God, and that no difference of outward circumstances could affect the state of the soul; all had sinned, and all must be redeemed by the same price.
6. This atonement must be made that there might be no plague among them, intimating that a plague or curse from God must light on those souls for whom the atonement was not made.
7. This was to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, Ex 30:16, to bring to their remembrance their past deliverance, and to keep in view their future redemption.
8. St. Peter seems to allude to this, and to intimate that this mode of atonement was ineffectual in itself, and only pointed out the great sacrifice which, in the fulness of time, should be made for the sin of the world. “Ye know,” says he, “that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,” c.; 1Pe 1:18-20.
9. Therefore all these things seem to refer to Christ alone, and to the atonement made by his blood; and upon him who is not interested in this atonement, God’s plagues must be expected to fall. Reader, acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The shekel of the sanctuary hath been commonly conceived to be double to the common shekel, yet divers late learned men seem more truly to judge that it was no more than the common shekel, consisting of half a crown of English money; which is called the shekel of the sanctuary, because the standard by which all shekels were to be examined was kept in the sanctuary, as afterwards the just weights and measures were kept in Christian temples, or other public places. See Lev 27:25; Num 3:47; Eze 45:10-12. Add to this, that it was a part of the priests office to look to the weights and measures, as plainly appears from 1Ch 23:29.
An half shekel shall be the offering; not less, lest it should be contemptible; nor more, lest it should be too burdensome for the poor.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
This they shall give, everyone that passeth among them that are numbered,…. And their number, according to Jarchi, was known by what was paid; for he says the sum was taken not by heads, but everyone gave the half shekel, and by counting them the number was known, as follows:
half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; that is, after the standard of a shekel kept in the sanctuary as a rule for all; and so Jarchi paraphrases it,
“according to the weight of a shekel, which I have fixed for thee to weigh, the shekel of the sanctuary.”
It was about fourteen pence: a shekel is twenty gerahs; a gerah being the twentieth part of a shekel, it was not quite three halfpence of our money:
an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the Lord; which was to be offered to him for the ransom of souls, whose lives were forfeited by sin; and of the redemption of which this was an acknowledgment; and was typical of the ransom price of souls by Christ, which is not silver or gold, but his precious blood, his life, himself, which is given as an offering and sacrifice to God, in the room and stead of his people; and which is given to God, against whom sin is committed, the lawgiver, whose law is broken, the Judge, whose justice must be satisfied, and the creditor, to whom the price must be paid.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(13) Half a shekel.When shekels came to be coined, they were round pieces of silver, about the circumference of a shilling, but considerably thicker, and worth about 2s. 7 d. Of our money. Their average weight was about 220 grains troy. In Mosess time coins were unknown, and a half-shekel was a small lump of silver, unstamped, weighing probably about 110 grains. The ransom of a soul was doubtless made thus light in order that the payment might not be felt practically as a burthen by any.
After the shekel of the sanctuary.Without a standard laid up somewhere, weights and measures will always fluctuate largely. Even with a standard, they will practically vary considerably. The shekel of the sanctuary probably designates a standard weight kept carefully by the priests with the vessels of the sanctuary. All offerings were to be estimated by this shekel (Lev. 27:25).
A shekel is twenty gerahs.Rather, the shekel, i.e.; the shekel of the sanctuary is of this weight. A gerah was, literally, a bean, probably the bean of the carob or locust tree (Ceratonia siliqua), but became the name of a weight, just as our own grain did. It must have equalled about eleven grains troy.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Half a shekel No large amount; perhaps about fifty cents of our currency . The exact weight of the silver shekel is no longer known . The shekel of the sanctuary is commonly supposed to have been larger and heavier than the common shekel . Gerah is the Hebrew name of a bean or berry, and like our word grain came to be used for a small weight .
Offering , heave offering . See Exo 29:27.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 30:13. Half a shekel i.e. according to some commentators, nearly fourteen-pence. This tax, every man was bound to pay, from twenty years and upwards, Exo 30:14. And neither more nor less was to be paid by rich or poor, Exo 30:15 evidently to signify, that every soul is equally valuable in the sight of God, with whom there is no respect of persons; and that the ransom of one cost the same price with the ransom of the other; see 1 Pet. 18-20. This half shekel is said to be after the shekel of the sanctuary, i.e. according to the standard of the sanctuary, as if one should say, a shilling, according to the standard of the Tower. Note; They who value the Gospel, will never grudge to contribute towards the support of it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Half a shekel was in point of value about 14 pence of our money.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs:) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.
Ver. 13. Half a shekel. ] Towards the making of the tabernacle; and as an amercing himself for his sin, that subjected him to utter destruction. Exo 30:15
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
shekel of the sanctuary. See App-51. Compare Mat 17:24.
gerah, a measure of weight. See App-51.
offering. Hebrew. terurnah. See App-43.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
This they shall give
Cf. Exo 38:25-27. Silver thus becomes a type of redemption. (See Scofield “Exo 26:19”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
a shekel is: Lev 27:25, Num 3:47, Eze 45:12
an half shekel: Exo 38:26, Mat 27:24,*Gr.
Reciprocal: Gen 23:16 – four Exo 38:24 – the shekel Lev 5:15 – the shekel Lev 27:3 – after the Num 7:13 – the shekel Num 18:16 – which is Mat 17:24 – tribute
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the {h} shekel of the sanctuary:
(a shekel [is] twenty gerahs:) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.
(h) This shekel was worth two common shekels: and the gerah about 12 pence at a rate of five shillings sterling to an ounce of silver.