He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 6. Thousand. Yet “they were so greatly reduced, but a few years before, that there were.… only fifty horsemen,” &chapter 4 Kennicott. 13:7. Kennicott—That might be true, at one time, when the people fled from the king’s banners, through fear. But they were still in the country, and God gave Israel a saviour. ib. verse 5. See Calmet. 13:3 and 17:19. Bible.—Silver. This sum was very small, for so great a multitude. Salien suspects talents of gold are meant, though the soldiers were paid in silver. But the sum was only the hire for a short time; ( Menochius.) and was not distributed among the soldiers, who were to live on plunder, but went into the king’s coffers, ( Calmet.) or belonged to the officers alone. Mariana. D.—The talent of silver was worth 342l. 3s. 9d. Arbuthnot.
A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds