in my trouble] Or, in my poverty. Notwithstanding the mean stock and store I had at my first beginning, and the many troubles I have had all my days. an hundred thousand talents] Because all estimation must be according to the shekel of the sanctuary (Leviticus 27:25.) the shekel is fittest to be the rule of all other accounts: our English word scale, seems to be thence derived. Shekel, in Hebrew, signifieth, to weigh. Many make two kindes of shekels, one sacred, the other common; the sacred as much more as the common: the sacred is, for the most part, meant in sacred Scripture. The shekel contained two bekah’s, Exodus 38:2. for bekah signifieth half a shekel. A bekah weighed an hundred and threescore barley-corns: a shekel, three hundred and twenty; which answereth to our half ounce of troy-weight: in worth, two shillings and six pence. A talent containeth three thousand shekels, which may be collected from Exodus 38:25-26. where six hundred thousand, and three thousand, and five hundred and fifty men, are taxed by the poll at so many bekahs, or half shekels, a bekah for a man; which are half so many shekels, namely, three hundred thousand, and one thousand, and seven hundred threescore and fifteen. Put three thousand shekels to one talent, and the sum there mentioned will thence arise, namely, an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred threescore and fifteen shekels. Thus it appears, that three thousand shekels made a tlent. A shekel then being half an ounce, three thousand shekels produce three hundred seventy and five pound sterling, at five shillings per ounce, in silver; which is the value of a talent in silver. The Hebrews valued gold ten for one of silver; that is, one talent of gold, the value of ten talents of silver; after which rate, a talent of gold was three thousand seven hundred and fifty pound: which proportion of ten for one is evident in this verse; for the hundred thousand talents of gold, and the thousand thousand talents of silver, are ten for one, and both of one value, namely, three hundred seventy five millions, or three hundred seventy five times an hundred thousand pounds: and both sums, of silver and gold together, amount to seven hundred and fifty millions. Gold is now in Christendom at a higher rate; after which if the talent should be reckoned, the sum would be so much the greater. weight] As verse 3.