Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 30:12

"When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to those that are numbered of them, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto Jehovah, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them." — Exodus 30:12 (ASV)

THE RANSOM OF SOULS.

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel. —A formal enrollment and registration seems to be intended. Until now, nothing but a rough estimate of the number had been attempted (Exodus 12:37); now that a covenant had been made with God, an exact account of those who were within the covenant was needed. Moses, apparently, was contemplating such an exact enumeration when the command contained in this text was given him. It would be natural for one trained in Egyptian habits to desire such exact statistical knowledge. (For the minuteness and fullness of the Egyptian statistics of the time, see Records of the Past, vol. ii., pp. 19-28; vol. iv. pp. 46, 47; vol. vi. pp. 35-69, etc.)

Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul. —On being formally enrolled among the people of God, it would be brought home to every man how unworthy he was of such favor, how necessary it was that atonement should in some way or other be made for him. God therefore appointed a way—the same way for all—in order to teach strongly that all souls were of equal value in His sight, and that unworthiness, whatever its degree, required the same expiation.

That there be no plague among them. —If a man did not feel his need of “ransom,” and gladly pay the small sum at which the ransom was fixed, he would show himself so proud and presumptuous that he might well provoke a Divine “plague,” or punishment.