SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:16
Y de un mes harás efectuar su redención, conforme a tu estimación, por el precio de cinco siclos, al siclo del santuario, que es de veinte óbolos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:16
Verse 16. Shalt thou redeem-for the money of five shekels] Redemption of the first-born is one of the rites which is still practiced among the Jews. According to Leo of Modena, it is performed in the following manner:-When the child is thirty days old, the father sends for one of the descendants of Aaron: several persons being assembled on the occasion, the father brings a cup containing several pieces of gold and silver coin.
The priest then takes the child into his arms, and addressing himself to the mother, says: Is this thy son?-MOTHER. Yes. - PRIEST. Hast thou never had another child, male or female, a miscarriage or untimely birth?-MOTHER. No. - PRIEST. This being the case, this child, as first-born, belongs to me. Then, turning to the father, he says: If it be thy desire to have this child, thou must redeem it. - FATHER. I present thee with this gold and silver for this purpose. - PRIEST. Thou dost wish, therefore, to redeem the child?-FATHER. I do wish so to do. - The priest then, turning himself to the assembly, says: Very well; this child, as first-born, is mine, as it is written in Bemidbar, (ver. 16,) Thou shalt redeem the first-born of a month old for five shekels, but I shall content myself with this in exchange. He then takes two gold crowns, or thereabouts, and returns the child to his parents.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. And those that are to be redeemed , etc.] Which is to be understood not of unclean beasts last mentioned, for they were redeemed with lambs and not with money; and after they were eight days and not a month old, as follows, ( Exodus 13:13 22:30); but of the firstborn of men: from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation : that is, take the redemption money next mentioned; and though both time and price are fixed, yet said to be according to the estimation of the priest; (see Leviticus 27:5,6); for the money of five shekels ; which was about eleven or twelve shillings of our money, and is the price given for the redemption of the firstborn, when the Levites were taken in their stead, ( Numbers 3:47); after the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerahs , (see Gill on “ Numbers 3:47”); of the manner of redeeming the firstborn, (see Gill on “ Exodus 13:15”).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-19 - All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take car of them. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And from the provision here made for the priests, the apostle shows that it is the duty of christian churches to maintain their ministers. Scandalou maintenance makes scandalous ministers. The priests were to be wholl devoted to their ministry, not diverted from it, or disturbed in it, by worldly care or business. Also, that they might be examples of livin by faith, not only in God's providence, but in his ordinances. The bes should be offered for the first-fruits unto the Lord. Those who thin to save, by putting God off with the refuse, deceive themselves, for God is not mocked.
Original Hebrew
ופדויו 6299 מבן 1121 חדשׁ 2320 תפדה 6299 בערכך 6187 כסף 3701 חמשׁת 2568 שׁקלים 8255 בשׁקל 8255 הקדשׁ 6944 עשׂרים 6242 גרה 1626 הוא׃ 1931
