And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shall you redeem, according to your valuation, for the money of five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
Read Chapter 18
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Of it; the first-born of man. The child might be redeemed sooner, and sometimes they waited till after the purification of the mother, or 40 days, as our blessed Lady did, Luke ii. 22. (Calmet)
Five sicles of silver, or about 11s. 6d. English, were then to be paid, unless poverty obliged them to give only two turtles or pigeons. (Haydock)
Beasts might be redeemed after they were eight days old, Exodus xiii. 12. Leo of Modena, (p. 1. c. 9,) informs us, that when a child is to be redeemed, at present, the father sends for a descendant of Aaron, who, after enquiring of the mother, if she have had no child before; and of the father, if he wish to redeem the infant, says aloud, "This child, being the first-born, belongs to me; as it is said, (Numbers xviii. 16,) Thou shalt redeem the child of a month old for five sicles. But I take this (about two crowns of gold) instead. "(Calmet)
But how can these priests prove their genealogy, since the distinction of the tribes has been so long lost?
Of silver. Hebrew, "according to thy estimation, for the money of five sicles, by the sicle of the sanctuary, which hath 20 geras. "(Haydock)
