This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census. (The tax is one beka, which is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel.) The tax was collected from 603,550 men who had reached their twentieth birthday.

Commentaries

4

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes

AlbertBarnes

18th Century
Presbyterian
18th Century

A bekah - Literally, “a half”: the words “half a shekel,” etc. appear to be inserted only for emphasis, to enforce the accuracy to be observ…

Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott

CharlesEllicott

19th Century
Anglican
19th Century

A bekah for every man. —The word “bekah” means simply a half, but appears to have been restricted in its use to the half-…

John Gill

John Gill

JohnGill

17th Century
Reformed Baptist
17th Century

A bekah for every man, [that is], half a shekel, after the
shekel of the sanctuary
A …

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

MatthewHenry

17th Century
Presbyterian
17th Century

The foundation of solid pieces of silver showed the solidity and purity of the truth upon which the church is founded.

Let us regard the Lor…