The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text isn't just listing weights and measures; it's establishing a baseline of honest dealing. By re-stating the standard shekel value and then listing specific amounts that should add up to a larger unit (the maneh), Ezekiel is highlighting the danger of corrupted currency. This emphasizes that a just society, especially under God's renewed order, depends on integrity in every transaction, down to the smallest coin.
The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is detailing the precise measurements and standards for the restored Temple and the division of the land. This verse specifically addresses the established monetary weights and values, confirming the traditional shekel-to-gerah ratio and then attempting to define a larger unit called a "maneh" by summing different shekel amounts. The passage aims to provide a foundation for consistent economic dealings within the envisioned new covenant community.
In a world where values can shift like sand, God's Word reveals an unwavering commitment to fairness. This verse, though seemingly about ancient currency, speaks volumes about His desire for integrity in all things.
Ezekiel is outlining the measurements and weights for the new temple and land, ensuring everything is precise and trustworthy. The shekel, a fundamental unit of weight and currency, is defined as twenty gerahs. This establishes a baseline standard, a commitment to exactness.
This isn't just about ancient coins; it's about God's character. He values honesty and transparency. When He sets standards, they are absolute and meant to bring order and trust, not confusion. This foundational principle of accurate weights and measures mirrors His unchanging nature – He is always just and true.
Why would God give such specific, and frankly confusing, details about ancient money? It's more than just a marketplace regulation; it's about ensuring trustworthiness in His restored kingdom.
The latter part of the verse, listing 'twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina,' is puzzling. Scholars debate its exact meaning, but the underlying principle is clear: establishing a reliable system for larger units of value (the mina) that could be tested against known standards (the shekels).
Imagine having different coins in your pocket that are supposed to be worth the same, but aren't. Chaos! God provides these specific, albeit complex, figures to ensure that even larger sums could be verified. It’s a system designed to prevent fraud and maintain integrity. In the context of restoring His people and His land, this precision ensures that everything, from land distribution to offerings, is done rightly.
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Understand the original words
sheqel · Hebrew Noun
A unit of weight in the ancient Near East, generally used for measuring precious metals like silver and gold. It was subdivided into twenty gerahs.
gêrâh · Hebrew Noun
The smallest unit of weight mentioned in the Old Testament, representing one-twentieth of a shekel.
mâneh · Hebrew Noun
A unit of weight used in the Old Testament, which became standardized as sixty shekels in later periods, though its exact value varied throughout history.
Ezekiel's detailed instructions on weights and measures, including the shekel and maneh, highlight the longing for a restored, just economic order after the chaos and loss experienced during the Babylonian exile, where such standards were likely disrupted or lost.
c. 1400 BC
Mosaic Law Establishes Weights and Measures
The Sinai covenant establishes foundational laws for Israel, including standards for weights and measures like the shekel and gerah, intended to ensure fairness in commerce and worship.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom, leading to widespread disruption, deportation, and the loss of established civil and religious standards.
605-586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The Babylonian Empire deports significant portions of the Jewish population to Babylon, including many skilled artisans and leaders, and eventually destroys Jerusalem and the Temple.
c. 570 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of the New Temple
While in exile, Ezekiel receives a complex vision of a future Temple and a restored Israel, detailing precise regulations for worship, land division, and economic systems.
539 BC
Persian Empire Conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of some Jewish exiles to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and their society.
This passage establishes the original standard for the shekel's value in gerahs, reinforcing the foundational weight and measure system Ezekiel is reiterating for a future restoration.
Leviticus 27:25This verse also references the shekel's value in gerahs, particularly in the context of vows and redemption, showing the long-standing importance of accurate weights and measures in Israel's spiritual and economic life.
1 Kings 10:17This passage mentions the maneh (or mina) in the context of Solomon's wealth, linking it to precious metals and showing its historical use as a significant unit of weight and value, which Ezekiel is also defining.
Nehemiah 7:71Here, the maneh is mentioned again in the context of the returned exiles offering gifts, demonstrating the continuity of these standard weights and measures through Israel's history, even after periods of disruption.
barnesEzekiel 45:12: "And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh."
The shekel - See the marginal reference. The "maneh" shall be of true weight, but it would seem that in Ezekiel's time there were "manehs" of different value.
pooleEzekiel 45:12: "And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh."
Having laid down the standard for weight and measure in less valuable things, and that are sold for money, now the standard is set down for the current coin which passed among them, and the valuation of which was part of the prince’s prerogative. The first mentioned in the text is the shekel, which, saith the text, contained twenty gerahs; now every gerah was on…
The text isn't just listing weights and measures; it's establishing a baseline of honest dealing. By re-stating the standard shekel value and then listing specific amounts that should add up to a larger unit (the maneh), Ezekiel is highlighting the danger of corrupted currency. This emphasizes that a just society, especially under God's renewed order, depends on integrity in every transaction, down to the smallest coin.
Ezekiel is detailing the precise measurements and standards for the restored Temple and the division of the land. This verse specifically addresses the established monetary weights and values, confirming the traditional shekel-to-gerah ratio and then attempting to define a larger unit called a "maneh" by summing different shekel amounts. The passage aims to provide a foundation for consistent economic dealings within the envisioned new covenant community.
Ezekiel is detailing the precise measurements and standards for the restored Temple and the division of the land. This verse specifically addresses the established monetary weights and values, confirming the traditional shekel-to-gerah ratio and then attempting to define a larger unit called a "maneh" by summing different shekel amounts. The passage aims to provide a foundation for consistent economic dealings within the envisioned new covenant community.
"The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina." — The text isn't just listing weights and measures; it's establishing a baseline of honest dealing. By re-stating the standard shekel value and then listing specific amounts that should add up to a l…
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Last reviewed October 2026