Keluaran 30:13

30:13 Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered ¹  is to pay this: a half shekel ²  according to the shekel of the sanctuary ³  (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering ⁴  to the Lord.

Imamat 27:3-7

27:3 the conversion value of the male ⁵  from twenty years old up to sixty years old ⁶  is fifty shekels by the standard of the sanctuary shekel. ⁷  27:4 If the person is a female, the conversion value is thirty shekels. 27:5 If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the conversion value of the male is twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 27:6 If the person is one month old up to five years old, the conversion value of the male is five shekels of silver, ⁸  and for the female the conversion value is three shekels of silver. 27:7 If the person is from sixty years old and older, if he is a male the conversion value is fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

[30:13]  ¹ sn Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side.

[30:13]  ² sn The half shekel weight of silver would be about one-fifth of an ounce (6 grams).

[30:13]  ³ sn It appears that some standard is in view for the amount of a shekel weight. The sanctuary shekel is sometimes considered to be twice the value of the ordinary shekel. The “gerah,” also of uncertain meaning, was mentioned as a reference point for the ancient reader to understand the value of the required payment. It may also be that the expression meant “a sacred shekel” and looked at the purpose more – a shekel for sanctuary dues. This would mean that the standard of the shekel weight was set because it was the traditional amount of sacred dues (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 333). “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams…Whether an official standard is meant [by ‘sanctuary shekel’] or whether the sanctuary shekel had a different weight than the ‘ordinary’ shekel is not known” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181).

[30:13]  ⁴ tn Or “contribution” (תְּרוּמָה, tÿrumah).

[27:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “your conversion value shall be [for] the male.”

[27:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “from a son of twenty years and until a son of sixty years.”

[27:3]  ⁷ tn See the note on Lev 5:15.

[27:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “five shekels silver.”