683. The Denarius

From: Manners and Customs of the Bible By: James M. Freeman

• 1 min. read • grade level: 10

Matthew 20:2²And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. (Matthew 20:2) When he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

The denarius (penny) was the principal silver coin of the Romans. It was originally ten times the value of the as (see note on Matt. 10:29²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. (Matthew 10:29), #658) from which circumstance it derived its name. When, afterward, the weight of the as was reduced, the denarius was made equal to the weight of sixteen asses. The value of the earlier denarius was a little over eightpence half-penny, or about seventeen cents; that of the later was sevenpence half-penny, or fifteen cents. This was the ordinary price of a day’s labor.

Under the Republic the denarius had on one side the head of Hercules, Apollo, Mars, Janus, or Jupiter; but under the Empire it bore the title and effigies of the reigning Cesar. See Matthew 22:19-21¹⁹Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. ²⁰And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? ²¹They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:19‑21); Mark 12:15-17¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. ¹⁶And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. ¹⁷And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. (Mark 12:15‑17).

The “ten pieces of silver” mentioned in Luke 15:8⁸Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? (Luke 15:8), are supposed to have been denarii; and so are the “fifty thousand pieces of silver” mentioned in Acts 19:19¹⁹Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:19), though authorities vary in opinion.

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