Exodus 30:11-21

11 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
12 When thou shalt take the sum of the sons of Israel, all by themselves shall give by the number (the) price for their souls to the Lord, and vengeance shall not be in them, when they be numbered. (When thou shalt take the sum of the sons of Israel, that is, when thou shalt register them, each one shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord, and so vengeance shall not come upon them, as they be listed.)
13 Soothly each that passeth to the name(d), that is, of twenty years, shall give this price (And each one who passeth over to the named, that is, he who is twenty years of age, or older, shall pay this amount of money), half a shekel by the measure of the temple; a shekel hath twenty half-pence; the half part of a shekel shall be offered to the Lord.
14 He that is had in the number, from twenty years and above, shall give this price; (He that is had in the number, from twenty years of age and older, shall pay this amount of money;)
15 a rich man shall not add to the half of a shekel, and a poor man shall nothing abate (and a poor man shall not pay less).
16 And thou shalt betake into the uses of the tabernacle of witnessing the money taken, which is gathered of the sons of Israel, that it be a mind of them before the Lord, and he shall be merciful to their souls. (And thou shalt use the money, which is gathered from the sons of Israel, for the needs of the Tabernacle of the Witnessing; and it shall be a reminder of them to the Lord, and so I shall be merciful to their souls.)
17 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
18 Also thou shalt make a great vessel of brass with his foundament, to wash in, and thou shalt set it betwixt the tabernacle of witnessing and the altar; and when water is put therein, (And thou shalt make a great bronze vessel, with a bronze foundation, or a bronze base, to wash in, and thou shalt set it between the Tabernacle of the Witnessing and the altar; and when water is put in it,)
19 Aaron and his sons shall wash therein their hands and their feet,
20 when they shall enter into the tabernacle of witnessing, and when they shall nigh to the altar, that they offer therein incense to the Lord, lest peradventure they die; (whenever they shall go into the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, or when they shall approach the altar to offer incense on it to the Lord, otherwise they shall die/or they shall be killed;)
21 it shall be a lawful thing everlasting to him and to his seed by successions. (this shall be an everlasting law for him and for his descendants by succession.)

Exodus 30:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 30

This chapter treats of the altar of incense, its form and use, Ex 30:1-10 of the ransom of the Israelites, with the half shekel when numbered, Ex 30:11-16 of the laver for the priests to wash their hands and feet at before service, Ex 30:17-21 of the anointing oil, the ingredients of it, and what was to be done with it, Ex 30:22-33, and of the perfume, the composition and use of it, Ex 30:34-38.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.