Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 29:7

And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.

7. five thousand talents ] i.e. of uncoined gold by weight.

ten thousand drams ] R.V. ten thousand darics. A daric was a Persian gold coin worth about 22 shillings. The translation of A.V. drams (i.e. drachm) may however be right. The value of a gold drachma is about 9 s. 5 d. The total sum given in this verse sounds impossibly large; cp. 1Ch 22:14, note.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The word here translated dram is regarded by most critics as the Hebrew equivalent of the Persian daric, or ordinary gold coin, worth about 22 shillings of British money (circa 1880s). Not, however, that the Jews possessed darics in Davids time: the writer wished to express, in language that would be intelligible to his readers, the value of the gold subscribed, and therefore he translated the terms employed in his documents, whatever they were, into terms that were in use in his own day. The doric became current in Palestine soon after the return from the captivity Ezr 2:69; Ezr 8:27; Neh 7:70-72.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 7. Of gold five thousand talents] These, at five thousand and seventy-five pounds, fifteen shillings, and seven pence halfpenny each, amount to twenty-five millions, three hundred and seventy-eight thousand nine hundred and six pounds, five shillings, sterling. If, with Dr. Prideaux, we estimate the golden talent at upwards of seven thousand pounds sterling, the value of these five thousand talents will be much more considerable. See Clarke on Ex 25:39; “Mt 18:24“; and the calculations at the end of Clarke’s notes on “2Ch 9:29“.

Ten thousand drams] Probably golden darics, worth each about twenty shillings, amounting to ten thousand pounds.

Of silver ten thousand talents] These, at three hundred and fifty-three pounds, eleven shillings, and ten-pence halfpenny, each, amount to three millions five hundred and thirty-five thousand, nine hundred and thirty-seven pounds, ten shillings, sterling.

Brass eighteen thousand talents] Each six hundred and fifty-seven thousand grains, amount to one thousand and twenty-six tons, eleven hundred weight, and one quarter.

One hundred thousand talents of iron] Each six hundred and fifty-seven thousand grains, amount to five thousand seven hundred and three tons, two hundred weight, and a half.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

7. dramsrather, darics,a Persian coin, with which the Jews from the time of the captivitybecame familiar, and which was afterwards extensively circulated inthe countries of Western Asia. It is estimated as equal in value to25s. of British currency.

of brass eighteen thousandtalents, and one hundred thousand talents of ironIn Scripture,iron is always referred to as an article of comparatively low value,and of greater abundance and cheaper than bronze [NAPIER].

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And gave for the service of the house of God,…. For building and adorning it, and providing proper utensils for it:

of gold five thousand talents; which, according to Scheuchzer l, came to 61,100,000 ducats of gold: and these, with “the 10,000 drachms”; make of our money, according to Brerewood m, 22,507,500 pounds; some reckon a drachm at two ducats and a half, and somewhat more n:

and of silver ten thousand talents; which, according to the former writer, amounted to 450,000,000 imperials, or rix dollars; and, according to the latter, they made of our money 3,750,000 pounds:

and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron; the weight of each of which were so much.

l Ut supra. (Physica Sacra, vol. 4. p. 631.) m Ut supra. (Physica Sacra, vol. 4. p. 631.) n Eisenschmidius apud Scheuchzer. ib. p. 635.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(7) And gave . . . of gold.And they gave . . . gold, five thousand talents; between thirty and forty millions sterling (!).

Ten thousand drams.Rather, Darics. The Daric (Greek, ) was a Persian gold coin, value about 1 2s., first struck by the great Darius, son of Hystaspes (B.C. 521-485). It remained current in Western Asia long after the fall of the Persian Empire. The Hebrew word (darknm) occurs again only once, viz., at Ezr. 8:27, where it clearly means Darics, and is so rendered by the Syriac (drkn). The darkn (or darbn) is mentioned in the Talmud as a Persian coin. The chronicler, or his authority, has evidently substituted a familiar modern term for some ancient expression of value. No real coins are mentioned in Scripture before the age of the exile.

Silver ten thousand talents.About 4,000,000 in modern value (see 1Ki. 10:21; 1Ki. 10:27); or, according to Schrader, who argues from Assyrian data, 3,750,000. The value of the bronze and the iron must have been much greater then than now. (See Note on 1Ch. 22:14.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

1Ch 29:7 And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.

Ver. 7. And ten thousand drams. ] Shillings, some render it: the Rabbis say the word signifieth a piece of silver money, the value whereof is now not known; the Septuagint render it drams both here and in Ezr 8:27 . The word here used, saith one, signifieth to do some great work, for it is Adarchon, which cometh of Adar, strong or mighty, and Con, to prepare; because money is the monarch of the world, and bears most mastery: but others, with more likelihood, say that Adarchon is made of the Greek D , quales sunt nonnullae vocis Chaldaicae et Syracae.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)