MoneyTerms in the New Testament
Matthew 22:19 Jesus said, "Show me the tax amount (according to law)". And they brought him a denarius, a silver Roman coin.
Firstly, the talent:
The talent in Hebrew measurement i.e. a one man load, is 58.9 kgs. There are 35.27 ounces in a kilogram, and gold today is around $900 per ounce.
In Matthew 18:24 - the lord forgave one person 10,000 talents - or just over $18 billion.
In Matthew 25:14 - A man going to a far country (i.e. once again, the Lord), gave one servant 5 talents ($9.3 million), one servant 2 talents ($3.7 million), one servant 1 talent ($1.8 million), basing it on their capacity to handle that load.
Now, about the denarius:
Matthew 20:2 He agreed with each labourer, one denarius a day (a day's unskilled wages or about $100)
Matthew 18:28 After he had been forgiven those 10,000 talents ($18 billion), that man saw a servant who owed him 100 denarii (i.e. about $10,000).
Luke 7:41 There are two debtors, one forgiven 500 denarii ($50,000), the other 50 ($5,000). Who cherishes the creditor more?
Luke 10:35 The next day, the Samaritan took out 2 denarii and gave them to the host ($200).
Mark 6:37, John 6:7 Feeding the 5000. "You give them to eat." "Shall we buy 200 denarii of food?" - "it will not be sufficient" ($20,000).
Revelation 6:6 "One dry measure of wheat for a denarius $100, three dry measures of barley for a denarius $100, don't damage the oil or the wine" - hmm, sounds like a trading floor.
Mark 14:5, John 12:5 At Simon's house in Bethany, "This ointment might have been sold for more than 300 denarii" ($30,000)
yes, that's expensive perfume :-)
Click here too for some background on how the silver denarius or (d) became the silver penny in England around the year 750, with 12 pennies then being the value of the gold solidus coin, called a shilling amount or (s), and 240 pennies being equal to a pound of silver — lb from the Latin word libra — or (£) i.e. £sd. But with wars and other issues, its value suffered ongoing debasement.
About the drachma (Silver Greek coin - value approximately equivalent to a denarius):
Luke 15:8 "If a woman having ten pieces of silver / ten drachma ($1000), loses one ($100), will she not light the house, sweep and search, and when she finds it, call all her friends and neighbours so they can rejoice with her".
Matthew 17:24 Peter was asked "Doesn't your master pay the two drachma ($200)?" This equalled half a shekel and was due to the temple annually for its upkeep, see
About the assarion/assarius (Copper coin. Sometimes abbreviated as the word “as” from which we get the English word “ace”. Initially valued at one-tenth of a denarius, by the time of Christ it was valued at one-sixteenth or even less when coined in the provinces):
Matthew 10:29 says 2 sparrows are sold for an assarion i.e. about $5
Luke 12:6 says 5 sparrows are sold for 2 assarion. And your Father is aware of everyone that falls to the ground. Therefore, don't be frightened. You are of more value than many sparrows.
About the farthing and the mite (Copper coins. Value one-quarter and one-eighth assarion respectively):
Luke 12:59 To the Pharisees: "You hypocrites. Can't you discern the signs of the times? Why don't you decide what is right?" In Matthew 5:24: "Get reconciled with your brother, if he has something against you." - "When your adversary - on some issue of "rights" - is taking you to the chief authority, while you're still on the road together, do what you have to do to get out of the situation, get yourselves agreed, lest you are dragged down to the judge, who gives you up to the "debt collection" officer, who throws you down into the "cage" (i.e. the prison). I tell you, you will not get out of there till you have paid the last mite. (in Matthew 5:26 - farthing) i.e. your last dollar.
Mark 12:42, Luke 21:2 The widow threw in 2 mites or 1 farthing i.e. about a dollar. More than any of the wealthy - she threw into the treasure-house all of her life.
Hallelujah :-) Steve