Exodus 30:15
◄  Exodus 30:15  ►
New International Version (©2011)
The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives.

New Living Translation (©2007)
When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.

English Standard Version (©2001)
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the LORD to atone for your lives.

International Standard Version (©2012)
The rich person is not to give more, nor is the poor person to give less than the half shekel, when you give a contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves.

NET Bible (©2006)
The rich are not to increase it, and the poor are not to pay less than the half shekel when giving the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your lives.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The rich must not give more than one-fifth of an ounce of silver, and the poor must not give less. This contribution is given to make peace with the LORD and make your lives acceptable to the LORD.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

American King James Version
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering to the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

American Standard Version
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing.

Darby Bible Translation
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when ye give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.

English Revised Version
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your souls.

Webster's Bible Translation
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering to the LORD to make an atonement for your souls.

World English Bible
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.

Young's Literal Translation
the rich doth not multiply, and the poor doth not diminish from the half-shekel, to give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

30:11-16 The tribute was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less; the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and God is no respecter of persons, Ac 10:34; Job 34:19. In other offerings men were to give according to their wordly ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all. The souls of all are of equal value, equally in danger, and all equally need a ransom. The money raised was to be used in the service of the tabernacle. Those who have the benefit, must not grudge the necessary charges of God's public worship. Money cannot make atonement for the soul, but it may be used for the honour of Him who has made the atonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by which the atonement is applied.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less. This is very emphatic testimony to the equal value of souls in God's sight. The payment was "the ransom of a soul" (ver. 12) - an acknowledgment of God's mercy in sparing those whose life was justly forfeit. As each soul that he has created is equally precious in his sight, and as he designs equally the salvation of all - it was fitting that the same exact sum should be paid in every case.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel,.... Which shows that the Israelites were alike in the esteem of God, their worldly circumstances making no difference; their souls being alike, the same ransom price was given for them; and that they were all to have an equal share in the service and sanctuary of God, and the price was set so low, that the poorest man might be able to pay it: and even Maimonides (y) says, if he lived on alms, he was to beg it of others, or sell his clothes from off his back to pay it. This shows the equality of the redeemed and ransomed of the Lord; for though some sins and sinners are greater than others, and some are redeemed from more sins than others, yet all sins being infinite, as committed against an infinite God, but one price is paid for all, and that is the precious blood of Christ, the Son of God, an infinite and divine Person; hence all the ransomed ones have the same faith, righteousness, salvation, and eternal life:

when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make atonement for your souls; which have sinned, are liable to death for it, are the more excellent part of men, and require a great price for the redemption and ransom of them; and hence it is so great a blessing to be ransomed, because it is the ransom of the soul: and such is the efficacy of Christ's ransom, that it is a full atonement for the souls of men, and their sins, and completely delivers from sin, Satan, the law, death, and hell.

(y) Hilchot Shekalim, c. 1. sect. 1.

Exodus 30:15 Parallel Commentaries

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The Atonement Money
…14Every one that passes among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD. 15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering to the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. 16And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial to the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

Exodus 30:14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD.
Exodus 30:16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives."
Exodus 38:26 one beka per person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more, a total of 603,550 men.
Ezekiel 45:16 All the people of the land will be required to give this special offering to the prince in Israel.