Exodus 38:26
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.
Original Language Analysis
בֶּ֚קַע
A bekah
H1235
בֶּ֚קַע
A bekah
Strong's:
H1235
Word #:
1 of 22
a section (half) of a shekel, i.e., a beka (a weight and a coin)
לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶת
for every man
H1538
לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶת
for every man
Strong's:
H1538
Word #:
2 of 22
a skull (as round); by implication, a head (in enumeration of persons)
בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל
a shekel
H8255
בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל
a shekel
Strong's:
H8255
Word #:
4 of 22
probably a weight; used as a commercial standard
בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל
a shekel
H8255
בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל
a shekel
Strong's:
H8255
Word #:
5 of 22
probably a weight; used as a commercial standard
הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ
of the sanctuary
H6944
הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ
of the sanctuary
Strong's:
H6944
Word #:
6 of 22
a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
לְכֹ֨ל
H3605
לְכֹ֨ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
7 of 22
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָֽעֹבֵ֜ר
for every one that went
H5674
הָֽעֹבֵ֜ר
for every one that went
Strong's:
H5674
Word #:
8 of 22
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
9 of 22
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הַפְּקֻדִ֗ים
to be numbered
H6485
הַפְּקֻדִ֗ים
to be numbered
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
10 of 22
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
מִבֶּ֨ן
old
H1121
מִבֶּ֨ן
old
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
11 of 22
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
וָמַ֔עְלָה
and upward
H4605
וָמַ֔עְלָה
and upward
Strong's:
H4605
Word #:
14 of 22
properly,the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc
לְשֵׁשׁ
for six
H8337
לְשֵׁשׁ
for six
Strong's:
H8337
Word #:
15 of 22
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
אֲלָפִ֔ים
thousand
H505
אֲלָפִ֔ים
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
17 of 22
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת
and three
H7969
וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת
and three
Strong's:
H7969
Word #:
18 of 22
three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice
אֲלָפִ֔ים
thousand
H505
אֲלָפִ֔ים
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
19 of 22
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
Cross References
Numbers 1:46Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.Exodus 30:13This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.Exodus 12:37And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
Historical Context
The census number (603,550) matches the Exodus population count (Exodus 12:37, Numbers 1:46), confirming consistent biblical record. The bekah (half-shekel) per man over twenty years old established that adults bore responsibility for their own atonement, while heads of households likely paid for dependents. This tax funded the tabernacle foundation—making every Israelite literally foundational to God's dwelling.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the exact correspondence between counted men and collected silver teach about God's comprehensive, precise redemption?
- How does every Israelite contributing to the foundation illustrate that every believer's redemption supports the whole church structure?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The precise calculation—'a bekah for every man' (בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת, beka la-gulgoleth, 'half-shekel per head')—demonstrates exact accountability. The phrase 'from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men' provides census total: 603,550 men of military age. This specific number multiplied by half-shekel equals the silver total (v. 25), demonstrating mathematical precision in the accounting. The exactness teaches that God's redemption is comprehensive—every person counted, every ransom recorded, every contribution applied to the foundation.