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.
Everyone who is counted in the census must give half a shekel according to the sanctuary's standard weight (a shekel equals twenty gerahs). This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
God is requiring every Israelite man counted in the census to contribute the same amount - half a shekel - as an offering to Him.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of God's instructions to Moses about taking a census of the Israelite men for military service. The half-shekel tax served as both a way to fund the tabernacle's operations and as 'ransom money' to prevent a plague during the counting process. This equal contribution from rich and poor alike emphasized that every person had the same value before God.
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