English · KJV
H1871

דַּרְכְּמוֹן

darkᵉmôwn /dar-kem-one'/ Ask about this word
Rootof Persian origin
Meaninga 'drachma', or coin
KJV usagedram.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of darkᵉmôwn — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word darkᵉmôwn, represented by H1871, is a term of Persian origin for a 'drachma', or coin. Though it appears only 4 times in 4 unique verses, its usage is concentrated in a specific historical context, referring to a unit of currency used for significant contributions.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1871 is used exclusively in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to quantify large offerings of gold for the temple. Following the return from exile, the people contributed generously to restore the house of God. They gave "after their ability" Ezra 2:69, with donations including "threescore and one thousand drams of gold" Ezra 2:69. These contributions were made by leaders like the Tirshatha Nehemiah 7:70, the chief of the fathers Nehemiah 7:71, and the rest of the people Nehemiah 7:72, all giving drams of gold for the work.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words illuminate the context of these offerings:

  • H2091 zâhâb (gold): This precious metal, which shimmers, is the commodity being measured in drams. It is consistently the object of the offering when H1871 is used Nehemiah 7:70.
  • H214 'ôwtsâr (treasure): This word for a depository or storehouse is the destination for the contributions of gold drams. The offerings were given "unto the treasure of the work" Ezra 2:69.
  • H4399 mᵉlâʼkâh (work): This term for employment or a specific task defines the purpose of the offerings. The drams of gold were given to support "the work of the house of God" Ezra 6:22.
  • H5414 nâthan (to give): This primitive root appears in all verses containing H1871, as it describes the action of the people and their leaders who gave these valuable offerings for the temple restoration Nehemiah 7:72.

Theological Significance

The significance of H1871 is centered on the theme of restoration and devotion.

  • Willing Sacrifice: The offerings, measured in drams, were given voluntarily according to each person's ability H3581 Ezra 2:69, demonstrating a communal heart for rebuilding and worship.
  • Support for God's House: The use of a specific, valuable coin highlights the tangible support required for the work H4399 of the temple. These financial gifts were directed into the treasure H214 for a sacred purpose.
  • Unified Community: Contributions came from every level of society: the Persian governor or Tirshatha H8660, the chief H7218 of the fathers, and the rest of the people H5971, signifying a united effort to honor God (Nehemiah 7:70, 72).

Summary

In summary, darkᵉmôwn H1871 serves as more than just an archaic monetary unit. It is a marker of a pivotal moment in Israel's history, representing the generous and unified giving of the returned exiles. Though rare, its appearances in scripture provide a powerful illustration of how a community's resources can be consecrated to support and restore the work of God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • דַּרְכְּמוֹנִים

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2091 זָהָב from an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky; g H214 אוֹצָר from אָצַר; a depository; armory, cellar, garner, store(-house), treasure(-house) (-y). H4399 מְלָאכָה from the same as מֲלְאָךְ; properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractl H5414 נָתַן a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, a H3581 כֹּחַ or (Daniel 11:6) כּוֹחַ; from an unused root meaning to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or f H8660 תִּרְשָׁתָא of foreign derivation; Tirshatha, the title of a Persian deputy or governor; Tirshatha.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Nehemiah (3 verses); never once in the other 37.

1
Ezra
3
Nehemiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.