Bilangan 3:47

3:47 collect ¹  five shekels for each ²  one individually; you are to collect ³  this amount ⁴  in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs). ⁵ 

Bilangan 10:2

10:2 “Make ⁶  two trumpets of silver; you are to make ⁷  them from a single hammered piece. ⁸  You will use them ⁹  for assembling the community and for directing the traveling of the camps.

[3:47]  ¹ tn The verb again is the perfect tense in sequence; the meaning of “take” may be interpreted here with the sense of “collect.”

[3:47]  ² tn The idea is expressed simply by repetition: “take five, five, shekels according to the skull.” They were to collect five shekels for each individual.

[3:47]  ³ tn The verb form now is the imperfect of instruction or legislation.

[3:47]  ⁴ tn Heb “them,” referring to the five shekels.

[3:47]  ⁵ sn The sanctuary shekel was first mentioned in Exod 30:13. The half-shekel of Exod 38:26 would then be 10 gerahs. Consequently, the calculations would indicate that five shekels was about two ounces of silver for each person. See R. B. Y. Scott, “Weights and Measures of the Bible,” BA 22 (1951): 22-40, and “The Scale-Weights from Ophel, 1963-1964,” PEQ 97 (1965): 128-39.

[10:2]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text uses what is called the “ethical dative” – “make [for] you two trumpets.” It need not be translated, but can simply be taken to underscore the direct imperative.

[10:2]  ⁷ tn The imperfect tense is again instruction or legislation.

[10:2]  ⁸ sn The instructions are not clearly spelled out here. But the trumpets were to be made of silver ingots beaten out into a sheet of silver and then bent to form a trumpet. There is archaeological evidence of silver smelting as early as 3000 b.c. Making silver trumpets would have been a fairly easy thing for the Israelites to do. The trumpet would have been straight, with a tapered form, very unlike the “ram’s horn” (שׁוֹפָר, shofar). The trumpets were used by the priests in Israel from the outset, but later were used more widely. The sound would be sharp and piercing, but limited in scope to a few notes. See further C. Sachs, The History of Musical Instruments.

[10:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “and they shall be for you for assembling,” which is the way of expressing possession. Here the intent concerns how Moses was to use them.