Numbers 18:16 (KJV)

What does Numbers 18:16 mean?

Numbers 18:16 sets a payment for redeeming a firstborn child once the child is a month old. The payment goes to the priests and is set at five shekels of silver, measured by the sanctuary’s standard.

The LORD is speaking to Aaron, the priest. Following the instruction about firstborn children in verse 15, this verse sets the age and amount for their redemption. The payment marks a release from the claim on the firstborn described in the surrounding passage.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 18:16

• “redeem” — פָּדָה (padah): The word carries the sense of releasing someone or something by a payment. Here, the payment provides for the child’s release.
• “estimation” — עֵרֶךְ (ʿerekh): The word can mean an assessed value or fixed amount. Here, the verse states that amount rather than leaving it to be decided for each child.

Why Numbers 18:16 matters

• The verse gives an age, not a price based on the child’s age. “From a month old” tells when the child becomes subject to the payment.
• The shekel is a measure of weight in this payment. “Twenty gerahs” defines the shekel used, so the amount is measured by a stated standard rather than an uncertain local measure.
• The payment belongs to the priests’ support. The surrounding passage assigns these payments to Aaron and his sons as part of what they receive for their service (Numbers 18:8, 15–16).