The rich man shall not add to half a sicle, and the poor man shall diminish nothing.

the rich doth not multiply, and the poor doth not diminish from the half-shekel, to give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.

The man of wealth is to give no more and the poor man no less than the half-shekel of silver, when the offering is made to the Lord as the price for your lives.

The rich shall not add to the half shekel, and the poor shall diminish nothing.

Dives non augebit, et pauper non diminuet ex dimidio sicli, dando oblationem Jehovae ad expiandas animas vestras.

Every Israelite stood in one and the same relation to Yahweh. See Exodus 30:11-12.

The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when [they] give an offering unto the LORD, (i) to make an atonement for your souls.
(i) That God should be merciful to you.

The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel,.... Which shows that the Israelites were alike in the esteem of God, their worldly circumstances making no difference; their souls being alike, the same ransom price was given for them; and that they were all to have an equal share in the service and sanctuary of God, and the price was set so low, that the poorest man might be able to pay it: and even Maimonides (y) says, if he lived on alms, he was to beg it of others, or sell his clothes from off his back to pay it. This shows the equality of the redeemed and ransomed of the Lord; for though some sins and sinners are greater than others, and some are redeemed from more sins than others, yet all sins being infinite, as committed against an infinite God, but one price is paid for all, and that is the precious blood of Christ, the Son of God, an infinite and divine Person; hence all the ransomed ones have the same faith, righteousness, salvation, and eternal life:
when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make atonement for your souls; which have sinned, are liable to death for it, are the more excellent part of men, and require a great price for the redemption and ransom of them; and hence it is so great a blessing to be ransomed, because it is the ransom of the soul: and such is the efficacy of Christ's ransom, that it is a full atonement for the souls of men, and their sins, and completely delivers from sin, Satan, the law, death, and hell.
(y) Hilchot Shekalim, c. 1. sect. 1.