KJV ORIGINAL
And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
When children are one month old, you must buy them back for the price you set: five shekels using the sanctuary's standard weight, which equals twenty gerahs.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse explains that firstborn children must be 'bought back' from God with a payment of five silver shekels when they turn one month old.
📚 Historical Context
This law was part of God's claim on all firstborn after He spared the Israelite firstborn during the final plague in Egypt. Since the Levites served as priests instead of all firstborn sons, families had to make a redemption payment for their firstborn children. The shekel of the sanctuary was the official standard weight used for religious transactions.
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