Ezra 2:69

69 and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

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.


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

67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
68 When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site,
69 and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.
70 So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled in villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Hebrew 61,000 darics of gold, about 1,100 pounds or 500 kilograms in weight.
  • [b]. Hebrew 5,000 minas [3,000 kilograms].
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