Ezra 8:26

_I EVEN WEIGHED UNTO THEIR HAND SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY TALENTS OF SILVER, AND SILVER VESSELS AN HUNDRED TALENTS, AND OF GOLD AN HUNDRED TALENTS;_ No JFB commentary on this verse....

24-30 Do we expect that God should, by his providence, keep that which belongs to us, let us, by his grace, keep that which belongs to him. Let God's honour and interest be our care; and then we may expect that our lives and comforts will be his....

Verse 26. _SILVER VESSELS A HUNDRED TALENTS_] That is, The _weight_ of all the silver vessels amounted to one hundred talents; not that there were one hundred vessels of silver, _each_ a _talent_ in _weight_. Reckoning in round sums, 650 _talents_ of silver at _£_450 the talent, amount to _£_292,500 sterling. _Silver vessels_, 100 talents, amount to _£_45,000; _gold_, 100 talents, at _£_7,000 per talent, amount to _£_700,000 independently of the 20 _basons of gold_, amounting to 1000 _drachms_. Now the _golden drachm_ or _daric_ was worth about 1_£_. 2_s_., therefore these basons were worth _£_1100; the whole amounting to _£_1,038,600 sterling. But these different weights and coins are variously computed; some making the silver talent only _£_353 11_s_. 10 ½_d_., and the talent of gold _£_5057 15_s_. 1 ½_d_., calculations whi

EXPOSITION EZRA 8:21 THEN I PROCLAIMED A FAST THERE. The fight of the civil ruler to "proclaim a fast" was unquestioned among the Jews and Israelites. Jezebel proclaimed one in Ahab's name when she wished to impress the Jezreelites with the notion that a great crime had been committed. Jehoshaphat did the same when he was invaded by the Ammonites, Moabites, and Mehunim (2 Chronicles 20:1). A fast was proclaimed in the fifth year of Jehoiakim when the kingdom of Judah was menaced by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 36:9). Ezra therefore assumes that he may command one now, in connection with the perils of the coming journey. That we might afflict

I EVEN WEIGHED UNTO THEIR HAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY TALENTS OF SILVER,.... Which, according to Scheuchzer a 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 c, 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 d, there were two sorts of talents; common talents, which weighed sixty pounds, and the talent of the sanctuary, which weighed double to that....

CHAPTER 8 _ 1. Those who returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:1)_ 2. The gathering at Ahava (Ezra 8:15) 3. The fast proclaimed (Ezra 8:21) 4. The appointment of guardians (Ezra 8:24) 5. The departure and arrival in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:31) Ezra 8:1. The names of those who gathered around Ezra and went up with him are here recorded. In view of the magnificent decree and liberality of Artaxerxes, the company was very small. The majority preferred Babylon, and remained t

THE GATHERING TOGETHER OF THE EXILES AT AHAVA. The narrative is told here in the first person. Ezra 8:15. Ahava: _cf._ Ezra 8:21; Ezra 8:31; this seems to have been a place which gave its name to one of the many canals constructed in Babylonia for irrigation purposes. NONE OF THE SONS OF LEVI: as the main object of the return was the resuscitation of the Temple worship the Levites were, of course, indispensable. Ezra 8:17. Casiphia: the exact locality is unknown; there appears to have been a colony of Levites and Nethinim here. Ezra 8:25

_unto their hand_ R.V. INTO THEIR HAND. Cf. note on Ezra 1:8. The enormous value of these gifts is startling. The suspicion that the figures have been exaggerated by copyists is not unnatural. _six hundred and fifty talents_of _silver_ A talent of silver being reckoned as worth £375, this means a sum approaching to a quarter of a million sterling, £243,750. _silver vessels an hundred talents_ i.e. worth a 100 talents = £37,500. and of _gold an hundred talents_ R.V. omits -and". A gold talent was worth about £6,750; 100 talents would then = £675,000....

_VER._ 26, 27. _SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY TALENTS OF SILVER,_ &C.— The six hundred and fifty talents of silver, at three hundred and seventy-five pounds to the talent, make two hundred and forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds. The silver vessels weighed one hundred talents, which come to thirty-seven thousand five hundred pounds. The gold, in coin, was one hundred talents, which, at four thousand five hundred pounds per talent, make four hundred and fifty thousand pounds. And, besides all this, there were twenty basons of gold of one thousand drachms; and two vessels of fine copper as valuable as gold. Houbigant, however, reads, instead of _two vessels,_ &c.—_and vessels of fine copper, polished, and precious as gold._ From this new reformation made by Ezra in the Jewish church and common-wealth, the learned Prideaux begins the computation of Daniel's weeks. REFLECTIONS.—1st,...

4. They took along certain treasures, which were entrusted to priests on the journey and were delivered safely at Jerusalem. TEXT, EZRA 8:24-30 24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel present there, had offered. 26 Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and gold talents, 27 and 20 gold bowls, worth 1,000 darics; and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers....