אֲדַרְכֹּן (a.dar.kon)
a.dar.kon
dram
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun a.dar.kon refers to a specific unit of weight and value, likely equivalent to a drachma or daric. Lexical sources identify it as a rare, late Hebrew term appearing in only two verses, primarily within the books of Ezra and Chronicles. It denotes a tangible measure of gold, weighing approximately 4.32 grams or 128 grains.
Its usage is confined to financial contexts involving temple contributions or royal revenues. The word appears in lists of offerings or debts, grounding abstract value in physical metal. Translators typically render it as "dram" or "drachma," preserving the sense of a standardized coinage unit used in the post-exilic period.
This term highlights the economic reality of the restored community, where precise weights mattered for maintaining temple records. Its rarity suggests it was a technical term borrowed from contemporary imperial systems rather than everyday speech. The word serves as a historical marker for the specific administrative practices of that era.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word adarcon represents a specific weight of gold used in ancient Israel, appearing only twice in Scripture. In these brief mentions, it highlights the tangible value brought to God’s house during times of restoration and rebuilding. This small unit of measure reminds us that every contribution, no matter how modest or large, holds significance in the eyes of the Lord.
When we look at the offerings recorded in Chronicles and Ezra, we see a community committed to honoring God with their resources. The precision of these weights reflects a deep respect for the sacred duties entrusted to them. It invites us to consider how we might offer our own gifts with similar care and intentionality, recognizing that our acts of generosity are part of a larger story of faith and obedience.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- of/ darics1×
- and/ darics1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/אֲדַרְכֹנִ֖ים1×
- וַ/אֲדַרְכֹנִ֣ים1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 29:7
and they gave for the service of God’s house of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, of silver ten thousand talents, of bronze eighteen thousand talents, and of iron one hundred thousand talents.
This verse lists the daric among other precious metals contributed by leaders, showing its role as a standard unit for large-scale temple funding.
-
Ezra 8:27
twenty bowls of gold weighing one thousand darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze, precious as gold.
Here the daric is used to specify the weight of gold bowls, demonstrating its practical use in measuring sacred vessels for transport and service.