Ezra 8:26

26 I weighed [the contributions] for them to guard: about 24 tons of silver, 100 silver utensils weighing 150 pounds apiece, 7,500 pounds of gold,

Ezra 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.

Ezra 8:26 In-Context

24 Then I selected 12 leaders from the priests--Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their relatives.

25 I weighed for them the silver, the gold, and the utensils. [These were] the contributions that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all the Israelites had contributed for our God's temple.

26 I weighed [the contributions] for them to guard: about 24 tons of silver, 100 silver utensils weighing 150 pounds apiece, 7,500 pounds of gold,

27 20 gold bowls weighing 18 pounds apiece, and two utensils of fine polished bronze that were as precious as gold.

28 I told them, "You and the utensils are holy to the LORD. The silver and gold are freewill offerings to the LORD God of your ancestors.