1406. drachmé
Lexical Summary
drachmé: Drachma

Original Word: δραχμή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: drachmé
Pronunciation: drahk-MAY
Phonetic Spelling: (drakh-may')
KJV: piece (of silver)
NASB: coin, coins, silver coins
Word Origin: [from G1405 (δράσσομαι - catches)]

1. a drachma or (silver) coin (as handled)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
piece of silver, drachma

From drassomai; a drachma or (silver) coin (as handled) -- piece (of silver).

see GREEK drassomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from drassomai
Definition
as much as one can hold in the hand, a drachma (a Gr. coin made of silver)
NASB Translation
coin (2), coins (1), silver coins (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1406: δραχμή

δραχμή, δραχμης, (δράσσομαι (hence, properly, a grip, a handful)) (from Herodotus down), a drachma, a silver coin of (nearly) the same weight as the Roman denarius (see δηνάριον): Luke 15:8f.

Topical Lexicon
Historical Background of the Drachma

Originating in sixth-century B.C. Greece, the drachma became one of the Mediterranean world’s most widely traded silver coins. By the Hellenistic era its weight and purity were sufficiently standardized that merchants in Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor accepted it without assay. When Rome absorbed the Hellenistic realms, the denarius replaced the drachma in most daily transactions, yet the older term survived in the vernacular of the eastern provinces and remained meaningful in Judea and Galilee during the first century A.D.

Relative Monetary Value in the First Century

Contemporary sources and numismatic evidence suggest that a drachma equated to the Roman denarius, roughly a day’s wage for a common laborer (compare Matthew 20:2). Thus, although the drachma carried only modest face value, it represented the margin between survival and want for many village families. Its familiar worth makes it an ideal teaching device in the parable of the lost coin.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Luke alone records the term, embedding it three times within the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-9). There, a woman possesses ten drachmas; losing one, she lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches diligently “until she finds it” (Luke 15:8). Upon success she calls her friends and neighbors, declaring, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin I lost” (Luke 15:9).

Illustrative Purpose in Luke 15

1. Proportional Loss

One coin out of ten represents a ten-percent deficit—large enough to wound a humble household economy, yet small enough that hearers might question expending lamp oil to recover it. The tension heightens the parable’s emphasis on divine compassion: what seems minor to human assessment is precious to God.

2. Thorough Search

The woman’s methodical effort—lighting, sweeping, and seeking—mirrors the shepherd’s pursuit of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4) and anticipates the father’s exuberant reception of the prodigal son (Luke 15:22-24). Each scene progressively enlarges the worth of the lost: from one sheep among one hundred, to one drachma among ten, to one son among two.

3. Communal Joy

The recovered drachma triggers communal celebration, underscoring that heaven itself rejoices over “one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Earthly coins and eternal souls are thus linked: the former provides the concrete image; the latter supplies the redemptive reality.

Old Testament Parallels and Background

While the Hebrew Scriptures never mention the drachma, they do reference weights of silver (Genesis 23:15-16) and half-shekel temple dues (Exodus 30:13). Those antecedents familiarize readers with silver as a unit of religious obligation and covenant loyalty, preparing them to appreciate the New Testament illustration.

Theological Emphases

• Imago Dei Value: The drachma’s stamp of the ruling authority reminds hearers that every person bears the divine image (Genesis 1:27). Just as the woman seeks her imprinted coin, God seeks His image-bearers.
• Covenant Faithfulness: Zeal to reclaim what is rightfully hers parallels the Lord’s unwavering commitment to His covenant people (Ezekiel 34:11-12).
• Grace over Legalism: The modest monetary scale defies any works-based calculus; the joy centers not on worthiness but on recovery.

Applications for Ministry Today

1. Evangelistic Persistence

Churches emulate the woman’s diligence when they illuminate darkened hearts with the gospel, sweep away obstacles through compassionate service, and refuse to abandon the search until the lost are found.

2. Celebratory Culture

The parable legitimizes visible, shared rejoicing whenever repentance occurs. Testimonies, baptisms, and fellowship gatherings echo the neighbors’ glad response.

3. Valuing the Overlooked

Congregations guard against ranking people by social utility. A single forgotten soul warrants concentrated effort equal to or exceeding large-scale initiatives.

Conclusion

The drachma of Luke 15 may seem a minor coin, yet Scripture uses it to unveil the immeasurable worth of every sinner to the heart of God. By linking ordinary currency to extraordinary grace, the Lord’s parable summons believers to search, save, and celebrate with the same fervor that characterizes heaven itself.

Forms and Transliterations
δραχμας δραχμάς δραχμὰς δραχμή δραχμην δραχμήν δραχμὴν δραχμών drachmas drachmàs drachmen drachmēn drachmḕn
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 15:8 N-AFP
GRK: τίς γυνὴ δραχμὰς ἔχουσα δέκα
NAS: she has ten silver coins and loses
KJV: ten pieces of silver, if
INT: what woman drachmas having ten

Luke 15:8 N-AFS
GRK: ἐὰν ἀπολέσῃ δραχμὴν μίαν οὐχὶ
NAS: ten silver coins and loses one
KJV: she lose one piece, doth not light
INT: if she should lose drachma one not

Luke 15:9 N-AFS
GRK: εὗρον τὴν δραχμὴν ἣν ἀπώλεσα
NAS: with me, for I have found the coin which
KJV: I have found the piece which
INT: I have found the drachma which I lost

Strong's Greek 1406
3 Occurrences


δραχμὰς — 1 Occ.
δραχμὴν — 2 Occ.

1405
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