What is a…
penny in the King James Bible
Greek: δηνάριον —transliteration: denarion —meaning: a Roman silver coin — a tribute penny
Note: The plural of “penny” in the King James era is “pence,” rather than “pennys.”
The King James Bible translates the Greek word as a “pence” or “penny” in the New Testament, and it is more frequently mentioned than any other biblical coin. However, its value is very different than that of the U.S. penny coin in the 21st Century.
At the time of Christ, a denarius coin was the daily pay of a Roman soldier.
During the reign of Edward III of England, an English penny was a laborer’s day’s wages.
The medieval silver penny was modeled on similar coins in antiquity, such as the Greek drachma, the Carthaginian shekel, and the Roman denarius.
This was the “tribute money” with reference to which our Lord said, “Whose image and superscription is this?” When they answered, “Caesar's,” he replied, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God’s”.
Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. —Matthew 22:19 KJV
Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. —Mark 12:15 KJV
Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s. —Luke 20:24 KJV
This coin was also referenced in some of Christ’s pararables.
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There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. —Luke 7:41 KJV
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. —Matthew 18:28 KJV
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And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. —Matthew 20:2
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. —Matthew 20:9 KJV
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? —Matthew 20:13 KJV
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And on the morrow when he [the good samaritan] departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. —Luke 10:35 KJV
The price of expensive fragrance…
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. —Mark 14:5 KJV, also see Mark 14:5 and John 12:5
The Apostle John heard this in Heaven:
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. —Revelation 6:6 KJV
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