Dram

How Nave’s arranged it

• Also called DRACHM
• A Persian coin of differently-estimated value1 Chronicles 29:7Ezra 2:69Ezra 8:27Nehemiah 7:70–72

The passages, in Bible order (4)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 4 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. 1 Chronicles 29:7

   Toward the service of God’s house they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron.

   ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 29:72 voices

   “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 1880’s). Not, however, that the Jews possessed darics in David’s 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.

   “It is estimated as equal in value to 25s. of British currency. of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron--In Scripture, iron is always referred to as an article of comparatively low value, and of greater abundance and cheaper than bronze [NAPIER].

   Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 29:7→

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2. Ezra 2:69

   According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.

   ›Commentary on Ezra 2:692 voices

   “Threescore and one thousand drams of gold - דרכמונים darkemonim, drakmons or darics; a Persian coin, always of gold, and worth about 1£. 5s., not less than £76,250 sterling in gold. Five thousand pounds of silver - מנים manim, manehs or minas. As a weight, the maneh was 100 shekels; as a coin, 60 shekels in value, or about 9£.; 5000 of these manehs therefore will amount to £45,000, making in the whole a sum of about £120,000; and in this are not included the 100 garments for priests.

   “They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the world threescore and one thousand drachms of gold,....

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3. Ezra 8:27

   20 gold bowls valued at 1,000 darics, and two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold.

   ›Commentary on Ezra 8:272 voices

   “Also twenty basins of gold, of a thousand drams,....

   “Twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams - Not of a thousand drams (i. e., darics) each, but worth altogether a thousand darics. As the value of the daric was about 22 shillings of British money, each basin, or saucer, would have been worth (apart from the fashioning) 55 British pounds. Of fine copper - The word translated “fine,” which occurs here only, is thought to mean either “yellow” or “glittering” (see the margin).

   Everything gathered on Ezra 8:27→

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4. Nehemiah 7:70–72

   Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments.

   ›Commentary on Nehemiah 7:70–722 voices

   “Their donations consisted principally in garments. This would appear a singular description of gifts to be made by any one among us; but, in the East, a present of garments, or of any article of use, is conformable to the prevailing sentiments and customs of society. drams of gold--that is, darics. A daric was a gold coin of ancient Persia, worth £1 5s.

   “And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work,....

   Everything gathered on Nehemiah 7:70–72→

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