Êxodo 30

Êxodo 30

Constable points out that "The directions regarding the tabernacle opened with instructions concerning contributions for its construction (Ex 25:1–9). They close with this directive that every Israelite 20 years or older was to pay a flat fee of half a shekel during Israel’s census for the tabernacle’s maintenance (Nu 1:2; Nu 26:2). Everyone was to pay the same amount because the cost of everyone’s atonement was the same in the Lord’s sight." When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them - When you take a census is literally “when you [singular but Moses probably did not do the counting] lift up the head of the sons of Israel” and is an idiom meaning to take a head count. In Exodus 38:26 we find out that "those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men." The reason for the census is not stated but some thoughts are noted below. Walter Kaiser explains that "Previously Exodus 13:13 stated that the firstborn son belonged to God and had to be redeemed by a sacrifice. Likewise all firstborn belonged to God, and he accepted the tribe of Levi in lieu of all the firstborn (Ex 4:22; Num 3:12). Ex 30:12 extends the principle. The word for “ransom” or “atonement” (kōp̱er) signifies “to deliver or redeem by a substitute.” In this case the substitute was money by taking a census. Usually a census was equivalent to mustering troops; that is why it was so dangerous in David’s case (2 Sam 24). It is clear, however, that those who were numbered under the proper circumstances would be under divine protection. (EBC-Ex) Douglas Stuart has a lucid explanation for the need for ransom payment when taking a census - This instruction requires the Israelites to enter into a census only with great caution and under potentially great penalty. Why? What was wrong with taking a census? Isn’t it useful to know the population figures? The answer is that in the ancient world, as far as we know, a census was taken for one of only two purposes: to prepare for war or to impose some sort of taxation. In ancient Israel there was technically only one purpose: to prepare for war. Because the Israelites had no right to go to war except for the taking and holding of the promised land by holy war as called explicitly by Yahweh through a prophet and because they had no right to impose taxes beyond the contribution system revealed in the law by God himself, the taking of a census would constitute in most cases an act of direct covenant disobedience. (NAC-Ex) UBS Handbook note - The sanctuary tax, sometimes called the “poll tax,” or the “half-shekel tax,” provided the silver needed for making the bases for the tabernacle. (See Ex 38:25–28.) In the context of the book of Exodus, it is presented as a one-time obligation of the people. But this account became the basis for an annual taxation for the maintenance of the tabernacle and the worship. Later it became the basis for the Temple tax (Matt 17:24). A census was considered to be a dangerous undertaking, partly because it was often done in preparation for war or for taxation. The account of David’s census (read 2 Samuel 24:1-25) suggests that it could easily arouse God’s anger against the people. So here a provision is made to avert the outbreak of a plague. This was done through payment of half a shekel by everyone who was counted. This served as a “ransom” to “atone” for each person’s sins and to appease God’s anger. Bruckner has an interesting comment - The Lord instituted a tabernacle census tax for two purposes. First, it was to be yet another reminder that God, as Creator, was the source of their individual lives. Their lives, purchased out of slavery, belonged to God. They were to recognize this reality each time a census was taken. At the time of a census, the community would be tempted to take pride in the power of its fighting force (as in Num. 1:2–3; 2 Sam. 24:1–2; 1 Chr. 21:1–5; see also 2 Chr. 2:17–18). At this time God required each man to pay the LORD a ransom for his life. The Hebrew word for “ransom” is from the same root as “covering” or “atonement” (kippur). The men twenty years old or more would stand in a line and would cross the courtyard, placing a half shekel (about 5 grams/.2 oz. silver) in the collection box. Each would be counted as he paid the atonement money that “covered” his life. It was not a measure of personal worth, but a token acknowledgement of the Lord’s action in giving him life. The second purpose of the tabernacle “atonement money” was to cover expenses of the service (or “work on”) of the Tent of Meeting, which explains its place in this tabernacle text. (Exodus - UBCS) Constable adds that "Israel’s leaders collected this money whenever they took a census. In time it became a yearly “temple tax” (Matt. 17:24) A half shekel weighed .2 ounces, and it was silver. “Money” in verse 16 is literally “silver.” In our Lord’s day it amounted to two days wages (Matt. 17:24). Evidently the taking of a census incurred some guilt (Ex 30:12). Perhaps it reflected lack of complete trust in God to multiply the nation as He had promised (cf. 2 Sam. 24)." Keil and Delitzsch offers this explanation for the ransom payment - “It was no ordinary tribute, therefore, which Israel was to pay to Jehovah as its King, but an act demanded by the holiness of the theocratic covenant. As an expiation for souls, it pointed to the unholiness of Israel’s nature, and reminded the people continually, that by nature it was alienated from God, and could only remain in covenant with the Lord and live in His kingdom on the ground of His grace, which covered its sin.” NET Note on to number them - The form is לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם (lifqudehem, “according to those that are numbered of/by them”) from the verb פָּקַד (paqad, “to visit”). But the idea of this word seems more to be that of changing or determining the destiny, and so “appoint” and “number” become clear categories of meaning for the word. Here it simply refers to the census, but when this word is used for a census it often involves mustering an army for a military purpose. Here there is no indication of a war, but it may be laying down the principle that when they should do this, here is the price. B. Jacob (Exodus, 835) uses Num 31 as a good illustration, showing that the warrior was essentially a murderer, if he killed anyone in battle. For this reason his blood was forfeit; if he survived he must pay a כֹּפֶר (kofer) because every human life possesses value and must be atoned for. The payment during the census represented a “presumptive ransom” so that they could not be faulted for what they might do in war. Number (06485)(pequddah/pāqadh/paqad) conveys the root idea of something that is attended to or set in order -- fighting men under an officer (2 Chr. 17:14), priests in an order (1 Chr. 23:11; 24:19); arrangement of Tabernacle (Nu 4:16[2x]). Then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them - Ransom is koper which speaks of a price paid in order to obtain release. It was used in Ex 21:30+ "If a ransom (koper) is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him." In that context the person was guilty of manslaughter because he was negligent in controlling his ox he knew was dangerous and the penalty was death (Ex 21:29+). However he could pay the ransom price and save (redeem) his life. In both Ex 21:30+ and the present passage, koper is translated in the Septuagint with the noun with lutron/lytron which was used to describe the price paid for release from slavery or captivity ransom. This same word lutron is used only twice in the NT, both times in a description of Jesus Christ, Who declared "“even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom (lutron ) for many.” (Mk 10:45, cf M 20:28). The ransom here in Exodus 30:12 is by the man himself, only for himself and only his physical life, whereas the ransom in the NT is by Jesus, for many and for spiritual (eternal) life! The Hebrew word koper is used in Psalm 49:7 which says "Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price (Ps 49:7NET) The NET Note explains that "The psalmist pictures God as having a claim on the soul of the individual. When God comes to claim the life that ultimately belongs to him, he demands a ransom price that is beyond the capability of anyone to pay. The psalmist's point is that God has ultimate authority over life and death; all the money in the world cannot buy anyone a single day of life beyond what God has decreed." Douglas Stuart - What was “a ransom for [one’s] life” (v. 12)? It was a payment through which one symbolically bought his [or in special cases another’s] life back from God. It was not a penalty for being willing to go to war or a bribe paid to God in order to escape death in war. Rather, it recognized two important facts: (1) God owns the lives of his people, and (2) although he would have the right to require his people to lose their lives in battle, he generously gave them back their lives so they could enjoy the abundant life he had for them within his covenant protection. These two principles are seen in the ransom/redemption laws found already in Exodus479 as well as being related to the concept of atonement (see below). In 13:13, for example, we read: “Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.” What was the point of this sort of law? It was that something that rightfully belongs to God (e.g., firstborn animal, firstborn son) may be given back to its owner (e.g., one’s life) rather than taken by God as long as his rightful claim to it is recognized by the payment of the appropriate ransom/redemption/atonement fee in substitution for the thing itself. (Exodus - New American Commentary) So that there will be no plague among them when you number them - Always be alert for so that which identifies purpose, in this case the purpose being pay or suffer plague! Why would they potentially suffer a plague? As explained above in some way (I do not completely understand) when Israel took a census they incurred some guilt and needed a ransom payment to atone for that guilt. Victor Hamilton has an interesting note on the ransom to prevent a plague - The reason for using kpr with the temple tax may be because of the negative overtones often associated with census taking in Israel. Note the similarity between David’s census taking in 2 Sam. 24 and Exod. 30:11–16. In response to David’s act, God sends a plague (deber) among Israel (2 Sam. 24:15). According to Exod. 30:12, the purpose of the “ransom” is so that “there be no plague [negep] among them.” There is, however, one major difference between the two, as Porter (1965: 374n1) has observed. In Exod. 30 the danger resides in each particular person who allows him- or herself to be counted, and there is no attribution of guilt to Moses the census taker, as there is to David the census taker. Another parallel is in Num. 31, the account of Israel’s war against Midian. Numbers 31:48–54, especially vv. 48–50, records that after the victory and after taking a census of their own troops (nāśāʾ rōʾš, Num. 31:49a, as in Exod. 30:12), they discover that not a single soldier is missing (pāqad, Num. 31:49b, as in Exod. 30:12). In response, the officers contribute to the sanctuary all the gold ornaments they have stripped off the slain Midianites, most likely to avoid any negative fallout for taking a count of their warriors. Their purpose for doing this, Num. 31:50 says, is lĕkappēr ʿal-napšōtênū, the exact same phrase as in Exod. 30:15–16, except for the change of the pronominal suffix, ransoming “our lives” versus “your lives.” Finally, the gift of gold is a “reminder/remembrance” (zikkārôn) to the Lord as is the atonement money (Exod. 30:16 and Num. 31:54b). (Exodus: Exegetical Commentary) David Thompson - If you don’t think giving offerings is important to God, take a look at this text. God warns that those who do not give this particular ransom offering would be hit with a series of plagues. Now these offerings were to come from God’s people. These were not offerings collected from the Canaanites. These were offerings that were to come from God’s people and God specifies five key facts about this particular offering: Every son of Israel (EVERY MALE) was responsible to give this ransom offering for himself. This has been called a ransom tax or atonement money. A theme that shows up over and over again is that in any relationship that one has with God, it is always on the basis of redemption that is paid by a ransom price. Why would God continually demand this? Because He wants His people to always remember that we are in a relationship with Him because of a redemptive ransom price that has been paid. (ED: AND COMPARING Ex 38:25-28 WE READ "Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them." THEN READ Ex 27:17 All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver bands with their hooks of silver and their sockets of bronze." HERE'S THE POINT -- THESE SILVER BANDS AND HOOKS WERE ON EVERY SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE COURT AND THEREFORE CLEARLY VISIBLE. THIS SERVED AS CONTINUAL REMINDER TO ISRAEL THAT THEY THEY HAD BEEN RANSOMED WITH A PRICE). 1 Peter 1:18-19+ knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. Criswell - This ransom money would be paid by an individual only once in his life and would go to the support of the temple. Perhaps its purpose was to avoid the pride that would otherwise result from numbering the people (cf. 2 Sa 24). Since those numbered were eligible for military service, it may also have made atonement for lives taken in battle (cf. Ex 21:30; Nu 35:31, 32). Ransom (03724)(koper) is a masculine noun which refers to the ransom payment, but in several OT contexts assumes the sense of a bribe. A ransom is the price required to redeem a person. The idea of koper is that of delivering or redeeming by a substitute, and in Ex 30:12 the substitute is money (silver). If they paid the amount, their lives would be safe. The Lxx translates koper with the Greek noun lutron/lytron (used by Jesus Himself in Mark 10:45 and Mt 20:28) which refers to the ransom price or the payment which is necessary to free a slave from bondage (or a prisoner from captivity) giving them liberty. Koper - translated in NAS - bribe(1), bribes(1), ransom(11).Koper - 17v (KJV) - Ge 6:14; Ex 21:30; 30:12; Num 35:31-32; 1Sam 6:18; 12:3; Job 33:24; 36:18; Ps 49:7; Pr 6:35; 13:8; 21:18; Song 1:14; 4:13; Isa 43:3; Amos 5:12 Note that in this context the ransom is for each of the sons of Israel over 20 years of age, so that no plague might come on them (Ex 30:12) that the ransom is half a shekel, a contribution to the LORD (Ex 30:13-14), to make atonement (Ex 30:16 - verb kapar) with the "atonement money." (Ex 30:16 - noun - kippur/kippurim). James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - THE ATONEMENT MONEY. Exodus 30:11-16. It is interesting to note that this money, given by the people as an "atonement for their souls," went to form the foundation of the Tabernacle, so that the Tabernacle, as the House of God, literally stood upon the price of souls— Redemption. The Church of God to-day has no other standing. This "half shekel" is a figure of the precious Blood of Christ, by which we have been ransomed for God (1 Peter 1:18, 19). Observe that— I. All alike needed a Ransom. "Every man" (v. 12). In relation to God all are alike, there is no difference, for all have sinned. Birth, wealth, position, education, reformation will not avail to commend one more than another. God's Word has settled this. Every man must bring a ransom (Heb. 9:22). II. The Ransom Price was Divinely Fixed. "Half a shekel" (v. 13), saith the Lord, neither more nor less. God does not leave it to man to say how much he will give for his soul. Such could only minister to his vanity. Man is so ignorant of himself and of the terrible nature of sin that it is not in him to mention what the ransom should be. "Deliver from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom" (Job 33:24). Where? In His own bosom, in the Person of His Son (John 3:16). "My Beloved Son." This is the price fixed by Jehovah before the world was created. III. The Ransom was Divinely Judged. "After the shekel of the sanctuary" (v. 13). Each half shekel brought as atonement money must be after the perfect standard of holiness. The atonement money must be up to the weight of the sanctuary shekel, up to the righteous demands of a holy law. The Lord Jesus Christ, as our Ransom, was tested and judged by the perfect law of righteousness. He was up to the sanctuary standard (Matt. 17:5). IV. The Ransom was alike for All. "The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less" (v. 15). God has but one price for souls, "The precious Blood of Christ." Neither more nor less. Not the blood and your prayers, gifts or good works, nothing must be added to the Blood of His Cross, nothing can be taken from it. "He gave Himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2:6). Those who preach a bloodless Gospel are blocking the way of sinners to God. It matters not what culture or criticism may say, His Word stands unalterable. "Neither more nor less." V. The Ransom had to be Personally Presented. Every man shall give (v. 14). Salvation is a personal and individual matter. No one can "redeem his brother" (Psa. 49:7). The testimony of Moses had to be believed, the price taken, and definitely brought to God for a very special and definite purpose. So the Word of the Gospel must be believed, Christ personally and consciously accepted (John 1:12), and offered to God as the only but God-pleasing ransom. Neither is there salvation in any other Name. Jesus paid it all. "It is finished." VI. The Ransom was the only Ground of Acceptance. It did not matter what a man might bring; if he did not bring the appointed "half shekel" he could not be accepted, he could not be a ransomed soul. A man was not accepted because he was rich or poor, learned or illiterate, good or bad, but because he presented the atonement money. This was the only condition, and all who brought it became partakers of the redemption, irrespective of caste or character. Here the rich and poor meet together, the Lord alone is the Saviour of all. "He that believeth not is condemned already" (John 3:18). VII. The Ransomed were Expected to Serve. "They were to go forth to war" (Num. 1:45). We are delivered that we might "serve Him all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74, 75). Saved to serve (Acts 27:23). "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). Having been ransomed at such a price, let us therefore glorify God in our bodies and spirits, which are His. The ransomed of the Lord who go out to fight shall return with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. The battle is the Lord's, thy God shall fight for thee. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" (Psa. 107:2). Exodus 30:13 "This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD. NET Exodus 30:13 Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered is to pay this: a half shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering to the LORD. NLT Exodus 30:13 Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) ESV Exodus 30:13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. NIV Exodus 30:13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. KJV 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:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. LXE Exodus 30:13 And this is what they shall give, as many as pass the survey, half a didrachm which is according to the didrachm of the sanctuary: twenty oboli go to the didrachm, but the half of the didrachm is the offering to the Lord. ASV Exodus 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to Jehovah. CSB Exodus 30:13 Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the LORD. NKJ Exodus 30:13 "This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD. NRS Exodus 30:13 This is what each one who is registered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. YLT Exodus 30:13 'This they do give, every one passing over unto those numbered, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel is the heave-offering to Jehovah; a shekel : Lev 27:25 Nu 3:47 Eze 45:12 half shekel: Ex 38:26 Mt 27:24 Exodus 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries This is what everyone who is numbered shall give - "Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side." (NET) Hamilton - It is one thing to pay for the erection of a new building. It is another thing to have funds for its upkeep and maintenance over the long haul. In the case of the tabernacle, it is the people’s voluntary offerings that pay for the construction of the tabernacle and its appurtenances (Exod. 25:1–7; 36:3–7). This temple tax of one-half shekel provides contingency funds for its upkeep. The offerings for construction are freewill. This temple tax is mandatory, but only for one time....These two kinds of offerings (freewill and mandatory) appear in the account of Joash (or Jehoash), king of Jerusalem, and his project to repair the temple (2 Kings 12). The king funds the project by appropriating several sources of revenue, three in fact. Two of those three are (1) “the money collected in the census” (as reflected in Exod. 30:11–16) and (2) “the money brought voluntarily to the temple” (2 Kings 12:4 [5]). (Exodus: Exegetical Commentary) Half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD - NLT = "Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD." The shekel is a weight (see note), not a coin. Rod Mattoon - The foundation of the Tabernacle was made of silver sockets. It is interesting to note that 3000 shekels were used to form one socket. This was the ransom money for 6000 men. Two sockets were used for each board. This represented 12,000 men. One talent of silver was used for each of the 100 sockets. A talent was around 95 to 100 pounds. The total weight of the silver sockets came to around five tons. The value of the silver in the Tabernacle, at the May, 2007, price of around $13 per ounce would be $2,080,000. David Thompson - Every numbered person shall give ½ shekel as a contribution to the LORD for the Sanctuary. 30:13 Half a shekel was not a lot of money. In fact, half a shekel was about 1/5th of the amount of an ounce of silver. An ounce of silver today is worth about $17 so 1/5th is a little more than $3. Pg. 337 So it wasn’t much. If we put it in regard to a dollar, it was worth about 20 cents. But the point is every person must realize that even though they may not be worth much, the only way they get into a right relationship with God is by a redemptive ransom price that must be paid. Now when we take this to the New Testament, what we learn is that Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law that we might receive full sonship status in the sight of God (Gal. 3:13; Gal 4:5). Galatians 3:13+ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”– Galatians 4:5+ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 1 Peter 1:18-19+ knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. NET Note - The half shekel weight of silver would be about one-fifth of an ounce (6 grams). (Regarding the shekel of the sanctuary) 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). Exodus 30:14 "Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD. Hamilton - Everyone passing through the registration, from twenty years old and up, shall give the Lord’s donation NET Exodus 30:14 Everyone who crosses over to those numbered, from twenty years old and up, is to pay an offering to the LORD. NLT Exodus 30:14 All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD. ESV Exodus 30:14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD's offering. NIV Exodus 30:14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD. KJV Exodus 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. LXE Exodus 30:14 Every one that passes the survey from twenty years old and upwards shall give the offering to the Lord. ASV Exodus 30:14 Every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of Jehovah. CSB Exodus 30:14 Each man who is registered, 20 years old or more, must give this contribution to the LORD. NKJ Exodus 30:14 "Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD. NRS Exodus 30:14 Each one who is registered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD's offering. YLT Exodus 30:14 every one passing over unto those numbered, from a son of twenty years and upwards, doth give the heave-offering of Jehovah; from twenty: Nu 1:3,18,20 14:29 26:2 32:11 Exodus 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A MANDATORY OFFERING Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD - "Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side." (NET) Twenty years old and over refers to military age. Stuart comments "Israel’s all-volunteer holy war army was made up of men aged twenty years and older (there was no automatic upper age limit)." David Thompson - Everyone who is 20 years of age and older must give this contribution. There are two kinds of offerings when it comes to God: free will offerings and mandatory offerings. The ransom offering is a mandatory offering. Now the Roman church has played on this point by saying you can pay your way out of your sin debt. In fact, they came up with a system that said the more you pay, the more sins may be forgiven. But the next fact completely negates this idea. Exodus 30:15 "The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. Hamilton - The rich man shall not pay more, and the poor man shall not give less than a half shekel, when giving the LORD’S donation to atone for yourselves/to serve as ransom for your lives. NET Exodus 30:15 The rich are not to increase it, and the poor are not to pay less than the half shekel when giving the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your lives. NLT Exodus 30:15 When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less. ESV Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives. NIV Exodus 30:15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives. KJV Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. LXE Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than the half didrachm in giving the offering to the Lord, to make atonement for your souls. ASV Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls. CSB Exodus 30:15 The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the LORD to atone for your lives. NKJ Exodus 30:15 "The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves. NRS Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you bring this offering to the LORD to make atonement for your lives. YLT Exodus 30:15 the rich doth not multiply, and the poor doth not diminish from the half-shekel, to give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls. rich: Job 34:19 Pr 22:2 Eph 6:9 Col 3:25 give less . Ex 30:12 Lev 17:11 Nu 31:50 2Sa 21:3 Exodus 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SAME RANSOM PRICE FOR ALL The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement (kapar/kaphar) for yourselves - What is the purpose of giving? To make atonement. Henry