Nehemiah 7:71

71 And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

Nehemiah 7:71 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 7:71

And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of
the work
To be put into the treasure, out of which the expenses of the temple, and service of it were defrayed:

twenty thousand drachms of gold;
which were so many pounds of our money, and somewhat more: for, according to Bishop Cumberland ^F6, a drachm of gold was of the value of twenty shillings and four pence: and 2200 pounds of silver; "the maneh", or pound, with the Jews, was of the value of sixty shekels, ( Ezekiel 45:12 ) and so is reckoned by our Brerewood ^F7 to be of our money seven pounds and ten shillings; he reckoning a shekel at half a crown, whereas it was little more than two shillings and four pence; and so sixty of them, or a "maneh", came to about seven pounds; wherefore this sum here was seven times so many pounds of silver.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 115.
F7 De Ponder & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.

Nehemiah 7:71 In-Context

69 their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.

70 Now some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests' garments and 500 minas of silver.

71 And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

72 And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests' garments.

73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns.