Ezra 2:69

69 According to their power they gave into the treasury of the work pure gold sixty-one thousand pieces, and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.

Ezra 2:69 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 2:69

They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the world
threescore and one thousand drachms of gold
These "darcemons or darics" were a Persian coin; one of which, according to Brerewood ^F11, was of the value of fifteen shillings of our money, and so this quantity of them amounted to 45,750 pounds; but according to Bishop Cumberland ^F12 they were of the value of twenty shillings and four pence of our money, and so came to upwards of 61,000 pounds; these everyone, according to his ability, put into the common stock or treasury for the work of building the temple; the Vulgate Latin ^F13 reads 40,000:

and five thousand pounds of silver;
and an Hebrew "mina", or pound, being of our money seven pounds, ten shillings, according to Brerewood {n}, amounted to 31,250 pounds: but others ^F15, reckoning a drachm of gold at ten shillings, and a mina or pound of silver at nine pounds, make the whole to amount only to 75,500 pounds of our money:

and one hundred priests' garments;
which, as they were laid up among treasures, so were necessary for the service of the temple.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 De Pret. & Ponder. Vet. Num. ch. iii. v.
F12 Scripture Weights & Measures, ch. 4. p. 115.
F13 Sixtus V. Lovain & MSS. in James ut supra. (Contrariety of Popish Bibles, p. 295)
F14 Ut supra, (De Pret. & Ponder. Vet. Num.) ch. iv. v.
F15 Universal History, vol. 10. p. 183, marg.

Ezra 2:69 In-Context

67 Their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred twenty.

68 And of the chiefs of families, when they went into the house of the Lord that was in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God, to establish it on its prepared place.

69 According to their power they gave into the treasury of the work pure gold sixty-one thousand pieces, and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.

70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nathinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.