And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
Those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem. With a view of perpetuating the remembrance of the claim, which, although commuted, was not repealed, it was ordained that "the firstborn should nevertheless be redeemed, and the redemption was estimated at "five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs." Thus the Levites took the place of the firstborn. But they did not necessarily become priests: they were only the servants of the priests; and even to this station they had to be qualified by a special form of consecration.