Contributions Towards The Treasury For The Temple (Nehemiah 7:70-72).
It is at this point that this list differs considerably from the one in Ezra 2. This may have been because Sheshbazzar now being dead, his portion could be enumerated, whilst while he was alive he did not want it known. Or it may simply be that the writer in Ezra 2 simply abbreviated the list in his possession, and rounded up the numbers, considering that that was what really mattered. Ezra certainly appears to have altered the text of the original list in order to lay greater emphasis on the building of the Temple which almost immediately follows on his enumeration.
Thus here in Nehemiah the total gifts, as detailed, amounted to forty one thousand darkemonim of gold, fifty basins, four thousand seven hundred pounds of silver, and ninety seven priests' garments. This contrasts with sixty one thousand darkemonim of gold, five thousand maneh of silver, and one hundred priests' garments in Ezra 2, where, however, there are no details. Apart from the gold this looks very much like a rounding up of the numbers (four thousand seven hundred to five thousand, and ninety seven to one hundred). The extra gold in Ezra may well have included the gold sent by the king of Persia towards the erection of the Temple, which would then have amounted to twenty thousand darkemonim, or the gifts earlier contributed by some who had remained in Babylon (Ezra 1:4; Ezra 1:6). As ‘darics' did not arise until the reign of Darius, darkemonim (drkmn) may indicate drachmas, or even an unknown weight, although the writers may have updated the weights.
‘And some from among the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work.'
One main purpose in coming to Jerusalem was to rebuild the Temple and re-establish the cult, including offerings for the king of Persia (Ezra 1:2-4). Thus once having arrived in Judah the heads of fathers' houses together with the people, would contribute towards the work. Here the heads of fathers' houses are then revealed as including the governor. It is probable that the list in Nehemiah (the statesman) is nearest to what was in the original lists, as compared with Ezra the priest who was more concerned to stress that the building of the Temple was in mind. Thus Ezra 2:68 adds, ‘some of the heads of fathers' (houses), when they came to the house of YHWH which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to set it up in its place', before giving the final totals of the contributions.
‘The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darkemonim of gold, fifty basins, five hundred (maneh of silver), and thirty priests' garments.'
The generosity of the governor is first outlined. He gave to the treasury (with the building of the Temple in mind) a thousand darkemonim of gold, fifty basins (not mentioned by Ezra), five hundred (maneh of silver), and thirty priests' garments. The original text reads ‘five hundred and thirty priests' garments' with no mention of silver. But as we would expect a mention of silver (compare Nehemiah 7:71-72), and that number of priestly garments would be excessive, what we have described is probably what was in mind. It may be that something accidentally dropped out of the text, or it may simply be that the words were intended to be assumed.
‘And some of the heads of fathers' (houses) gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand, two hundred maneh of silver.'
Some of the other ‘heads of fathers' (houses) gave in total twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand two hundred maneh of silver, a generous offering. The description ‘some of' may indicate that there was a lack of generosity among other heads of fathers' (houses), or it may simply mean that the remainder made their contributions along with the rest of the people.
‘And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand maneh of silver, and sixty seven priests' garments.'
The rest of the people gave ‘twenty thousand darkemonim of gold, and two thousand maneh of silver, and sixty seven priests' garments.' The garments would have been made and embroidered with the help of the women.
Thus a goodly sum was provided for the building of the Temple along with basins and priests' garments. The priests' garments would be very necessary in view of the fact that the seventh month was approaching, when the feast of Tabernacles would be celebrated.