1 Chronicles 29:7

The Authorized Version translation drams occurs also twice in Ezra and twice in Nehemiah. There is no doubt that the coin referred to is the Persian daric , with which the Jews became familiar during the time of their exile. The Hebrew word appears in three different forms.

1 . As אֲדַרְכְּמוֹן ; here and Ezra 8:27 .

2 . As דַּרְכְּמוֹן ; Ezra 2:69 ; Nehemiah 7:70-72 .

3 . As דַּכְרוֹן sA .3; in rabbinical writings, but not in Scripture.

Respecting the possible derivations of the words in the first and second forms, see Gesenins's 'Lexicon,' sub voce , and Conder's 'Handbook to the Bible'. The obverse of the coin shows the image of a king, with bow and spear. The value of the coin is variously computed at thirteen shillings and sixpence or twenty. two shillings and sixpence. Keil suggests that the mention of darics as well as talents in this verse may point to some of the gold being contributed in the shape of coin instead of talents- weight . This does not seem likely, however, because, of course, the daric itself was not in use in Jerusalem in David's time, and any gold coin that was then in use might have received mention on its own account, even if translated also into the daric. The Septuagint translates in this verse merely by the word χρυσοῦς , the Vulgate by solidos. Under any circumstances, the coin is to be distinguished from the δραχνή . Specimens of the daric , both in gold and silver, exist in the Paris and Vienna Museums. The Hebrew word for the ten thousand preceding the so-called drams of this verse is the word for "myriad" ( רִבּוֹ , a shortened form of רבּוֹת ), found also in Ezra 2:64 ; Nehemiah 7:66 ; Daniel 11:12 ; Jonah 4:11 .