150. adarkon

Lexical Summary

adarkon: Daric

Original Word: אֲדַרְכֹּן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: adarkon
Pronunciation: ah-dar-KONE
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-ar-kone')
KJV: dram
NASB: darics
Word Origin: [of Persian origin]

1. a daric or Persian coin

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

dram

Of Persian origin; a daric or Persian coin -- dram.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a drachma
NASB Translation
darics (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[דַּרְכְּמוֺן, אֲדַרְכּוֺן (א prosthetic)]

noun [masculine] unit (apparently of weight, certainly) of value, rare & late, perhaps drachma, others daric, see below: — only plural דַּרְכְּמוֺנִים of gold Ezra 2:69 ("" מָנִים of silver) = Nehemiah 7:70 ("" id.); so דַּרְכְּמֹנִים Nehemiah 7:69,71; also אֲדַרְכֹּנִים of gold money 1 Chronicles 29:7 ("" כִּכָּרִים; ׳כ also in same see of silver, brass & iron); of weight (or worth) of gold utensils Ezra 8:27. — Weight of Greek δραχμή = 4.32 grammes (= 66.5 English grams); value of silver dr.= c. 9 4-Mard. Eng.; value of gold dr. (1/2 stater) = approximately 9 s.5d. English, compare Hultsch^{Gr. u. Röm. Metrol. (1882) 224, 227, 230-250, & Tab. xiv, xvi.} — (If ׳ד = drachma, then perhaps editorial insertion in Nehemiah Ezra (regarded as loan-word in both Greek & Hebrew from some Asiatic source by Ew^{GGA 1855, 1392 ff.; 1856, 798; Geschichte. i. 274, H. i. 189} compare Sm^{Listen 18, N. 24}, but on Greek derivatives compare Lex. Lidd. & Sc., also Brandis^{Münz-Mass-u. Gewichtssytem 58 f.} Hultsch^{l.c. 131}); compare Phoenician plural דרכמנם, דרכנם = drachmae according to Ren^{Ra 1888, 7} Berger^{MÈm. Soc. Ling. de Paris, 1889, 385} Hoffm^{AGG xxxvi Mai, 1889, 8}. According to view commonly current hitherto ׳ד = daric, Greek δαρεικός compare Syriac , Persian gold coin = approximately English sovereign (weight = approximately 2 drachma): Brandis^{l.c. 62, 244 ff.} Hultsch^{l.c. 466 Schr in} Ri^{HWB Art. Darike} Erman^{ZPV ii, 75} Hoffm^{ZA 1887, 49 ff.} (Hoffm^{l.c. abandons}), compare Ryle Ezra 2:69.)

דַּרְמֶשֶׂק see דַּמֶּשֶׂק.

דרע (according to Thes connected with Aramaic דְּרָע, אֶדְרָע arm, Hebrew זְרוֺעַ, whence following in sense strong, of fortified city; this, however, is dubious)

Topical Lexicon

Historical Background

The אֲדַרְכֹּן was a Persian gold coin widely circulated from the reign of Darius I (circa 522–486 BC) through the Hellenistic period. Each specimen weighed about one-quarter troy ounce (8.3 g) of nearly pure gold. Persian administration standardized this currency across its satrapies, so by the time of David’s reign and, later, the post-exilic community, the coin served as a recognized medium of high-value exchange. Its purchasing power made it ideal for large offerings, royal levies, and temple treasury deposits. In modern terms, a single coin represented many months of an ordinary laborer’s wages, underscoring the magnitude of the contributions recorded in Scripture.

Biblical Occurrences

1 Chronicles 29:7 recounts the leaders of Israel, stirred by David’s personal generosity, presenting “10,000 darics of gold” for the projected construction of the first temple. Centuries later, Ezra 8:27 records “twenty gold bowls worth 1,000 darics” among the sacred vessels carried back to Jerusalem. The two verses span Israel’s united-monarchy pinnacle and the post-exilic restoration, linking the coin to both the first and second temple periods. The writers note the denomination not to exalt wealth in itself but to highlight covenant faithfulness expressed through substantial, voluntary giving.

Theological Significance

1. Devotion Expressed in Tangible Sacrifice. The valuation of offerings in darics illustrates that wholehearted worship includes the stewardship of material resources. David’s summons, “Who then is willing to consecrate himself to the LORD today?” (1 Chronicles 29:5), is answered not merely with words but with precious metal.
2. Continuity of Covenant Purpose. The same coinage appears in Ezra, showing that despite exile, Israel’s identity and purpose remained intact. Provision for the house of God bridges generations, affirming that the Lord preserves both people and mission.
3. God-Centered Prosperity. While the daric represents considerable wealth, the narratives keep God at the center: “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory” (1 Chronicles 29:11). Material abundance is acknowledged as derived from and dedicated to Him.
4. Foreshadowing of Cheerful Giving. David’s leaders “offered willingly” (1 Chronicles 29:6), preparing the ground for later apostolic teaching: “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The daric episodes model the principle long before Paul articulated it.

Practical Application for Ministry Today

• Encouraging Generous Vision. Leaders can inspire sacrificial generosity by demonstrating personal commitment first, as David did.
• Accounting Transparency. Both passages carefully enumerate gifts, setting a precedent for responsible stewardship and public accountability in church finances.
• Investing in Eternal Work. Just as darics furthered temple ministry, modern resources—financial, vocational, or technological—should be directed toward building up the body of Christ and advancing the gospel.
• Remembering God’s Supremacy Over Wealth. Whether in abundance or need, the believer acknowledges that “everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14).

Related Scripture Themes

Proverbs 3:9; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 21:1-4; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Hebrews 13:16.

Forms and Transliterations

וַאֲדַרְכֹנִ֣ים ואדרכנים לַאֲדַרְכֹנִ֖ים לאדרכנים la’ăḏarḵōnîm la·’ă·ḏar·ḵō·nîm laadarchoNim vaadarchoNim wa’ăḏarḵōnîm wa·’ă·ḏar·ḵō·nîm

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 29:7
HEB: חֲמֵֽשֶׁת־ אֲלָפִים֮ וַאֲדַרְכֹנִ֣ים רִבּוֹ֒ וְכֶ֗סֶף
NAS: and 10,000 darics of gold,
KJV: and ten thousand drams, and of silver
INT: five thousand drams thousand silver

Ezra 8:27
HEB: זָהָב֙ עֶשְׂרִ֔ים לַאֲדַרְכֹנִ֖ים אָ֑לֶף וּכְלֵ֨י
NAS: [worth] 1,000 darics, and two
KJV: of a thousand drams; and two
INT: gold twenty darics of a thousand utensils

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 150
2 Occurrences

la·’ă·ḏar·ḵō·nîm — 1 Occ.
wa·’ă·ḏar·ḵō·nîm — 1 Occ.