Bible Strands

Ezra 8:26

I weighed out into their hands 650 talents of silver, articles of silver weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezra addresses his accompanying leaders and priests after the royal court and returning Israelites contributed wealth for the temple (Ezra 8:25). He stands at the moment of transfer, personally measuring the silver and gold before placing it into their custody.

The words — The Hebrew verb וָאֶשְׁקַלְתִּי (va'eshqalti) means "and I weighed out," emphasizing the physical measurement of the metals. The noun כִכָּרִים (kikarim) translates to "talents," denoting the standardized weight units used for the silver and gold.

The thread — This inventory of temple contributions parallels the earlier accounting of sacred vessels in Ezra 1:9 and continues the theme of precise stewardship seen in Ezra 8:27 with the valuation of gold bowls and bronze articles.

Why it lands — The text demands transparent accounting and personal responsibility for consecrated resources. It requires readers to treat communal offerings with measurable integrity rather than abstract trust.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָאֶשְׁקֲלָ֨הva./'esh.ka.La/hand/ I weighed out/ !עַל־'al-onיָדָ֜םya.Da/mhand/ theirכֶּ֗סֶףKe.sefsilverכִּכָּרִים֙ki.ka.Rimtalentsשֵֽׁשׁ־shesh-sixמֵא֣וֹתme.'othundred<s>וַחֲמִשִּׁ֔יםva./cha.mi.Shimand/ fiftyוּכְלֵי־u./khe.lei-and/ vessels ofכֶ֥סֶףKhe.sefsilverמֵאָ֖הme.'Ahone hundredלְכִכָּרִ֑יםle./khi.ka.Rimof/ talentsזָהָ֖בza.Havgoldמֵאָ֥הme.'Ahone hundredכִכָּֽר׃khi.Kartalent[s]

King James Version

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;

Cross-references