Exodus 30:14
Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD.
Everyone who crosses over
This phrase refers to the act of passing over or through, often used in the context of crossing a boundary or threshold. In the Hebrew context, the word "crosses over" is derived from the root "abar," which means to pass through or over. This can symbolize a transition or a movement from one state to another, often associated with a spiritual or covenantal journey. Historically, this crossing over can be seen as a metaphor for the Israelites' journey from slavery to freedom, a passage that requires faith and obedience.

must pay
The requirement to pay signifies an obligation or duty. In the Hebrew tradition, this payment is not merely a financial transaction but a symbolic act of participation and responsibility within the community. The act of paying is a tangible expression of one's commitment to God and the covenant community. It reflects the principle that worship and service to God involve personal sacrifice and investment.

a half shekel
The half shekel is a specific amount of currency, which in ancient Israel was a standard unit of weight and value. The shekel was used in trade and temple offerings, and the half shekel specifically was a form of temple tax. This amount was accessible to all, ensuring that every individual, regardless of wealth, could participate equally in the communal obligations. The half shekel represents fairness and equality before God, emphasizing that every person has a role and responsibility in the spiritual community.

according to the sanctuary shekel
The sanctuary shekel was a standard measure used in the temple, ensuring consistency and fairness in religious transactions. This standardization reflects the importance of integrity and honesty in dealings with God and others. The sanctuary shekel underscores the sacredness of the transaction, as it is measured by divine standards rather than human ones. It reminds believers that their offerings and commitments are ultimately to God, who is holy and just.

twenty gerahs to a shekel
This phrase provides a precise measurement, indicating that a shekel is equivalent to twenty gerahs. The gerah was a smaller unit of weight, and this specification ensures clarity and uniformity in the offering. The detailed measurement highlights the importance of precision and accuracy in fulfilling one's obligations to God. It serves as a reminder that God values order and exactness in worship and service, reflecting His nature as a God of order and truth.

This half shekel is an offering to the LORD
The half shekel as an offering signifies a gift or contribution dedicated to God. In the Hebrew context, offerings were acts of worship, expressions of gratitude, and acknowledgments of God's sovereignty. This particular offering was a communal act, binding the people together in their shared devotion and responsibility. It symbolizes the believer's acknowledgment of God's provision and their role in supporting the work of the temple, which was central to the spiritual life of Israel. The offering to the LORD is a reminder of the believer's duty to honor God with their resources, recognizing that all they have is ultimately from Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who received the laws and instructions from God on Mount Sinai, including the commandment regarding the census offering.

2. The Israelites
The people of God who were delivered from Egypt and were journeying towards the Promised Land. They were the recipients of the laws given through Moses.

3. The Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the divine presence among the Israelites, where offerings and sacrifices were made.

4. The Census Offering
A specific offering required from every Israelite twenty years and older, as a ransom for their lives to prevent a plague during the census.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel, who established the covenant with His people and provided the laws for their worship and community life.
Teaching Points
Age of Responsibility
The age of twenty signifies a level of maturity and responsibility in the community of faith. This can be a point of reflection on when and how we assume spiritual responsibilities in our own lives.

Communal Contribution
The census offering was a collective responsibility, emphasizing the importance of each individual's contribution to the community and the worship of God.

Ransom and Redemption
The concept of a ransom offering points to the greater redemption found in Christ. It serves as a reminder of the cost of our salvation and the value God places on each life.

Obedience to God's Commands
The Israelites were required to follow God's specific instructions. This teaches us the importance of obedience in our walk with God, even in seemingly small matters.

Stewardship and Generosity
The offering was a tangible expression of stewardship and generosity, encouraging us to consider how we use our resources for God's purposes today.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the age requirement of twenty years old for the census offering teach us about spiritual maturity and responsibility in our own lives?

2. How does the concept of a communal offering in Exodus 30:14 relate to the way we contribute to our local church or faith community today?

3. In what ways does the idea of a ransom offering in the Old Testament foreshadow the redemption we have in Christ?

4. How can we apply the principle of obedience to God's commands in our daily lives, especially in areas that may seem minor or routine?

5. Reflect on your own practices of stewardship and generosity. How can you ensure that your contributions are aligned with God's purposes and the needs of your community?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 38:25-26
This passage provides further details on the collection of the census offering and its use in the construction of the Tabernacle, highlighting the communal responsibility and contribution to the worship of God.

Numbers 1:2-3
This scripture outlines the process of taking a census of the Israelite men who are twenty years and older, connecting the age requirement for the census offering.

Matthew 17:24-27
Jesus' discussion about the temple tax with Peter can be seen as a New Testament reflection on the principles of giving and responsibility to God's house.

1 Peter 1:18-19
This passage speaks of the redemption not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, drawing a parallel to the concept of ransom in the Old Testament.
The Golden Altar and the PerfumeJ. Orr Exodus 30:1-11, 34-38
The Numbering of Israel and Their RansomJ. Urquhart Exodus 30:11-16
The Atonement MoneyJ. Orr Exodus 30:11-17
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Census, Contribution, Heave-offering, Lord's, Numbered, Offering, Passes, Passeth, Passing, Twenty, Upward, Upwards
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 30:14

     1654   numbers, 11-99
     5716   middle age

Exodus 30:11-16

     5415   money, uses of

Exodus 30:12-16

     6721   redemption, in life

Exodus 30:13-15

     5615   weights

Library
The Altar of Incense
'Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon.' --EXODUS xxx. 1. Ceremonies are embodied thoughts. Religious ceremonies are moulded by, and seek to express, the worshipper's conception of his God, and his own relation to Him; his aspirations and his need. Of late years scholars have been busy studying the religions of the more backward races, and explaining rude and repulsive rites by pointing to the often profound and sometimes beautiful ideas underlying them. When that process is applied to Australian
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --I.
Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul.' --EXODUS xxx. 12. This remarkable provision had a religious intention. Connect it with the tax-money which Peter found in the fish's mouth. I. Its meaning. Try to realise an Israelite's thoughts at the census. 'I am enrolled among the people and army of God: am I worthy? What am I, to serve so holy a God?' The payment was meant-- (a) To excite the sense of sin. This should be present in all approach to God, in all service; accompanying the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --ii.
'The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel....'--EXODUS xxx. 15. This tax was exacted on numbering the people. It was a very small amount, about fifteen pence, so it was clearly symbolical in its significance. Notice-- I. The broad principle of equality of all souls in the sight of God. Contrast the reign of caste and class in heathendom with the democracy of Judaism and of Christianity. II. The universal sinfulness. Payment of the tax was a confession that
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
Rom. viii. 15.--"Whereby we cry, Abba, Father." As there is a light of grace in bestowing such incomparably high dignities and excellent gifts on poor sinners, such as, to make them the sons of God who were the children of the devil, and heirs of a kingdom who were heirs of wrath; so there is a depth of wisdom in the Lord's allowance and manner of dispensing his love and grace in this life. For though the love be wonderful, that we should be called the sons of God; yet, as that apostle speaks,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Jesus Pays the Tribute Money.
(Capernaum, Autumn, a.d. 29) ^A Matt. XVII. 24-27. ^a 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel? [The law of Moses required from every male of twenty years and upward the payment of a tax of half a shekel for the support of the temple (Ex. xxx. 12-16; II. Chron. xxiv. 5, 6). This tax was collected annually. We are told that a dispute existed between the Pharisees and Sadducees as to whether the payment
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

How a Private Man must Begin the Morning with Piety.
As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, keep the door of thy heart fast shut, that no earthly thought may enter, before that God come in first; and let him, before all others, have the first place there. So all evil thoughts either will not dare to come in, or shall the easier be kept out; and the heart will more savour of piety and godliness all the day after; but if thy heart be not, at thy first waking, filled with some meditations of God and his word, and dressed, like the lamp in the tabernacle
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 3. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. 4. And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Last Events in Galilee - the Tribute-Money, the Dispute by the Way, the Forbidding of Him who could not Follow with the Disciples, and The
Now that the Lord's retreat in the utmost borders of the land, at Cæsarea Philippi, was known to the Scribes, and that He was again surrounded and followed by the multitude, there could be no further object in His retirement. Indeed, the time was coming that He should meet that for which He had been, and was still, preparing the minds of His disciples - His Decease at Jerusalem. Accordingly, we find Him once more with His disciples in Galilee - not to abide there, [3743] nor to traverse it
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought.
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Exodus 30:14 NIV
Exodus 30:14 NLT
Exodus 30:14 ESV
Exodus 30:14 NASB
Exodus 30:14 KJV

Exodus 30:14 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Exodus 30:13
Top of Page
Top of Page