Farthing
Two names of coins in the New Testament are rendered in the Authorized Version by this word:
Quadrans, (Matthew 5:26; Mark 12:42) a coin current in the time of our Lord, equivalent to three-eights of a cent; The assarion, equal to one cent and a half, (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Farthing
Farthing far'-thing: The rendering of two words in the Greek of the New Testament, assarion, and kodrantes, Latin quadrans. The assarion was the tenth part of the denarius, and hence in value about one penny or two centuries The quadrans was the fourth part of the Roman as, and worth only about three mills, or less than the English farthing, and is the only term rendered farthing by the American Standard Revised Version. It occurs in Mt 5:26 and Mr 12:42, while assarion, which occurs in Mt 10:29 and Lu 12:6, is rendered "penny" by the American Standard Revised Version. ⇒See a list of verses on FARTHING in the Bible. ⇒See the definition of farthing in the KJV Dictionary ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Farthing
See Money. FASHION (faeire, to make, faction-e.m, a mak- ing, It. /nzione, Old VT./agon, Old Knn. facioun). There are some old uses in AV, and tliey are all retained in RV. 1. The make or shape of a thing : Ex 26*' ' thou ehalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.' The Heb. (t!j;'p mishp/it) is the ordinary word for the decision of a judge, hence due or right measure, even in ca.'*es not decided by judging, right proportion ( 1 K 4'* [ Heb. 5"] ' charge ' ; .Jer SO'*" of a city, ' manner,' rather weak ; Is 40'*, in creation — f'ving each part its due place and function). In X 26*" it seems to be used as synonymous with n'j:n(from nj; to build, so ' building,' 'make'), which is employed in the parallel pii.ssages Ex 25*- *", and is there tr'' 'pattern.' This Heb. word mhhpdt de- Teloped much as the Eng. word ' fashion ' has done. In Gn 40" and elsewhere it signifies manner or cus- tom, and in 2 K 1' outward appearance. It is tr'' ' fashion ' also in 1 K 6"*, Ezk 4'2" (in both of parts of a building). Wyclif's word in Ex 26*" is '…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Farthing
Representing two Greek words: kodrantes (Latin: quadrans, Mat 5:26; Mar 12:42), and assarion (Latin: as, Mat 10:29; Luk 12:6; the "two assaria" constituted probably one coin). The quadrans was originally the fourth of an as, i.e. three ounces. In Christ's time the quadrans equaled two Greek lepta, "mites." Among the Roman copper coins current then in Palestine there was none smaller than the as or assarich; among the Greek imperial coins there was the quadrans (quarter of the as) and lepton, "mite," one-eighth of an as and half of a quadrans. The as was one and three-fourths of a farthing; the quadrans thus less than half a farthing. But either the as the lowest Roman coin, or the quadrans, the lowest Greek imperial coin, is sufficiently expressed by the term "farthing," as being our lowest coin.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia