SEV Biblia, Chapter 30:13
Esto dará cualquiera que pasare por la cuenta: medio siclo conforme al siclo del santuario. El siclo es de veinte óbolos; la mitad de un siclo será la ofrenda al SEÑOR.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Exodus 30:13
Verse 13. Half a shekel] Each of the Israelites was ordered to give as a ransom for his soul (i.e., for his life) half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. From this we may learn, 1. That the life of every man was considered as being forfeited to Divine justice. 2. That the redemption money given, which was doubtless used in the service of the sanctuary, was ultimately devoted to the use and profit of those who gave it. 3. That the standard by which the value of coin was ascertained, was kept in the sanctuary; for this appears to be the meaning of the words, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4. The shekel is here said to be twenty gerahs. A gerah, according to Maimonides, weighed sixteen barleycorns, a shekel three hundred and twenty of pure silver. The shekel is generally considered to be equal in value to three shillings English; the redemption money, therefore, must be about one shilling and sixpence. 5. The rich were not to give more, the poor not to give less; to signify that all souls were equally precious in the sight of God, and that no difference of outward circumstances could affect the state of the soul; all had sinned, and all must be redeemed by the same price. 6. This atonement must be made that there might be no plague among them, intimating that a plague or curse from God must light on those souls for whom the atonement was not made. 7. This was to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, ver. 16, to bring to their remembrance their past deliverance, and to keep in view their future redemption. 8. St. Peter seems to allude to this, and to intimate that this mode of atonement was ineffectual in itself, and only pointed out the great sacrifice which, in the fullness of time, should be made for the sin of the world. "Ye know," says he, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world," &c.; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19, 20. 9. Therefore all these things seem to refer to Christ alone, and to the atonement made by his blood; and upon him who is not interested in this atonement, God's plagues must be expected to fall. Reader, acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-16 - The tribute was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less; the souls of the ric and poor are alike precious, and God is no respecter of persons, A 10:34; Job 34:19. In other offerings men were to give according to their wordly ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, mus be alike for all. The souls of all are of equal value, equally i danger, and all equally need a ransom. The money raised was to be use in the service of the tabernacle. Those who have the benefit, must no grudge the necessary charges of God's public worship. Money cannot make atonement for the soul, but it may be used for the honour of Him wh has made the atonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by whic the atonement is applied.
Original Hebrew
זה 2088 יתנו 5414 כל 3605 העבר 5674 על 5921 הפקדים 6485 מחצית 4276 השׁקל 8255 בשׁקל 8255 הקדשׁ 6944 עשׂרים 6242 גרה 1626 השׁקל 8255 מחצית 4276 השׁקל 8255 תרומה 8641 ליהוה׃ 3068
