A year. Hebrew and Septuagint, “from the end of the days to days.”

Chaldean, “as it was convenient.” But the Vulgate seems the best, (Calmet) and is followed by the Protestant version. (Haydock)

Sicles, including all his hair. The Hebrews wore their hair very long. It does not commonly grow above four inches in a year; so that the hair which was cut off could not weigh 200 sicles. (Calmet)

Weight. Hebrew, “after the king’s stone,” Beeben; but one manuscript has Boshkol, with the Septuagint, “after the king’s sicle (Kennicott) weight,” at Babylon, as Pelletier supposes that this work was written towards the end of the captivity. He allows that Absalom’s hair might weigh almost 31 ounces. Some women wear above 32 ounces, if we may believe the hair-dressers. Some suppose that r (200) has been substituted instead of d (4) or c, (20) &c. But all are not convinced that the Hebrews formerly marked the numbers by letters. Septuagint have, “100 sicles,” (Calmet) which some attempt to reconcile with the common reading, by saying, that they speak of the sicles of the sanctuary, which were double the weight of the king’s sicle. Yet the Alexandrian and Vatican copies agree with the Vulgate: (Haydock) and of this distinction of weights there is no proof. The Rabbins assert that the value, and not the weight, of Absalom’s hair is given; (Calmet) and that he made a present of his hair to some of his friends, who sold it to the ladies of Jerusalem, to adorn their heads. (Sanctius)

Tirinus adopts this sentiment, and ridicules those who say that the weight is meant; as he says, 200 sicles would be equivalent to 8¾ Roman pounds, which comes near to Arbuthnot’s calculation in English. (Haydock)

Bochart reduces the weight to four such pounds, each consisting of twelve ounces; and he supposes that the hair was so heavy, on account of the gold dust with which it was covered, according to the fashion of those times. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] viii. 1.)

But this weight would be only accidental. (Calmet)

Josephus ([Antiquities?] vii. 8.) intimates, that Absalom’s hair was “cut every eight days,” or “for the space of eight days.” It is quite incredible that it should weigh 200 sicles, or five minæ of Alexandria, each consisting of twelve ounces. The Latin interpreter reads, “every eight months.” (Calmet)

St. Epiphanius and Hero have 125 sicles, or about 31 ounces. (Haydock)

The Babylonian sicle, here mentioned, was only the third part of that used by the Hebrews. (Du Hamel)