Exodus 38:26

26 a ¹beka^[a] a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for ² 603,550 men.

Exodus 38:26 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 38:26

A bekah for every man, [that is], half a shekel, after the
shekel of the sanctuary
A half shekel was called a "bekah", from (eqb) , "bakah", to divide; because it was a shekel divided into two parts:

for everyone that went to be numbered, from twenty years and
upwards;
in order to give a ransom, and make an atonement for their souls, as was ordered ( Exodus 30:12-15 )

for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and
fifty [men];
so that from the time of their coming out of Egypt, which was now about six months ago, there was an increase of 3550 of the above age; see ( Exodus 12:37 ) .

Exodus 38:26 In-Context

24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.

25 The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary:

26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.

27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base.

28 And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 24 above]
• 2. Numbers 1:46

Footnotes

• [a]. A beka was about 1/5 ounce or 5.5 grams