Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
Ver. 14. Now, behold, in my poverty.] a In my modesty, he might have said. For as poor as he was, he had prepared for the building of the temple gold and silver to the worth of seven hundred and fifty millions of pounds, after the old rate; which is now much raised. Sir Walter Raleigh b casteth it up to be more than any king in the world is worth. He maketh it to come to three thousand three hundred and thirty-three cart-loads of silver; allowing two thousand weight of silver, or six thousand pounds sterling to every cart-load; besides threescore and seven millions of French crowns. And yet when he had done all, In my poverty, saith he, have I done this: q.d., Lord, what is all this in respect of thee, who art the glorious God, and the great proprietary? what are they, I say, but parva et pauca, mean matters, which if thou wilt but accept of, I shall be infinitely bound to thee.
And thou mayest add thereto.] He might do so, indeed, if that were true which Villapandus affirmeth, viz., that the wealth and yearly revenues of David and Solomon did far exceed the wealth and tributes of the Romans, Chaldeans, and Persians, &c.
a [Marginal reading] Hoc dicit modestiae causa. - Vat.
b Hist. of the World, part ii. cap. 17.