Esdra 8:26

26 Io adunque pesai loro in mano seicencinquanta talenti d’argento, e di vasellamenti di argento cento talenti, e cento talenti d’oro;

Esdra 8:26 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 8:26

I even weighed unto their hand six hundred fifty talents of
silver
Which, according to Scheuchzer ^F1 amount to 975,000 imperials, and, of our money, 2,229,450 pounds sterling: and silver vessels one hundred talents; which came to 35,300 pounds, or 50,000 imperials; according to Jarchi, there were one hundred vessels, and every vessel weighed a talent, and so Aben Ezra, which, with Brerewood {b}, was three hundred and seventy five pounds:

and of gold one hundred talents;
which, according to Scheuchzer ^F3, were equal to 1,222,000 ducats of gold; the value of gold now is above 14 and a 3d to the value of silver, by which may be judged the difference between one hundred talents of gold and one hundred talents of silver; according to David de Pomis ^F4, there were two sorts of talents; common talents, which weighed sixty pounds, and the talent of the sanctuary, which weighed double to that.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Physica Sacra, vol. 4. p. 651.
F2 De Pond. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.
F3 Ut supra. (Physica Sacra, vol. 4. p. 651.)
F4 Tzemach David, fol. 57. 3.

Esdra 8:26 In-Context

24 Allora io misi da parte dodici de’ principali sacerdoti, con Serebia, Hasabia, e dieci de’ lor fratelli.

25 E pesai loro l’argento, e l’oro, ed i vasellamenti, ch’era l’offerta ch’era stata fatta per la Casa dell’Iddio nostro, dal re, da’ suoi consiglieri, e da’ suoi principi, e da tutti gli Israeliti che si ritrovarono.

26 Io adunque pesai loro in mano seicencinquanta talenti d’argento, e di vasellamenti di argento cento talenti, e cento talenti d’oro;

27 e venti coppe d’oro, che pesavano mille dramme; e due vasi d’oricalco fino, preziosi come d’oro.

28 Ed io dissi loro: Voi siete persone sacre al Signore; questi vasellamenti sono anch’essi cosa sacra; e quest’argento, e quest’oro, è una offerta volontaria fatta al Signore Iddio de’ vostri padri.