Exodus 30:12

Exodus 30:12 in other versions

• New International Version (NIV)“When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the Lord. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them.

Context of Exodus 30:12

10And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord. 11And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 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. 14Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.

Exodus 30:12 word by word

כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לַיהוָ֖ה בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear

• When thou takestנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: countH5375
• the sumרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: countH7218
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• after their numberפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• then shall they giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: payH5414
• every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• a ransomכֹּפֶרkôpher · ransomH3724
• for his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• them; that there be no plagueנֶ֫גֶףnegeph · plagueH5063

Cross-references for Exodus 30:12

• Exodus 38:25And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
• Numbers 1:2Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
• Numbers 26:2Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.
• 2 Samuel 24:1And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
• Numbers 31:50We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
• 2 Chronicles 24:6And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
• Job 33:24Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
• Job 36:18Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
• Psalms 49:7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
• Matthew 20:28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
• Mark 10:45For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
• 1 Timothy 2:6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
• 1 Peter 1:18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
• 2 Samuel 24:2For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
• 1 Chronicles 21:12Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
• 1 Chronicles 27:24Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

Commentaries on Exodus 30:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul - This was a very important ordinance, and should be seriously considered. See Exodus 30:13; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11-16Verses 11-16 The Ransom of Souls. - Exodus 38:25-28. On comparing these words with those of Numbers 1:1-3, we may perhaps infer that the first passage relates to a mere counting of the adult Israelites at the time when the money was taken from each, and that what the latter passage enjoins was a formal enrolment of them according to their genealogies and their order of military service. A ransom for his soul - What the sincere worshipper thus paid was at…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-16Verses 11-16 The tribute was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less; the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and God is no respecter of persons, Ac 10:34; Job 34:19. In other offerings men were to give according to their wordly ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all. The souls of all are of equal value, equally in danger, and all equally need a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12no plague: Compare 2 Samuel 24, where a plague followed King David’s unauthorized census. A king would often take a census for reasons of pride or control. Here the people are giving God a ransom for themselves. This standard payment would go into the tabernacle treasury and initially be used in the construction of the tabernacle (see Exodus 38:25–26).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1611-16. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, &c.--Moses did so twice, and doubtless observed the law here prescribed. The tax was not levied from women, minors, old men (Nu 1:42, 45), and the Levites (Nu 1:47), they being not numbered. Assuming the shekel of the sanctuary to be about half an ounce troy, though nothing certain is known about it, the sum payable by each individual was two and four pence. This was not a voluntary contribution…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 30:12

• Atonement
• Census
• Money
• Ransom
• Religion
• Tabernacle
• Tax

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Children of Israel
• Beat
• Compound
• Curious
• Onycha
• Perpetual
• Smell
• Spices
• Taxes

Commentaries on Exodus 30

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings