Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites - 1,365 shekels, measured according to the sanctuary's standard weight.
This verse records the exact amount of money collected as redemption payment for the firstborn Israelites who weren't replaced by Levites.
📚 Historical Context
In the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt, God commanded Moses to dedicate the firstborn males of Israel to Him as a memorial of His deliverance from slavery. The Levites were chosen to serve in the tabernacle in place of these firstborn, but since there were more firstborn than Levites, a redemption payment in silver shekels was required for the excess. This verse specifically details the amount collected to fulfill that obligation.
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