Ezra 1:9-11
"Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates; 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400."
Can we all agree that 1,000+1,000+410+30+30+29 does not equal 5,400?
2007-08-20 05:31:55 · 25 answers · asked by JWill 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Q&A Queen -- it clearly says "1,000 other items"
2007-08-20 05:36:24 · update #1
Brother, you need a better hobby.
2007-08-20 05:36:20 · answer #1 · answered by jimmeisnerjr 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes we can agree. But can you agree that Ezra was only itemizing certain things and that the totality of the items equaled 5400. For instance, there were gold bowls and silver dishes. Might there not have been some goblets, some eating utensiles?
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I stand corrected. I find this to be yet another pick at a nit, but an interesting one. I'll get back to you.
Wow, Kris, is that true? I'd never heard that. I'm gonna do some research cuz now it's just a matter of principle :)
2007-08-20 12:35:27 · answer #2 · answered by Q&A Queen 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Study the Hebrew roots in a Strongs Exhaustive.
Mthredath numbered them unto Sheshbazar, prince of Judah. & this is the no. of them: 30 chargers of gold, 100 chargers of silver, 29 knives. 30 basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort 410 & other vessels 1000. All the vessels of gold & of silver were 5400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with thim of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
This means:
30 gold chargers
100 silver chargers
29 knives (not gold or silver?)
30 gold basons
410 silver basons of a second sort
1000 vessels (not gold or silver?)
5,400 gold & silver vessels
=7999.
So? That totals 7999
I agree with your last paragraph.
2007-08-20 13:00:32 · answer #3 · answered by t_a_m_i_l 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe by "1,000" whoever wrote this down meant what we sometimes mean - a large number. As in, "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times."
We can agree that the given numbers don't equal 5400 only if we agree that the Bible was not given by God but written by people who may have been inspired by God and didn't always get things right. What about all the times the Bible shows that killing is ok?
2007-08-20 12:42:23 · answer #4 · answered by BrooklynInMyBones 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If that is the biggest problem you can find with the Bible then Im going to convert back to Christianity...
It is a translation, translated by people. There is so much wonderful stuff in there it is just ridiculous to get caught up over a few numbers not matching.
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300 to the Greeks meant a whole bunch
40 to the Hebrews at one point meant a whole bunch
Million to us means a whole bunch
Who knows if the numbers cited have any implied meaning that you dont get?
2007-08-20 12:46:45 · answer #5 · answered by Showtunes 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
obviously there were other gold and silver items than
the dishes and bowls - the fact that the specific itemization
of duplication and "other articles" leads to the logic
that the remainder of 5,400 was something other that dishes
and bowls (icons, tiaras, jewelry -- who knows ?) made
of silver or gold.
2007-08-20 12:51:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sure...but if you read Ezra 1:7 it says that this list was only those items returned by Cyrus. Verse 6 says that the neighbours also gave many things, including gold and silver.
2007-08-20 12:42:05 · answer #7 · answered by Ice 1 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Read a couple of texts earlier and you will find that the 5400 total included items donated by the heads of different tribes while the listed items were donated by King Cyrus. It only lists the specific gifts given by King Cyrus but the total includes all the gifts given.
2007-08-20 12:41:20 · answer #8 · answered by Mr. E 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
hebrew numbers are commonly mistranslated from the old testament and new testament alike. the number of "the beast" is not literally 666. there is really no reason to freak out about 666, just as the number of gold and silver items is really rather insignificant.
2007-08-20 12:41:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
in those days different counting systems were used some with more success than others, math was not evolved much. It ws only after the islamic numbering system was accepted as best that counting items became more accurate
2007-08-20 12:37:36 · answer #10 · answered by gjmb1960 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're 'correct' about the 'math' since adding up all of the 'numbers' gives us the 'answer' of ONLY 2,469. BUT ... did you know that in the past, any number over 1000 was written as only 1000 ... to 'fool people' into thinking that the 'rich' weren't quite as 'rich' as they really were. That may be the way to 'account' for the 'odd math' of your 'equation.'
2007-08-20 12:39:11 · answer #11 · answered by Kris L 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋