Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 7:70
And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.
70. And some of the chief of the fathers ] R.V. And some from among the heads of fathers’ houses. So in Neh 7:71.
The Tirshatha ] The contributions are here described in greater detail than in Ezra.
the treasure ] R.V. the treasury.
drams ] R.V. darics. So in Neh 7:71-72.
five hundred and thirty priests’ garments ] See note on Ezr 2:69 for the conjecture ‘five hundred pound of silver and thirty priests’ garments.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compared with Ezr 2:69 there is considerable difference between the totals for gold, silver, and garments. The usual explanation is that of corruption in the one or the other of the passages.
Neh 7:73
Dwelt in their cities – Nehemiahs quotation from Zerubbabels register ends here, and the narration of events in Jerusalem in his own day is resumed from Neh 7:3. The narrative Neh. 8; 10 appears from internal evidence to be by a different author (see the introduction of the Book of Nehemiah).
The last two clauses of Neh 7:73 should stand as the beginning of Neh. 8 (as in the Septuagint). The text would then run: And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, the whole people gathered themselves together as one man, etc. Compare the margin reference.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 70. The Tirshatha gave] The Septuagint, particularly the copy in the Codex Alexandrinus, intimates that this sum was given to the Tirshatha, or Nehemiah: , And to the Athersatha they gave for the treasure, &c.
For the meaning of the word Tirshatha, see on Ezr 2:63.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Tirshatha, i.e. the governor, to wit, Nehemiah. So it is no wonder that the number of the monies, and other things here contributed, differ from that Ezr 2, because this is another collection; that was made in Zerubbabels time, and this in Ezras.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
70. And some of the chief of thefathers, c.With Ne 7:69the register ends, and the thread of Nehemiah’s history is resumed.He was the tirshatha, or governor, and the liberalitydisplayed by him and some of the leading men for the suitableequipment of the ministers of religion, forms the subject of theremaining portion of the chapter. Their donations consistedprincipally in garments. This would appear a singular description ofgifts to be made by any one among us but, in the East, a present ofgarments, or of any article of use, is conformable to the prevailingsentiments and customs of society.
drams of goldthat is,darics. A daric was a gold coin of ancient Persia, worth 15s.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work,…. Of building the city and the temple, and for that service, Ezr 2:68,
the Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drachms of gold; each of which was one pound sterling, and so amounted to so many pounds: of these “dracmons”, or “darics”, a Persian coin, mention is made in Ezr 2:69, they were golden staters, or shekels and had their name as is said, not from Darius, the father of Xerxes, though it is certain, from Herodotus d, that he coined golden money; but from some other king of the same name, more ancient e, which must be Darius the Mede; and if they are the same with the Adarcon in Ezr 8:27 as they seem to be, then those in 1Ch 29:7 were pieces of money not so called in the times of David, but of Ezra, the writer of that book: whether this Tirshatha was Zerubbabel, or Nehemiah, is not easy to say, since this donation is not the same with that in Ezra, not made at the same time nor are the gifts the same, nor the persons that gave them. Zerubbabel was Tirshatha when the Jews came out of Babylon, and Nehemiah now:
fifty basins; which were vessels, in the which the blood of the sacrifices was received and out of which it was sprinkled:
five hundred and thirty priests’ garments; which were laid up in the wardrobe, and used on occasion.
d Melpomene, sive, l. 4. c. 166. e Scholiast. in Aristoph. Eccles. p. 741, 742. So Harpocration. Lexic. in voce , and Suidas on the same word.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Contributions Towards The Treasury For The Temple ( Neh 7:70-72 ).
It is at this point that this list differs considerably from the one in Ezra 2. This may have been because Sheshbazzar now being dead, his portion could be enumerated, whilst while he was alive he did not want it known. Or it may simply be that the writer in Ezra 2 simply abbreviated the list in his possession, and rounded up the numbers, considering that that was what really mattered. Ezra certainly appears to have altered the text of the original list in order to lay greater emphasis on the building of the Temple which almost immediately follows on his enumeration.
Thus here in Nehemiah the total gifts, as detailed, amounted to forty one thousand darkemonim of gold, fifty basins, four thousand seven hundred pounds of silver, and ninety seven priests’ garments. This contrasts with sixty one thousand darkemonim of gold, five thousand maneh of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments in Ezra 2, where, however, there are no details. Apart from the gold this looks very much like a rounding up of the numbers (four thousand seven hundred to five thousand, and ninety seven to one hundred). The extra gold in Ezra may well have included the gold sent by the king of Persia towards the erection of the Temple, which would then have amounted to twenty thousand darkemonim, or the gifts earlier contributed by some who had remained in Babylon (Ezr 1:4; Ezr 1:6). As ‘darics’ did not arise until the reign of Darius, darkemonim (drkmn) may indicate drachmas, or even an unknown weight, although the writers may have updated the weights.
Neh 7:70
‘And some from among the heads of fathers’ houses gave to the work.’
One main purpose in coming to Jerusalem was to rebuild the Temple and re-establish the cult, including offerings for the king of Persia (Ezr 1:2-4). Thus once having arrived in Judah the heads of fathers’ houses together with the people, would contribute towards the work. Here the heads of fathers’ houses are then revealed as including the governor. It is probable that the list in Nehemiah ( the statesman) is nearest to what was in the original lists, as compared with Ezra the priest who was more concerned to stress that the building of the Temple was in mind. Thus Ezr 2:68 adds, ‘some of the heads of fathers’ (houses), when they came to the house of YHWH which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to set it up in its place’, before giving the final totals of the contributions.
Neh 7:70
‘The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darkemonim of gold, fifty basins, five hundred (maneh of silver), and thirty priests’ garments.’
The generosity of the governor is first outlined. He gave to the treasury (with the building of the Temple in mind) a thousand darkemonim of gold, fifty basins (not mentioned by Ezra), five hundred (maneh of silver), and thirty priests’ garments. The original text reads ‘five hundred and thirty priests’ garments’ with no mention of silver. But as we would expect a mention of silver (compare Neh 7:71-72), and that number of priestly garments would be excessive, what we have described is probably what was in mind. It may be that something accidentally dropped out of the text, or it may simply be that the words were intended to be assumed.
Neh 7:71
‘And some of the heads of fathers’ (houses) gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand, two hundred maneh of silver.’
Some of the other ‘heads of fathers’ (houses) gave in total twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand two hundred maneh of silver, a generous offering. The description ‘some of’ may indicate that there was a lack of generosity among other heads of fathers’ (houses), or it may simply mean that the remainder made their contributions along with the rest of the people.
Neh 7:72
‘And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand maneh of silver, and sixty seven priests’ garments.’
The rest of the people gave ‘twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand maneh of silver, and sixty seven priests’ garments.’ The garments would have been made and embroidered with the help of the women.
Thus a goodly sum was provided for the building of the Temple along with basins and priests’ garments. The priests’ garments would be very necessary in view of the fact that the seventh month was approaching, when the feast of Tabernacles would be celebrated.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Gifts of the Governor and of the People
v. 70. And some at the chief of the fathers gave unto the work, v. 71. And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drama of gold and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver v. 72. And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drains v. 73. So the priests and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
(70) And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments. (71) And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver. (72) And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests’ garments. (73) So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
The liberal gifts of the people plainly testify their sense of the Lord’s presence, and his blessing upon them. In all ages these testimonies are among the truest tokens of the real work of grace upon the heart.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Neh 7:70-72
70Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests’ garments. 71Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 72That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ garments.
Neh 7:70-71 gold drachmas. . .silver minas See Special Topic: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (METROLOGY) .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
some = a portion.
chiefs = heads.
gave. Nehemiah mentions what he, the chiefs, and the rest of the people gave. Ezra (Neh 2:68, Neh 2:69) mentions what only one portion gave. Hence the numbers are necessarily different.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
some: Heb. part, Ezr 2:68-70
the chief: Num 7:2-86, 1Ch 29:3-9
The Tirshatha: Neh 8:9, Neh 10:1
drams: Darkemonim, or darics; a Persian gold coin, worth about 1. 5s.
basins: Exo 12:22, Exo 24:6, 1Ki 7:45, 1Ch 28:17, 2Ch 4:8, 2Ch 4:11, Jer 52:19
Reciprocal: Exo 35:22 – every man Num 7:84 – the dedication Jos 6:19 – the treasury 2Ch 35:8 – his princes Ezr 8:1 – the chief Mar 12:44 – cast in of
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 7:70. The Tirshatha The governor, namely, Nehemiah. So it is no wonder that the number of the moneys, and other things here contributed, differ from that of Ezra, chap. 2., because this was another collection: that was made in Zerubbabels time, this in Ezras.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:70 And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand {h} drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.
(h) Read Ezr 2:69.