Money in the Bible
A denarius was a day’s wage for a labourer (Matthew 20:2), so every sum is shown in days of work and in grams of silver. Today’s money is only a rough guide: wages and prices change every year.
Convertitore
Money
| Unità | Equivale a | Valore | Passi biblici |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Denarius
NT
δηνάριον dēnarion
The Roman silver coin and a labourer's pay for a day (Matthew 20:2). Under Augustus it weighed about 3.9 g, from Nero about 3.4 g.
|
Giorni di lavoro: 1
Argento: ≈ 3,4–3,9 g
[1][3]
|
Matteo 20:2, Matteo 22:19, Luca 10:35 | |
|
Drachma
NT
δραχμή drachmē
The Greek silver coin, reckoned equal to the denarius; the Attic drachma weighed about 4.3 g.
|
≈ 1 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 1
Argento: ≈ 3,4–4,4 g
[3]
|
Luca 15:8, Atti 19:19 |
|
Didrachma
NT
δίδραχμον didrachmon
Two drachmas, the yearly temple tax of half a shekel.
|
= 2 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 2
Argento: ≈ 6,8–8,8 g
|
Matteo 17:24 |
|
Stater
NT
στατήρ statēr
Four drachmas, the temple tax for two; most likely the Tyrian shekel of about 14 g of silver.
|
= 4 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 4
Argento: ≈ 13,5–14,4 g
[3]
|
Matteo 17:27 |
|
Piece of silver
NT
ἀργύριον argyrion
A silver coin without a named value; the thirty pieces paid to Judas are usually taken as Tyrian shekels.
|
≈ 1 × Stater |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 4
Argento: ≈ 13,5–14,4 g
|
Matteo 26:15, Matteo 27:3 |
|
Assarion
NT
ἀσσάριον assarion
The Roman copper as, a sixteenth of a denarius.
|
= 1/16 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/16
Argento: ≈ 0,213–0,244 g
|
Matteo 10:29, Luca 12:6 |
|
Quadrans
NT
κοδράντης kodrantēs
The smallest Roman coin, a quarter of an as; two lepta make one (Mark 12:42).
|
= 1/4 × Assarion |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/64
Argento: ≈ 0,0531–0,0609 g
|
Matteo 5:26, Marco 12:42 |
|
Lepton
NT
λεπτόν lepton
The smallest copper coin in circulation, half a quadrans, 1/128 of a denarius; in the Synodal translation also «полушка».
|
= 1/2 × Quadrans |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/128
Argento: ≈ 0,0266–0,0305 g
|
Marco 12:42, Luca 12:59, Luca 21:2 |
|
Mina (Greek)
NT
μνᾶ mna
A hundred drachmas, about a hundred days of work.
|
= 100 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 100
Argento: ≈ 340–440 g
|
Luca 19:13, Luca 19:16 |
|
Talent (Greek)
NT
τάλαντον talanton
Sixty minas, 6000 drachmas: about twenty years of a labourer's work.
|
= 60 × Mina (Greek) |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 6 000
Argento: ≈ 20,4–26,4 kg
|
Matteo 18:24, Matteo 25:15 |
|
Shekel of silver
AT
שֶׁקֶל sheqel
Silver by weight, before coins; the price of land, of a slave, of a sacrifice. Reckoned at four drachmas: the half-shekel tax is paid with a didrachma in Matthew 17:24.
|
≈ 4 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 4
Argento: ≈ 10–13 g
[1][2]
|
Genesi 23:16, Esodo 30:13, 2 Samuele 24:24 |
|
Beka
AT
בֶּקַע beqa
Half a shekel, the ransom paid by every man counted in the census.
|
= 1/2 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 2
Argento: ≈ 5–6,5 g
|
Esodo 38:26 |
|
Gerah
AT
גֵּרָה gerah
A twentieth of a shekel.
|
= 1/20 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 1/5
Argento: ≈ 0,5–0,65 g
|
Esodo 30:13 |
|
Pim
AT
פִּים pim
Two thirds of a shekel, the Philistines' price for sharpening tools.
|
= 2/3 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 2 2/3
Argento: ≈ 6,67–8,67 g
|
1 Samuele 13:21 |
|
Mina of silver
AT
מָנֶה maneh
Fifty shekels of silver.
|
= 50 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 200
Argento: ≈ 500–650 g
|
Esdra 2:69, Neemia 7:71 |
|
Talent of silver
AT
כִּכָּר kikkar
3000 shekels of silver, about 34 kg: a tribute of kings.
|
= 60 × Mina of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 12 000
Argento: ≈ 30–39 kg
|
2 Re 5:5, 2 Re 15:19, Ester 3:9 |
|
Daric
AT
אֲדַרְכֹּן adarkon
The Persian gold coin of about 8.4 g. Xenophon counts 3000 darics as ten talents, so a daric is about twenty drachmas; silver here is by that value.
|
≈ 20 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 20
Argento: ≈ 68–88 g
|
1 Cronache 29:7, Esdra 8:27 |
|
Qesitah
AT
קְשִׂיטָה qesitah
A unit of silver of the patriarchs' time; its value is unknown. Translations render it as «a piece of money» or «a lamb».
|
valore sconosciuto | Genesi 33:19, Giosuè 24:32, Giobbe 42:11 |
Somme e misure nella Scrittura
| Passo | Passi biblici | Quantità | Equivalente |
|---|---|---|---|
| The last lepton | Luca 12:58, 59 | 1 × Lepton |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/128
Argento: ≈ 0,0266–0,0305 g
|
| The widow's two lepta | Marco 12:41–44, Luca 21:1–4 | 2 × Lepton |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/64
Argento: ≈ 0,0531–0,0609 g
|
| The last quadrans | Matteo 5:25, 26 | 1 × Quadrans |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/64
Argento: ≈ 0,0531–0,0609 g
|
| Two sparrows for an assarion | Matteo 10:29–31 | 1 × Assarion |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/16
Argento: ≈ 0,213–0,244 g
|
| Five sparrows for two assaria | Luca 12:6, 7 | 2 × Assarion |
Giorni di lavoro: 1/8
Argento: ≈ 0,425–0,488 g
|
| The lost drachma | Luca 15:8–10 | 1 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 1
Argento: ≈ 3,4–4,4 g
|
| The woman's ten drachmas | Luca 15:8–10 | 10 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 10
Argento: ≈ 34–44 g
|
| A choinix of wheat for a denarius | Apocalisse 6:6 | 1 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 1
Argento: ≈ 3,4–3,9 g
|
| A day's pay in the vineyard | Matteo 20:1–16 | 1 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 1
Argento: ≈ 3,4–3,9 g
|
| The coin of the tax to Caesar | Matteo 22:15–22, Marco 12:13–17, Luca 20:20–26 | 1 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 1
Argento: ≈ 3,4–3,9 g
|
| Two denarii to the innkeeper | Luca 10:30–37 | 2 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 2
Argento: ≈ 6,8–7,8 g
|
| The temple tax | Matteo 17:24–27 | 1 × Didrachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 2
Argento: ≈ 6,8–8,8 g
|
| A stater for two | Matteo 17:24–27 | 1 × Stater |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 4
Argento: ≈ 13,5–14,4 g
|
| The smaller debt forgiven | Luca 7:40–43 | 50 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 50
Argento: ≈ 170–195 g
|
| The greater debt forgiven | Luca 7:40–43 | 500 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 500
Argento: ≈ 1,7–1,95 kg
|
| A hundred denarii owed by a fellow servant | Matteo 18:23–35 | 100 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 100
Argento: ≈ 340–390 g
|
| The unforgiving servant's debt | Matteo 18:23–35 | 10 000 × Talent (Greek) |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 60 000 000
Argento: ≈ 204 000–264 000 kg
|
| A mina to each servant | Luca 19:12–27 | 1 × Mina (Greek) |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 100
Argento: ≈ 340–440 g
|
| Five talents to the first servant | Matteo 25:14–30 | 5 × Talent (Greek) |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 30 000
Argento: ≈ 102–132 kg
|
| Thirty pieces of silver | Matteo 26:14–16, Matteo 27:3–10 | 30 × Piece of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 120
Argento: ≈ 405–432 g
|
| Two hundred denarii of bread | Marco 6:35–44, Giovanni 6:5–7 | 200 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 200
Argento: ≈ 680–780 g
|
| Ointment worth three hundred denarii | Marco 14:3–9, Giovanni 12:1–8 | 300 × Denarius |
Giorni di lavoro: 300
Argento: ≈ 1,02–1,17 kg
|
| The books burned at Ephesus | Atti 19:19 | 50 000 × Drachma |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 50 000
Argento: ≈ 170–220 kg
|
| The cave of Machpelah | Genesi 23:15, 16 | 400 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 1 600
Argento: ≈ 4–5,2 kg
|
| Joseph sold into Egypt | Genesi 37:28 | 20 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 80
Argento: ≈ 200–260 g
|
| Half a shekel of ransom | Esodo 30:13–15 | 1/2 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 2
Argento: ≈ 5–6,5 g
|
| The price of a slave | Esodo 21:32 | 30 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 120
Argento: ≈ 300–390 g
|
| Araunah's threshing floor | 2 Samuele 24:24 | 50 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 200
Argento: ≈ 500–650 g
|
| The field at Anathoth | Geremia 32:9 | 17 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 68
Argento: ≈ 170–221 g
|
| Thirty pieces of silver for the shepherd | Zaccaria 11:12, 13 | 30 × Shekel of silver |
Giorni di lavoro: ≈ 120
Argento: ≈ 300–390 g
|
Fonti
- Marvin A. Powell. Weights and Measures // The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. D. N. Freedman. Vol. 6. New York: Doubleday, 1992
- R. B. Y. Scott. Weights and Measures of the Bible // The Biblical Archaeologist 22, no. 2 (1959)
- Weights and Measures; Money // The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, rev. ed., ed. G. W. Bromiley. Vol. 3–4. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986–1988