Exodus 38:26
in Exodus 38a beka per person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone twenty years of age or older who had crossed over to be numbered, a total of 603,550 men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that passed over to them that were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
KJV
A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
⋯
This verse in Exodus 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA bekah for every man - The Hebrew word בקי beka, from בקי baka, to divide, separate into two, seems to signify, not a particular coin, but a shekel broken or cut in two; so, anciently, our farthing was a penny divided in the midst and then subdivided, so that each division contained the fourth part of the penny; hence its name fourthing or fourthling, since corrupted into farthing. There appear to be three particular reasons why much riches should be employed in the construction of the tabernacle, etc.
This site's exposition
All the gold from the wave offering
on Exodus 38:24-26
The gold came as an offering, the silver as a levy of half a shekel a man, which 30:12 calls a ransom for his life. By 30:15 the rich and the poor give the same. The 603,550 men here match the census Numbers 1:46 reports a year later.
This site's exposition
a beka per person
Adam Clarke derives beka from a word meaning to divide. A beka is half a shekel, and half a shekel from 603,550 men is 301,775 shekels, the 100 talents and 1,775 shekels of verse 25. Albert Barnes reads the repeated sanctuary shekel as a demand for exact payment.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A bekah - Literally, “a half”: the words “half a shekel,” etc. appear to be inserted only for emphasis, to enforce the accuracy to be observed in the payment. See Exo 30:13. Respecting the capitation and the numbering of the people, see Exo 30:12.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Look. We learn from the sum mentioned in this verse that a talent consists of three thousand shekalim.
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. 6 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
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּ֚קַע | beka' | a beka | H1235 → | |
| לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶת | lagulgolet | for the head | H1538 → | |
| מַחֲצִ֥ית | machatzit | [the] half of | H4276 → | 16 times |
| הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל | hashekel | the shekel | H8255 → | 88 times |
| בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל | beshekel | by [the] shekel of | H8255 → | 88 times |
| הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| לְכֹ֨ל | lekhol | for every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעֹבֵ֜ר | haover | <the> [one who] passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַפְּקֻדִ֗ים | hapekudim | those [who] were enrolled | H6485 → | 303 times |
| מִבֶּ֨ן | miben | from a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עֶשְׂרִ֤ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| שָׁנָה֙ | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| וָמַ֔עְלָה | vama'lah | and up -wards | H4605 → | 140 times |
| לְשֵׁשׁ־ | leshesh- | to six | H8337 → | 216 times |
| מֵא֥וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| אֶ֙לֶף֙ | ʾelef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת | usheloshet | and three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| אֲלָפִ֔ים | ʾalafim | thousand<s> | H505 → | 505 times |
| וַחֲמֵ֥שׁ | vachamesh | and five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| מֵא֖וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃ | vachamishim | and fifty | H2572 → | 163 times |
בֶּ֚קַעa beka
beka'H1235 →
לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶתfor the head
lagulgoletH1538 →
מַחֲצִ֥ית[the] half of
machatzitH4276 →16 times
הַשֶּׁ֖קֶלthe shekel
hashekelH8255 →88 times
בְּשֶׁ֣קֶלby [the] shekel of
beshekelH8255 →88 times
הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁthe holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
לְכֹ֨לfor every
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעֹבֵ֜ר<the> [one who] passed over
haoverH5674 →556 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַפְּקֻדִ֗יםthose [who] were enrolled
hapekudimH6485 →303 times
מִבֶּ֨ןfrom a son of
mibenH1121 →4930 times
עֶשְׂרִ֤יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
שָׁנָה֙year[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
וָמַ֔עְלָהand up -wards
vama'lahH4605 →140 times
לְשֵׁשׁ־to six
leshesh-H8337 →216 times
מֵא֥וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
אֶ֙לֶף֙thousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתand three
usheloshetH7969 →432 times
אֲלָפִ֔יםthousand<s>
ʾalafimH505 →505 times
וַחֲמֵ֥שׁand five
vachameshH2568 →343 times
מֵא֖וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃and fifty
vachamishimH2572 →163 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
Exodus 12:37The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
it leads to
- Numbers 1:46
And all those counted totaled 603,550.
- Numbers 33:3
On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians,
- Numbers 11:21
But Moses replied, “Here I am among 600,000 men on foot, yet You say, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’
- Numbers 33:5
The Israelites set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
- Numbers 1:46
Through
Numbers 1:46And all those counted totaled 603,550.
it leads to
- Exodus 12:37
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
- Numbers 26:51
These men of Israel numbered 601,730 in all.
- Exodus 12:37
Through
Exodus 30:13Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
it leads to
- Leviticus 27:25
Every valuation will be according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.
- Numbers 3:47
you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.
- Leviticus 27:25
Where this verse is studied
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); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.