Drachma; Dram
Artifactsâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
The drachma was a standard silver coin in ancient Greece, weighing approximately 4.3 grams, and served as the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew shekel in the Septuagint translation. In the New Testament, the term appears in Luke 15:8-9, where it translates the Greek drachma, representing a day's wages for a laborer.
What is the meaning of Drachma; Dram in the Bible?
The drachma was a standard silver coin in ancient Greece, weighing approximately 4.3 grams, and served as the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew shekel in the Septuagint translation. In the New Testament, the term appears in Luke 15:8-9, where it translates the Greek drachma, representing a day's wages for a laborer.
SIGNIFICANCE
Recognizing the drachma as a day's wage illuminates the economic stakes in the Parable of the Lost Coin, highlighting the substantial financial loss and the determined effort required to recover a single lost coin.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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Source Attribution & Provenance
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.