SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:26
Pesé, pues , en manos de ellos seiscientos cincuenta talentos de plata, y vasos de plata por cien talentos, y cien talentos de oro;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ezra 8:26
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 ú450 the talent, amount to ú292, 500 sterling. Silver vessels, 100 talents, amount to ú45, 000; gold, 100 talents, at ú7, 000 per talent, amount to ú700, 000 independently of the 20 basons of gold, amounting to 1000 drachms. Now the golden drachm or daric was worth about 1ú. 2s., therefore these basons were worth ú1100; the whole amounting to ú1, 038, 600 sterling. But these different weights and coins are variously computed; some making the silver talent only ú353 11s. 10 ´d., and the talent of gold ú5057 15s. 1 ´d., calculations which I have elsewhere introduced.
Two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold] What these were we cannot tell. The Syriac translates nechoso corinthio toba, to be vessels of the best Corinthian brass; so called from the brass found after the burning of Corinth by Lucius Mummius, which was brass, copper, gold, and silver, all melted together, as is generally supposed. But it was probably some factitious metal made there, that took the polish and assumed the brightness of gold, and because of its hardness was more durable. There is still a certain factitious metal of this kind, made among the Asiatics. I have seen this metal often made; it is as bright and fine as gold, takes a most exquisite polish, and will scarcely tarnish. I have kept this exposed to every variation of the air, even among old iron, brass, copper, &c., for twenty years together, without being scarcely at all oxidized. It requires much art in the making, but the constituent materials are of small value.
Vessels of this metal, because of their lustre and durability for ornamental and domestic uses, are in many respects more valuable than gold itself. The only difficulty is to get at first the true colour, which depends on the degree of heat, and the time employed in fusion; but there are, however, proper rules to ascertain them. This metal is widely different from the or molu of France and England, is less expensive, and much more valuable.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 26. I even weighed unto their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver , etc.] Which, according to Scheuchzer 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 f85 , was three hundred and seventy five pounds: and of gold one hundred talents ; which, according to Scheuchzer f86 , 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 f87 , there were two sorts of talents; common talents, which weighed sixty pounds, and the talent of the sanctuary, which weighed double to that.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 24-30 - Do we expect that God should, by his providence, keep that whic 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 tha our lives and comforts will be his.
Original Hebrew
ואשׁקלה 8254 על 5921 ידם 3027 כסף 3701 ככרים 3603 שׁשׁ 8337 מאות 3967 וחמשׁים 2572 וכלי 3627 כסף 3701 מאה 3967 לככרים 3603 זהב 2091 מאה 3967 ככר׃ 3603
