Numbers 3 47

Numbers 3:47 kjv

Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)

Numbers 3:47 nkjv

you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.

Numbers 3:47 niv

collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

Numbers 3:47 esv

you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs ),

Numbers 3:47 nlt

collect five pieces of silver for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).

Numbers 3 verses

Numbers 3 47 Meaning

Numbers 3:47 prescribes the specific redemption price for the firstborn Israelite males who exceeded the number of the Levites, whom God took in place of all firstborn. The verse states that five shekels must be paid for each such individual. This payment is to be based on the precise standard of the "sanctuary shekel," which is explicitly defined as twenty gerahs. This precise monetary value underscores the meticulousness of God's commands and the sanctity of payments made to His holy service.

Numbers 3 47 Context

Numbers chapter 3 is dedicated to detailing the census of the Levites, their role in serving the Tabernacle, and their divine appointment as substitutes for all the firstborn males of Israel. After the first census of all Israelite males capable of war (Num 1), chapter 3 recounts a separate census for the Levites, who were specifically designated for service to the Tabernacle and did not go out to war with the other tribes. The total number of Levite males from one month old and upward was found to be 22,000 (Num 3:39). Crucially, the number of the firstborn males among the rest of the Israelite tribes, from one month old and upward, was 22,273 (Num 3:43). Since God had taken the Levites in place of all firstborn (Num 3:12), and there was an excess of 273 firstborn who were not covered by the Levites, a redemption payment was required for these remaining individuals. Numbers 3:47, therefore, provides the precise sum and standard for this required redemption payment, demonstrating God's meticulous care for fairness and adherence to His holy principles. Historically, this system reinforced God's claim on the firstborn due to the Passover deliverance and established the dedicated nature of the Levitical priesthood and service.

Numbers 3 47 Word analysis

• You shall take (וְלָקַחְתָּ֣ - v'lakachtah): The command is addressed to Moses (implied) or the priestly administrators. It is a divine instruction, not a suggestion, highlighting the imperative nature of the requirement for payment.
• five shekels (חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁקָלִים֙ - chamishah sheqalim):
  • Five: The number "five" often appears in cultic contexts (e.g., Leviticus sacrifices) and redemption amounts (Lev 27:6), possibly signifying grace, completion, or divine sufficiency. Here, it is a precise, non-negotiable monetary value.
  • Shekels (שֶׁקֶל - sheqel): Originally a unit of weight (approx. 11.5 grams or 0.4 oz of silver, though it varied), serving as currency. This indicates payment was made with a measurable quantity of precious metal, not just symbolic. It was a substantial amount for a common Israelite but achievable.
• apiece / for each head (לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת - la-gulgoleth): Literally, "for the skull." This emphasizes an individual calculation and a per-person obligation, similar to a "head tax." It denotes personal responsibility for redemption.
• you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (תִּקַּ֖ח אֶל־שֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ - tiqqach el-sheqel haqqodesh):
  • Sanctuary shekel (שֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ - shekel haqqodesh): This is crucial. It refers to a standardized, pure, and unchanging weight for silver used in Temple/Tabernacle transactions (Exod 30:13; Lev 27:25). It served to prevent fraud or variable payments, ensuring integrity and uniformity in matters pertaining to God's holiness. It distinguishes sacred measurements from potentially fluctuating secular market values. It speaks to divine purity and accuracy.
• the shekel of twenty gerahs (עֶשְׂרִֽים גֵּרָה֙ הַשֶּׁ֣קֶל הוּא֙ - esrim gerah ha-sheqel hu):
  • Twenty gerahs (עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה - esrim gerah): A gerah (גֵּרָה - gerah) was a smaller unit of weight, typically one-twentieth of a shekel. This precise definition eliminates any ambiguity about the standard weight of the sanctuary shekel, reinforcing its sacred, non-negotiable nature. This hyper-specific detail highlights God's meticulousness and His demand for absolute precision and integrity in sacred dealings.

Words-group analysis:

• "Five shekels apiece for each head": This phrase details the specific amount and its application. It is a direct "buy-back" for individual firstborn males not covered by the Levitical substitution. The precision points to God's exactness and fairness in covenant obligations.
• "According to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs)": This phrase establishes the authoritative and unwavering standard for the payment. It signifies that matters relating to God's holy dwelling and service require integrity, consistency, and an incorruptible measure, reflecting God's own unchangeable nature and holiness. This contrasts sharply with variable or dishonest weights and measures condemned elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Deut 25:13-16; Prov 11:1).

Numbers 3 47 Bonus section

The "sanctuary shekel" standard itself is a significant theological statement. It speaks to God's absolute demand for integrity, purity, and precision in all dealings related to His worship and His Tabernacle. Unlike varying commercial weights, the "shekel of the sanctuary" was fixed, ensuring fairness and preventing corruption in religious payments and valuations. This also indicates an established infrastructure to ensure this standard, possibly maintained by the priests or levitical officials. The sum of five shekels, while affordable for many, represented a noticeable commitment, underscoring the value placed on redemption and consecration to God. This numerical system within the Law provided a framework for a sacred economy, where every transaction with God had clear, divine guidelines. The New Testament revelation clarifies that while the Mosaic Law used monetary "prices" for redemption, these were types and shadows. True redemption, the freeing from sin and death, has been purchased by the infinite value of Christ's perfect, self-sacrificing life.

Numbers 3 47 Commentary

Numbers 3:47 represents a fundamental principle within God's covenant with Israel: that life and deliverance are ultimately His own. God claimed all the firstborn due to His mighty act of preservation during the Passover plague. By substituting the entire tribe of Levi for the firstborn, He demonstrated His sovereign choice and provided a mechanism for His exclusive service. This verse, therefore, deals with the precise, practical application of that substitution. The specific redemption price of "five shekels apiece" and the adherence to the "sanctuary shekel" standard convey profound truths: God's commands are exact and require meticulous obedience; His holy standard is unchanging and above earthly fluctuations; and ultimately, even in Old Testament types, redemption requires a payment. This payment was not a ransom to buy God's favor, but a symbolic act to acknowledge God's ownership and provision for the Tabernacle's ongoing maintenance, through which atonement could be made. It foreshadows the ultimate and final redemption price paid not by silver, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which eternally redeems believers.