Exodus 30:13

30:13 Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered ¹  is to pay this: a half shekel ²  according to the shekel of the sanctuary ³  (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering ⁴  to the Lord.

Leviticus 27:25

27:25 Every conversion value must be calculated by the standard of the sanctuary shekel; ⁵  twenty gerahs to the shekel.

Numbers 3:47

3:47 collect ⁶  five shekels for each ⁷  one individually; you are to collect ⁸  this amount ⁹  in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs). ¹⁰ 

[30:13]  ¹ sn Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side.

[30:13]  ² sn The half shekel weight of silver would be about one-fifth of an ounce (6 grams).

[30:13]  ³ sn It appears that some standard is in view for the amount of a shekel weight. The sanctuary shekel is sometimes considered to be twice the value of the ordinary shekel. The “gerah,” also of uncertain meaning, was mentioned as a reference point for the ancient reader to understand the value of the required payment. It may also be that the expression meant “a sacred shekel” and looked at the purpose more – a shekel for sanctuary dues. This would mean that the standard of the shekel weight was set because it was the traditional amount of sacred dues (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 333). “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams…Whether an official standard is meant [by ‘sanctuary shekel’] or whether the sanctuary shekel had a different weight than the ‘ordinary’ shekel is not known” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181).

[30:13]  ⁴ tn Or “contribution” (תְּרוּמָה, tÿrumah).

[27:25]  ⁵ tn See the note on Lev 5:15.

[3:47]  ⁶ tn The verb again is the perfect tense in sequence; the meaning of “take” may be interpreted here with the sense of “collect.”

[3:47]  ⁷ tn The idea is expressed simply by repetition: “take five, five, shekels according to the skull.” They were to collect five shekels for each individual.

[3:47]  ⁸ tn The verb form now is the imperfect of instruction or legislation.

[3:47]  ⁹ tn Heb “them,” referring to the five shekels.

[3:47]  ¹⁰ sn The sanctuary shekel was first mentioned in Exod 30:13. The half-shekel of Exod 38:26 would then be 10 gerahs. Consequently, the calculations would indicate that five shekels was about two ounces of silver for each person. See R. B. Y. Scott, “Weights and Measures of the Bible,” BA 22 (1951): 22-40, and “The Scale-Weights from Ophel, 1963-1964,” PEQ 97 (1965): 128-39.