Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 29:4

"even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, wherewith to overlay the walls of the houses;" — 1 Chronicles 29:4 (ASV)

Three thousand talents of gold. —Compare to 1 Chronicles 22:14. The sum would be about £18,000,000 sterling.

Gold of Ophir. —Indian gold, from Abhîra, at the mouth of the Indus.

Seven thousand talents of refined silver. —About £2,800,000 sterling.

To overlay. —Strictly, to besmear (Isaiah 44:18).

The houses. —The chambers (1 Chronicles 28:11; see 2 Chronicles 3:4–9). The Syriac and Arabic have “a thousand thousand talents of gold,” and “twice a thousand thousand talents of silver.”