δραχμή (drachmē)
drachmē
drachma
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun drachmē refers to a specific Greek silver coin, roughly equivalent in weight and value to the Roman denarius. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, both within the parables told by Jesus in Luke 15:8-9. Its presence is not incidental; it anchors the story in the economic reality of first-century households.
In the parable of the lost coin, a woman searches diligently for a single drachma among ten. This small amount represented a day’s wages for many laborers at the time, making its loss significant to a household’s budget. The word highlights the tangible value of what was lost and the joyous relief upon finding it.
Lexical sources note that while the term is rare in Scripture, it serves as a concrete measure of everyday worth. By using this familiar currency, Jesus illustrated how heaven rejoices over the recovery of something precious, no matter how small its monetary value might seem to an outsider.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word drachmē refers to a silver coin used in the first century, roughly equal to a day’s wages. In Luke 15:8, Jesus tells of a woman who loses one of ten such coins. This was not a trivial sum; it represented real financial stability for a household. The loss would have caused genuine distress, prompting her to light a lamp and sweep carefully until the coin was found.
When she finally recovers it, she gathers friends to rejoice (Luke 15:9). Jesus uses this familiar economic reality to illustrate God’s heart. He shows that every individual matters deeply to Him. Just as the woman valued her lost coin, God values each person who is spiritually lost. The story invites us to see our worth not in wealth, but in being known and sought by the Creator.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- drachma2×
- drachmas1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δραχμὴν2×
- δραχμὰς1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 15:8
“Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?
This verse establishes the drachma as a day's wage, grounding the parable in the real economic anxiety of losing essential savings.
-
Luke 15:9
When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’
Here the word highlights the communal joy that follows recovery, mirroring the heavenly reaction to a sinner’s repentance.