Even three thousand talents of gold
Which, according to Scheuchzer F3, amount to 36,660,000 ducats of gold; and, according to Brerewood F4, to 13,500,000 pounds of our money:
of the gold of Ophir;
which was reckoned the best gold; not Ophir in India, which was not known till Solomon's time, but in Arabia, as Bochart F5 has shown; so Eupolemus F6, an Heathen writer, says, that David having built ships at Achan, a city of Arabia, sent miners to Urphe (supposed to be the same with Ophir) in the island of the Red sea,(See Gill on :) and that he was able to give so great a sum out of his own substance, Dr. Prideaux F7 thinks, can only be accounted for by his great returns from this traffic; since these 3000 talents, according to him, amounted to 21,600,000 pounds sterling:
and seven thousand talents of refined silver;
amounting, according to Scheuchzer F8, to 31,500,000 imperials, or rix dollars; and, according to Brerewood F9, to 2,625,000 pounds of our money:
to overlay the walls of the houses withal;
the gold was to overlay the walls of the holy and most holy place, the silver to overlay the walls of the chambers built around the temple.