Exodus 30:12
in Exodus 30“When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to those that are numbered of them, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto Jehovah, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
KJV
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
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This verse in Exodus 30
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The Ransom of Souls. - Exo 38:25-28. On comparing these words with those of Num 1:1-3, we may perhaps infer that the first passage relates to a mere counting of the adult Israelites at the time when the money was taken from each, and that what the latter passage enjoins was a formal enrolment of them according to their genealogies and their order of military service.
This site's exposition
And the Lord spake unto Moses
on Exodus 30:11-13
This opens the second of the seven speeches that build the tabernacle, which fall at 25:1, here, 30:17, 30:22, 30:34, 31:1 and 31:12. What it commands is a ransom paid at a census, half a shekel from every man counted, so that there be no plague among them, and 2 Samuel 24 records a later numbering that ended in one. The phrase shekel of the sanctuary occurs here for the first time in Scripture and fixes the weight against a standard kept at the sanctuary rather than in the market.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, after their number,....
And, (2.) It was to teach us, who are daily to attend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin and our believing application of the blood of Christ to our souls for remission; for in many things we daily offend and contract pollution, John xiii. This is the preparation we are to make for solemn ordinances.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
WILL you kindly open your Bibles to Exodus 30, for I must commence my discourse by expounding that passage. When the account was taken of the number of the children of Israel, the Lord commanded that every male over 20 years of age should pay half a shekel as Redemption money, confessing that he deserved to die, acknowledging that he was in debt to God and bringing the sum demanded as a type of a great Redemption which would, by-and-by, be paid for the souls of the sons of men.
WILL you kindly open your Bibles to Exodus 30, for I must commence my discourse by expounding that passage. When the account was taken of the number of the children of Israel, the Lord commanded that every male over 20 years of age should pay half a shekel as Redemption money, confessing that he deserved to die, acknowledging that he was in debt to God and bringing the sum demanded as a type of a great Redemption which would, by-and-by, be paid for the souls of the sons of men. The truth was thus taught that God's people are a redeemed people—they are elsewhere called, "the redeemed of the Lord." If men reject the Redemption which He ordains, then they are not His people, for of all His chosen it may be said—"The Lord has redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he." Whenever we attempt to number the people of God, it is absolutely necessary that we count only those who at least profess to have brought the Redemption price in their hands and so have taken part in the Atonement of Christ Jesus. David, when he numbered the people, did not gather from them the Redemption money and, therefore, a plague broke out among them. He had failed in obedience to the Lord's ordinance and counted his subjects, not as redeemed people, but merely as so many heads. Let us always beware of estimating the number of Christians by the number of the population of the countries called Christian, for the only true Christians in the world are those who are redeemed from iniquity by the blood of the Lamb and have personally accepted the ransom which the Lord has provided—personally brought their Redemption money in their hands by taking Christ to be theirs and presenting Him, by an act of faith, to the great Father.
Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul - This was a very important ordinance, and should be seriously considered. See Exo 30:13 (note).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses that when he takes a census of the children of Israel, they should each give a soul’s ransom — half a shekel; and He further told him, And thou shalt take the atonement-money. Verse.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Moses our Teacher instituted a silver coin in Israel, for he was a great king. 44 See Deuteronomy:5. See also Ramban above,:25. He called it “shekel” [literally: “weight”] because that whole coin was a perfect weight, it had nothing defective in it and the silver contained no dross.
[THE LORD] SPOKE, etc. When Moshe gathered Israel to separate out the offerings for the Mishkan, he counted them, and this silver was given for the service of the Mishkan, as it is written in [Parashat] Eleh P'kudei (Ex.:25), "The silver of the enumeration of the congregation was 100 etc."
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תִשָּׂ֞א | tisa' | you will take | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֹ֥אשׁ | rosh | [the] sum of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ | lifkudeihem | of enrolled [men] them | H6485 → | 303 times |
| וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ | venatenu | and they will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כֹּ֧פֶר | kofer | [the] ransom of | H3724 → | |
| נַפְשׁ֛וֹ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לַיהוָ֖ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בִּפְקֹ֣ד | bifkod | when enroll | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֹתָ֑ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בָהֶ֛ם | vahem | among <the> them | ||
| נֶ֖גֶף | negef | a plague | H5063 → | |
| בִּפְקֹ֥ד | bifkod | when enroll | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אֹתָֽם׃ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
תִשָּׂ֞אyou will take
tisa'H5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רֹ֥אשׁ[the] sum of
roshH7218 →599 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֘לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒of enrolled [men] them
lifkudeihemH6485 →303 times
וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּand they will give
venatenuH5414 →2011 times
אִ֣ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
כֹּ֧פֶר[the] ransom of
koferH3724 →
נַפְשׁ֛וֹlife his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
לַיהוָ֖הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
בִּפְקֹ֣דwhen enroll
bifkodH6485 →303 times
אֹתָ֑ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִהְיֶ֥הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
בָהֶ֛םamong <the> them
vahem
נֶ֖גֶףa plague
negefH5063 →
בִּפְקֹ֥דwhen enroll
bifkodH6485 →303 times
אֹתָֽם׃<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 49:7No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
it leads to
- Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- 1 Peter 1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- 1 Timothy 2:6
who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.
- Matthew 25:9
‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
- Matthew 16:26
Through
Numbers 31:50So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”
it leads to
- Exodus 30:15–16
In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.
- Psalms 116:17
I will offer to You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
- Exodus 30:15–16
Through
1 Chronicles 27:24Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. For because of this census wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not entered in the Book of the Chronicles…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 21:1–17
Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 21:1–17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1581: “Silver Sockets—Redemption the Foundation!” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.