King James Version

What Does Exodus 38:26 Mean?

Exodus 38:26 in the King James Version says “A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered...” — study this verse from Exodus chapter 38 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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. every man: Heb. a poll”

Exodus 38:26 · KJV

Context

24

All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

25

And 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:

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. every man: Heb. a poll

27

And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28

And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

Read Exodus 38 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study 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.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural 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.

Reflection Questions

  1. What does the exact correspondence between counted men and collected silver teach about God's comprehensive, precise redemption?
  2. How does every Israelite contributing to the foundation illustrate that every believer's redemption supports the whole church structure?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
בֶּ֚קַע1 of 22

“A bekah”

H1235

a section (half) of a shekel, i.e., a beka (a weight and a coin)

לַגֻּלְגֹּ֔לֶת2 of 22

“for every man”

H1538

a skull (as round); by implication, a head (in enumeration of persons)

מַֽחֲצִ֥ית3 of 22

“that is half”

H4276

a halving or the middle

בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל4 of 22

“a shekel”

H8255

probably a weight; used as a commercial standard

בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל5 of 22

“a shekel”

H8255

probably a weight; used as a commercial standard

הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ6 of 22

“of the sanctuary”

H6944

a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity

לְכֹ֨ל7 of 22
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

הָֽעֹבֵ֜ר8 of 22

“for every one that went”

H5674

to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

עַל9 of 22
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

הַפְּקֻדִ֗ים10 of 22

“to be numbered”

H6485

to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc

מִבֶּ֨ן11 of 22

“old”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

עֶשְׂרִ֤ים12 of 22

“from twenty”

H6242

twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth

שָׁנָה֙13 of 22

“years”

H8141

a year (as a revolution of time)

וָמַ֔עְלָה14 of 22

“and upward”

H4605

properly,the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc

לְשֵׁשׁ15 of 22

“for six”

H8337

six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth

מֵא֖וֹת16 of 22

“hundred”

H3967

a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction

אֲלָפִ֔ים17 of 22

“thousand”

H505

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת18 of 22

“and three”

H7969

three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice

אֲלָפִ֔ים19 of 22

“thousand”

H505

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

וַֽחֲמֵ֥שׁ20 of 22

“and five”

H2568

five

מֵא֖וֹת21 of 22

“hundred”

H3967

a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction

וַֽחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃22 of 22

“and fifty”

H2572

fifty

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Exodus. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Exodus 38:26 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Exodus 38:26 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Numbers 1:46Exodus 30:13Exodus 12:37Exodus 30:15-16

Test Your Knowledge

Exodus 38 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapterExodus Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

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