Drachma; Dram
The Greek Drachma
The drachma was the basic silver coin of the Greek monetary system, widely circulated throughout the Mediterranean world from the sixth century BC onward. By the time of the New Testament, the drachma was commonly equated with the Roman denarius, though the two coins were not exactly equal in weight or silver content. Both represented approximately one day's wages for a common laborer, making the drachma a coin of modest but real value.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
The drachma's most famous appearance in Scripture is in Jesus's Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-9). A woman who has ten silver coins loses one and searches her entire house diligently until she finds it. When she recovers the coin, she calls her friends and neighbors to celebrate. Jesus uses this parable, alongside the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Prodigal Son, to illustrate God's joy over a single repentant sinner.
The ten drachmas may have represented the woman's entire savings or possibly coins from a headdress that served as her dowry or personal wealth. Losing one was not trivial; it represented a significant portion of her resources. The parable's power lies in the contrast between the coin's modest monetary value and the immense effort and joy involved in its recovery, mirroring God's passionate pursuit of every lost person.
The Dram in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the word "dram" (or "daric") appears in older English translations to describe gold coins mentioned in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:69; 8:27; Nehemiah 7:70-72). These coins are generally identified as Persian darics rather than Greek drachmas, though the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) uses "drachma" to translate the Hebrew term. The Persian daric was a gold coin introduced by Darius I and became the standard gold currency of the Persian Empire.
The Half-Shekel and the Drachma
The Septuagint also uses "drachma" to translate the Hebrew "beqa" or half-shekel (Exodus 38:26). This connection became significant in the New Testament era, when the annual temple tax of a half-shekel was paid using the didrachma (two-drachma coin). Matthew 17:24-27 records how Peter was approached about paying this tax, and Jesus instructed him to catch a fish in whose mouth he would find a stater (four-drachma coin), enough to pay the tax for both of them.
Money and Meaning in the Bible
Biblical references to coins like the drachma reveal much about daily life and economic realities in the ancient world. More importantly, biblical writers consistently use money as a vehicle for spiritual truth. The lost drachma teaches about God's relentless love. The temple tax drachma connects worship with practical obligation. Throughout Scripture, how people relate to money reveals their deeper relationship with God.
Biblical Context
The drachma appears in the New Testament in Luke 15:8-9 (Parable of the Lost Coin). Related monetary terms appear in Ezra 2:69, 8:27, and Nehemiah 7:70-72 (contributions for temple rebuilding), and Matthew 17:24-27 (the temple tax). The Septuagint uses drachma to translate the Hebrew half-shekel in Exodus 38:26.
Theological Significance
The drachma's most profound theological significance comes from the Parable of the Lost Coin, which reveals God's heart for the lost. Just as the woman searched diligently for one small coin and celebrated its recovery, God actively seeks every person who is separated from him. The parable teaches that no one is too insignificant for God's attention and that heaven celebrates every act of repentance.
Historical Background
The Greek drachma originated in Athens around the sixth century BC and spread throughout the Mediterranean with Alexander the Great's conquests. By the first century AD, various local drachma coins circulated alongside Roman currency. The Persian daric, often translated as 'dram' in the Old Testament, was introduced by Darius I around 515 BC and was one of the first standardized gold coins in history. Archaeological finds of both coin types throughout Israel confirm their widespread use in biblical times.