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 basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 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 Zerubbabel’s time, this in Ezra’s.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:5-73 Nehemiah knew that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the inhabitants than upon its walls. Every good gift and every good work are from above. God gives knowledge, he gives grace; all is of him, and therefore all must be to him. What is done by human prudence, must be ascribed to the direction of Divine Providence. But woe to those who turn back from the Lord, loving this present world! and happy those who dedicate themselves, and their substance, to his service and glory!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compared with Ezra 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

70. And some of the chief of the fathers, &c.—With Ne 7:69 the register ends, and the thread of Nehemiah's history is resumed. He was the tirshatha, or governor, and the liberality displayed by him and some of the leading men for the suitable equipment of the ministers of religion, forms the subject of the remaining portion of the chapter. 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.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

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 Ezra 2, because this is another collection; that was made in Zerubbabel’s time, and this in Ezra’s.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work,.... Of building the city and the temple, and for that service, Ezra 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 Ezra 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 Ezra 8:27 as they seem to be, then those in 1 Chronicles 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.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

70. And some of the chief of the fathers] R.V. And some from among the heads of fathers’ houses. So in Nehemiah 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 Nehemiah 7:71-72.

five hundred and thirty priests’ garments] See note on Ezra 2:69 for the conjecture ‘five hundred pound of silver and thirty priests’ garments.’

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 70. - The Tirshatha gave. This is additional to the information contained in Ezra, who does not separate Zerubbabel's offering from that of the other heads of families (Nehemiah 2:69). The account of the oblations is altogether more exact in Nehemiah than in the earlier historian. For the value of the contributions made, see the comment on Ezra (1.s.c.). Nehemiah 7:70

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And God put into my heart, i.e., God inspired me with the resolution; comp. Nehemiah 2:12. What resolution, is declared by the sentences following, which detail its execution. The resolution to gather together the nobles and rulers of the people for the purpose of making a list of their kinsmen, and thus to obtain a basis for the operations contemplated for increasing the inhabitants of Jerusalem. והסּגנים החרים are combined, as in Nehemiah 2:16. On התיחשׂ, comp. 1 Chronicles 5:17.

While this resolve was under consideration, Nehemiah found the register, i.e., the genealogical registry, of those who came up at first (from Babylon). בּראשׁונה, at the beginning, i.e., with Zerubbabel and Joshua under Cyrus (Ezra 2), and not subsequently with Ezra (Ezra 7). "And I found written therein." These words introduce the list now given. This list, vv. 6-73a, is identical with that in Ezra 2, and has been already discussed in our remarks on that chapter.