Nehemiah 7:71

71 And the princes of the families gave for the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver.

Nehemiah 7:71 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 7:71

And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of
the work
To be put into the treasure, out of which the expenses of the temple, and service of it were defrayed:

twenty thousand drachms of gold;
which were so many pounds of our money, and somewhat more: for, according to Bishop Cumberland ^F6, a drachm of gold was of the value of twenty shillings and four pence: and 2200 pounds of silver; "the maneh", or pound, with the Jews, was of the value of sixty shekels, ( Ezekiel 45:12 ) and so is reckoned by our Brerewood ^F7 to be of our money seven pounds and ten shillings; he reckoning a shekel at half a crown, whereas it was little more than two shillings and four pence; and so sixty of them, or a "maneh", came to about seven pounds; wherefore this sum here was seven times so many pounds of silver.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 115.
F7 De Ponder & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.

Nehemiah 7:71 In-Context

69 Their camels, four hundred and thirty-five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

70 And some of the princes of the families gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave for the treasure one thousand drams of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.

71 And the princes of the families gave for the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver.

72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand pounds of silver and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

73 So the priests and the Levites and the porters and the singers and those of the people and the Nethinims and all Israel dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.