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Bible Dictionaries
Money-Changers
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
or MONEY-CHANGERS . How indispensable were the services of the ‘money-changers’ ( Matthew 21:12 , Mark 11:15 ), ‘changers of money’ ( John 2:14 ), ‘changers’ ( John 2:15 ), and ‘exchangers’ ( Matthew 25:27 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘ bankers ’) in the first century of our era in Palestine may be seen from the summary of the varied currencies of the period in the preceding article (§§ 6. 7 ). The Jewish money-changer, like his modern counterpart the sarrâf (for whom see PEFSt [Note: Quarterly Statement of the same.] , 1904, p. 49 ff., where the complexity of exchange in the Palestine of to-day is graphically set forth), changed the large denominations into the smaller, giving denarii, for example, for tetradrachms, and gave silver for gold, copper for silver. An important department of his business was the exchange of foreign money and even money of the country of a non-PhÅ“nician standard for shekels and half-shekels on this standard, the latter alone being accepted in payment of the Temple dues (cf. money, §§ 4. 6. 7 ). It was mainly for the convenience of the Jews of the Dispersion that the changers were allowed to set up their tables in the outer court of the Temple ( Matthew 21:12 ff.). The wealthier members of the profession, the ‘ exchangers ’ (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘ bankers ’) of Matthew 25:27 (cf. Luke 19:23 ), received money on deposit for purposes of investment, on which interest was paid (see Usury).
The money-changers had constantly to be on their guard against false money. This gives point to the frequently quoted unwritten saying ( agraphon ) of our Lord to His disciples: ‘Be ye expert money-changers’ be skilful in distinguishing true doctrine from false.
A. R. S. Kennedy.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Money-Changers'. Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdb/m/money-changers.html. 1909.
