Exodus 30 16

Exodus 30:16 kjv

And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

Exodus 30:16 nkjv

And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves."

Exodus 30:16 niv

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 30:16 esv

You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives."

Exodus 30:16 nlt

Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the LORD's attention, and it will purify your lives."

Exodus 30 verses

Exodus 30 16 meaning

Exodus 30:16 prescribes the mandatory half-shekel contribution, known as atonement money, from every Israelite man aged twenty years or more during a census. This contribution served two primary purposes: firstly, to fund and sustain the ongoing service and maintenance of the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle); secondly, to act as a constant remembrance before the LORD, serving as an atonement, or ransom, for the lives of the people of Israel, safeguarding them from divine judgment often associated with the numbering of the population.

Exodus 30 16 Context

Exodus chapter 30 primarily details the instructions for the construction and rites of the Tabernacle and its associated items. Prior to verse 16, God gives Moses commands regarding the altar of incense (vv. 1-10) and then the census tax (vv. 11-16). This verse concludes the instructions for the "half-shekel for the sanctuary," explicitly linking this mandatory tax to both the functional upkeep of the Tent of Meeting and its profound spiritual significance as a perpetual atonement for the Israelites. Historically, censuses in ancient Israel (and the ancient Near East) were often viewed with apprehension, sometimes associated with divine judgment or plague if undertaken presumptuously or for ungodly motives (as seen in 2 Samuel 24). Therefore, the prescribed ransom payment served as a necessary appeasement or protection when counting the people, ensuring their lives were covered or ransomed from any potential divine displeasure linked to the census itself. The uniformity of the half-shekel payment, regardless of economic status (Exod 30:15), highlighted the spiritual equality of every soul before a holy God, and that the value of human life was not subject to earthly wealth but to God's standard of ransom.

Exodus 30 16 Word analysis

• You shall take: Direct imperative from God to Moses, indicating divine command and strict adherence required for the specific transaction.

• the atonement money:

  • Hebrew: כֶּסֶף הַכִּפֻּרִים ( kesef hakkippurim ).
  • Kesef (כֶּסֶף) means 'silver' or 'money'. This signifies a tangible, valuable payment.
  • Kippurim (כִּפֻּרִים) is plural for 'atonement', derived from the verb kaphar (כָּפַר), meaning 'to cover', 'to make expiation', 'to cleanse', 'to purge', or 'to appease'. Here it distinctly refers to the specific sum required for propitiation or ransom for life. It underscores that this money served not as an offering, but as a mandatory payment to "cover" or ransom lives.

• from the people of Israel:

  • Hebrew: מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ( me'et b'nei Yisrael ).
  • Refers to all male Israelites 20 years and older (Exod 30:14). This highlights the communal responsibility and universal application of the law, affirming that all are equally dependent on God's grace for the preservation of life.

• and give it for the service of the tent of meeting:

  • Hebrew: וְנָתַתָּ אֹתוֹ עַל עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד ( venatata oto al avodat ohel mo'ed ).
  • Avodat (עֲבֹדַת) means 'service' or 'work', indicating its direct allocation for the ongoing functions, maintenance, and supplies of the sanctuary.
  • Ohel Mo'ed (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד): 'Tent of Meeting' or 'Tabernacle of Meeting'. This was the central place where God's presence dwelt among His people and where they could "meet" with Him for worship and receive His instructions. The money enabled the continual operation of this sacred space and its rituals, which were essential for maintaining the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

• that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD:

  • Hebrew: לְזִכָּרוֹן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי יְהוָה ( l'zikaron livnei Yisrael lifnei YHWH ).
  • Zikaron (זִכָּרוֹן): 'memorial', 'remembrance'. This signifies that the payment acted as a perpetual spiritual reminder or token before God concerning His covenant people. It was a tangible act that acknowledged God's ownership of all lives and their need for a ransom. It allowed the Divine Presence to dwell among them without bringing judgment upon them for their count.
  • Lifnei YHWH (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה): 'before the LORD'. This phrase emphasizes God's direct awareness and acceptance of this atonement. It signifies that the action of payment, and its symbolic weight, were observed and recognized in the divine presence.

• as atonement for your souls:

  • Hebrew: לְכַפֵּר עַל־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם ( l'khapper al-nafshotekhem ).
  • L'khapper (לְכַפֵּר): 'to make atonement', 'to atone for', the verbal form of kippurim. This confirms the ransom's specific function to reconcile, protect, or purge from impending judgment due to sin or ceremonial defilement associated with a census.
  • Nafshotekhem (נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם): 'your souls', plural of nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ). Nephesh here refers to the whole person, their life, or individual existence. It underscores that the payment covered each person's very being, highlighting the sacredness of human life as belonging to God.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "atonement money... for the service of the Tent of Meeting": This links the spiritual function (atonement/ransom) directly to the practical, financial support of the tabernacle. The place where atonement occurred needed to be sustained by the very payment that acknowledged the people's need for atonement, forming a self-perpetuating divine system for spiritual security.
  • "bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD as atonement for your souls": This powerful phrase summarizes the double action of the ransom: it is both a constant memorial to God on behalf of His people and an actual covering/propitiation for their lives. It ensures the ongoing divine favor and protection necessary for the people to continue existing in God's holy presence without incurring wrath, especially in relation to activities like a census that might otherwise invite judgment. It symbolizes God's grace providing a means for human life to be considered righteous in His sight.

Exodus 30 16 Bonus section

The mandatory nature of this tax, unlike other freewill offerings for the Tabernacle's construction, underscored its significance as a non-negotiable spiritual obligation for all. It served as a symbolic re-redemption, recognizing that even after being redeemed from Egypt, Israel still needed a perpetual covering for their lives in the presence of a holy God. This fixed amount also presented a polemic against pagan practices where the value of a life or offering might be dictated by personal wealth or sacrifice of another being; here, divine grace prescribed a simple, universal price, accessible to all, emphasizing life's equal value to God. The annual repetition of this tax later in Israel's history (e.g., in Nehemiah's time) reinforces the continuous need for God's provision of atonement and remembrance for His people.

Exodus 30 16 Commentary

Exodus 30:16 establishes the critical "atonement money" from the census as essential for Israel's ongoing covenant relationship with God. This uniform half-shekel was a tangible acknowledgment that every Israelite life was ransomed and belonged to the LORD, regardless of personal wealth, stressing equality before God. Its allocation directly supported the Tabernacle—the very hub of divine presence and atonement. By paying this ransom, the people activated a perpetual "remembrance" before God, ensuring His continuous favor and preventing potential judgment (such as a plague) that could be associated with numbering the people. It highlighted God's sovereignty over life and His gracious provision of a means for His holy presence to dwell among an imperfect people. Ultimately, this provision foreshadowed the ultimate and complete ransom offered by Christ Jesus for all humanity, not with perishable silver but with His precious blood.