κολλυβιστής (kollubistēs)
kollubistēs
moneychanger
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun kollubistēs refers to a moneychanger, specifically one who exchanged foreign currency for the Tyrian shekels required for the Temple tax. This role was essential in Jerusalem’s religious economy, as the temple treasury demanded coinage free of imperial images or pagan inscriptions.
Its root likely connects to kollubos, a small coin, highlighting the practical nature of this trade. The Gospels place these figures in the Court of the Gentiles, where their presence turned a space for prayer into a marketplace. This action provoked Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, as recorded in Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15, and John 2:15.
While other terms like kermatiōtēs exist, kollubistēs emphasizes the commercial aspect of changing money rather than just selling doves. The word appears only three times in Scripture, anchoring the narrative conflict around economic exploitation within sacred space.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kollubistēs points to a moneychanger, a figure who facilitated the exchange of foreign coins for the specific currency required by the Temple tax. This practical job ensured that worshipers could pay their dues without using coins bearing imperial or pagan images. Yet, in the Gospels, these traders operated in the Court of the Gentiles, a space meant for prayer, turning it into a noisy marketplace.
Jesus’ reaction to this scene reveals how commerce can crowd out devotion. By overturning their tables, He challenged the exploitation that turned sacred duty into profit. This word reminds us that God cares deeply about where and how we direct our resources. It invites reflection on whether our own lives prioritize spiritual connection or worldly gain.
When we encounter this term, we are called to examine our hearts. Are we treating our time, talents, and treasures as commodities, or as gifts for worship? The cleansing of the Temple challenges every generation to restore holiness to places meant for meeting God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- money changers3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κολλυβιστῶν3×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 21:12
Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
This verse explicitly identifies the people whose tables Jesus overturned as money changers, highlighting their central role in the Temple's commercial activity.
-
Mark 11:15
They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
Mark places the money changers alongside sellers of doves, showing how the entire Court of the Gentiles had become a hub of trade rather than prayer.
-
John 2:15
He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables.
John describes Jesus pouring out the changers' money, emphasizing the sudden and forceful disruption of their financial operations in the sacred space.