Numbers 18:16 - You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.
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What does "Numbers 18:16" mean?
This verse from Numbers 18:16 deals with the redemption of the firstborn son in ancient Israel. Let's break it down phrase by phrase:
"You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old..." This refers to the commandment that the firstborn son of every Jewish woman must be "redeemed" or bought back from God. The redemption applies from the time the baby is one month old. God claimed ownership of the firstborn of both humans and animals as His own because He spared the Israelites' firstborn during the Passover in Egypt. Instead of actually sacrificing the firstborn son to God, the parents would redeem them by paying a price.
"...according to your estimation, for five shekels of money..." The price for the redemption was a fixed amount: five shekels of silver. "Estimation" here refers to the valuation or assessment made to determine the redemption price. The priest would be the one authorized to receive the payment.
"...after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs." This specifies which type of shekel to use. The "shekel of the sanctuary" was a standardized weight used for religious and official purposes. It was considered the accurate and reliable standard. The clarification that it weighs "twenty gerahs" ensures that everyone uses the correct measurement. A gerah was a smaller unit of weight, and twenty of them made up one shekel.
In summary, Numbers 18:16 instructs that the firstborn son must be redeemed one month after birth for a fixed price of five shekels of silver, measured using the standard "shekel of the sanctuary" that weighs twenty gerahs.
Numbers 18:16 - You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.
What does "Numbers 18:16" mean?
This verse from Numbers 18:16 deals with the redemption of the firstborn son in ancient Israel. Let's break it down phrase by phrase:
"You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old..." This refers to the commandment that the firstborn son of every Jewish woman must be "redeemed" or bought back from God. The redemption applies from the time the baby is one month old. God claimed ownership of the firstborn of both humans and animals as His own because He spared the Israelites' firstborn during the Passover in Egypt. Instead of actually sacrificing the firstborn son to God, the parents would redeem them by paying a price.
"...according to your estimation, for five shekels of money..." The price for the redemption was a fixed amount: five shekels of silver. "Estimation" here refers to the valuation or assessment made to determine the redemption price. The priest would be the one authorized to receive the payment.
"...after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs." This specifies which type of shekel to use. The "shekel of the sanctuary" was a standardized weight used for religious and official purposes. It was considered the accurate and reliable standard. The clarification that it weighs "twenty gerahs" ensures that everyone uses the correct measurement. A gerah was a smaller unit of weight, and twenty of them made up one shekel.
In summary, Numbers 18:16 instructs that the firstborn son must be redeemed one month after birth for a fixed price of five shekels of silver, measured using the standard "shekel of the sanctuary" that weighs twenty gerahs.