Let it suffice, O ye princes of Israel This is a reproof of the oppressions of the former kings and their chief officers. The title of princes of Israel is to be understood of such princes as the Jews afterward had of the Asmonæan race; for there were no more princes to reign of the tribe of Judah till Christ came. Ye shall have just balances Ye shall take care that there be no deceit in private trade: ye shall provide just measures, both for buying and selling, both dry things and liquid: for the ephah was the measure of dry things, as the bath was of liquid. The homer was about ten bushels, which amounts to about eighty gallons in liquid things. And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs. This is made the standard of the shekel, Exodus 30:13, which confutes the common opinion, that the weights of the sanctuary were double to those of common use. The shekel is usually valued at 2 Samuel 6 d. of our money; but some suppose it to be in value 2 Samuel 4 ½ d. of our money, and a little over. Twenty shekels, five and twenty, fifteen shall be your maneh Maneh is the same with the Greek μνα, and the Latin mina, being both derived from it. A maneh, or mina, consists of sixty shekels, that is, thirty ounces of silver; which, reckoning every shekel at 2 Samuel 6 d. value, amounts to 7 l. 10 s. The dividing the maneh into twenty, twenty- five, and fifteen shekels, supposes there were coins of these several values, which, taken all together, were to be of the same weight with the mina.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising