Exodus 38:26

a beka per person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone twenty years of age or older who had crossed over to be numbered, a total of 603,550 men.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses records the final accounting of the sanctuary materials following the wilderness census, noting the exact weight and source of the silver collected from the congregation.

The words — בֶּ֚קַע (Be.ka') denotes a beka, while הַ/קֹּ֑דֶשׁ (ha./Ko.desh) specifies the standard of the holy place, establishing the precise weight required for the levy.

The thread — This collection fulfills the command in Exodus 30:13 and matches the census total recorded in Numbers 1:46, reflecting the population scale first noted in Exodus 12:37.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that sacred space is funded by a standardized, universally applied contribution rather than voluntary giving, and that every counted individual bears equal weight in the community's worship infrastructure.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

בֶּ֚קַעBe.ka'a beka לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶתla./gul.Go.letfor the/ head מַחֲצִ֥יתma.cha.Tzit[the] half of הַשֶּׁ֖קֶלha./She.kelthe/ shekel בְּשֶׁ֣קֶלbe./She.kelby/ [the] shekel of הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁha./Ko.deshthe/ holy place לְכֹ֨לle./Kholfor/ every הָעֹבֵ֜רha./'o.Ver<the>/ [one who] passed over עַל־'al-to הַפְּקֻדִ֗יםha./pe.ku.Dimthose/ [who] were enrolled מִבֶּ֨ןmi./Benfrom/ a son of עֶשְׂרִ֤ים'es.Rimtwenty שָׁנָה֙sha.Nahyear[s]וָמַ֔עְלָהva./Ma'.la/hand/ up/ -wards לְשֵׁשׁ־le./shesh-to/ six מֵא֥וֹתme.'othundred<s>אֶ֙לֶף֙'e.lefthousand וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתu./she.Lo.shetand/ three אֲלָפִ֔ים'a.la.Fimthousand<s>וַחֲמֵ֥שׁva./cha.Meshand/ five מֵא֖וֹתme.'othundred<s>וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃va./cha.mi.Shimand/ fifty

King James Version

A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

Cross-references

Numbers 1:46 And all those counted totaled 603,550.
Exodus 30:13 Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
Exodus 12:37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
Exodus 30:15 In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.