1 Chronicles 22:14

14 “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents^[a] of gold, a million talents^[b] of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.

1 Chronicles 22:14 in Other Translations

14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

14 With great pains I have provided for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add.

14 “I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the LORD —nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more.

14 Look at this - I've gone to a lot of trouble to stockpile materials for the sanctuary of God: 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of gold, a million talents (37,750 tons) of silver, tons of bronze and iron - too much to weigh - and all this timber and stone. And you're free to add more.

14 Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver, and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

14 "Despite my troubles I've made preparations for the LORD's temple. There are 7,500,000 pounds of gold, 75,000,000 pounds of silver, and so much bronze and iron that it can't be weighed. I've also prepared wood and stones, and you may add to them.

14 "Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord-3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver, and bronze and iron that can't be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them.

14 "I've tried very hard to provide for the LORD's temple. I've provided 3,750 tons of gold and 37,500 tons of silver. I've provided more bronze and iron than anyone can weigh. I've also given plenty of wood and stone. You can add to it.

1 Chronicles 22:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 22:14

Now, behold, in my trouble
Or affliction, which had attended him, through the greater part of his reign, partly through wars abroad, and partly through rebellions and insurrections at home: or,

in my poverty
^F1; living in a frugal way, as if he had been a poor man, in order to lay up money for this purpose:

I have prepared for the house of the Lord;
for the building of it, and for things to be used in it:

an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of
silver;
a prodigious sum, be it reckoned as it will; the gold, according to Scheuchzer ^F2 was answerable to 1,222,000,000 ducats of gold; according to Waserus ^F3 the talents of gold made six hundred millions of Hungarian pieces of gold, or 6000 tons of gold; our Brerewood ^F4 makes them to amount to 450,000,000 pounds; but this being a sum so excessive large as what exceeds the riches of any monarch read of in history, he thinks ^F5 the word "kikkar" signifies a mass or cake of gold of an uncertain value; or that this talent was of a lesser value than the Mosaic one, as there were small talents in the times of Homer ^F6, as he observes, and some of different worth in various countries. The silver, taking gold to be in proportion to silver as ten to one, as it formerly was, is just of the same value with the gold; but Brerewood, who takes it to be as twelve to one, computes it at 375,000,000 pounds; but the proportion of gold to silver is now grown, as Bishop Cumberland observes ^F7, to above fourteen to one. According to Scheuchzer the silver talents amounted to 4,500,000,000 imperials or rix dollars; according to Witsius ^F8 the gold and silver both amounted to 3000 and nine hundred millions of pieces of gold; but Josephus ^F9 has reduced these sums very much, making them to be 10,000 talents of gold, and 100,000 of silver. Dr. Prideaux ^F11 says that what is said to be given by David here, and in ( 1 Chronicles 29:3-5 ) and by his princes, ( 1 Chronicles 29:6-8 ) if valued by the Mosaic talent, exceeded the value of eight hundred million of our money, which was enough to have built the whole temple of solid silver:

and of brass and iron without weight, for it is in abundance;
there was so much of both, that it was too much trouble to take the weight and value of them:

timber also and stone have I prepared;
see ( 1 Chronicles 22:2-4 )

and thou mayest add thereunto;
which might easily be obtained, there being not a sufficiency of either of them prepared for the work.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (yyneb) "in paupertate mea", V. L.
F2 Physica Sacra, vol. 4. p. 631.
F3 De Antiqu. Num. Heb. l. 2. c. 13.
F4 De Pond. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 5.
F5 De Pond. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 6.
F6 Vid. Suidam in voce (talanton) .
F7 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 121.
F8 Miscell. Sacr. 2. Exercit. 10. sect. 17.
F9 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 14. sect. 2.
F11 Connection, part 1. p. 6.

1 Chronicles 22:14 In-Context

12 May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God.

13 Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

14 “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.

15 You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work

16 in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.”

Cross References

• 1. ver 3; 1Ch 29:2-5,19

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, about 3,750 tons or about 3,400 metric tons
• [b]. That is, about 37,500 tons or about 34,000 metric tons