Bamidbar 18:16

16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine evaluation, for the five silver shekelim, according to the shekel HaKodesh, which is twenty gerah.

Bamidbar 18:16 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 18:16

And those that are to be redeemed
Which is to be understood not of unclean beasts last mentioned, for they were redeemed with lambs and not with money; and after they were eight days and not a month old, as follows, ( Exodus 13:13 ) ( 22:30 ) ; but of the firstborn of men:

from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation:
that is, take the redemption money next mentioned; and though both time and price are fixed, yet said to be according to the estimation of the priest; see ( Leviticus 27:5 Leviticus 27:6 ) ;

for the money of five shekels;
which was about eleven or twelve shillings of our money, and is the price given for the redemption of the firstborn, when the Levites were taken in their stead, ( Numbers 3:47 ) ;

after the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerahs,
(See Gill on Numbers 3:47); of the manner of redeeming the firstborn, (See Gill on Exodus 13:15).

Bamidbar 18:16 In-Context

14 Every cherem in Yisroel shall be thine.

15 Every thing that openeth the womb in all basar, which they bring unto Hashem, whether it be of adam or behemah, shall be thine; nevertheless the bechor haadam shalt thou surely redeem, and the bechor habehemah hateme’ah shalt thou redeem.

16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine evaluation, for the five silver shekelim, according to the shekel HaKodesh, which is twenty gerah.

17 But the bechor of a cow, or the bechor of a sheep, or the bechor of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are kodesh; thou shalt sprinkle their dahm upon the Mizbe’ach, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by eish, for a re’ach nichoach unto Hashem.

18 And the basar of them shall be thine, like the breast of the tenufah and like the right thigh are thine.