Two words are thus rendered in the Old Testament ( רצּי־כסף , raccē - khāṣeph , and קשׂיטה , ḳesı̄ṭāh ) and two in the New Testament ἀργύριον , argúrion , and δραχμή , drachmḗ ). The first expression means pieces of silver broken off from bars or larger pieces ( Psalm 68:30 ). The second is used for money in Joshua 24:32 , and is so rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). The pieces were not coins, but perhaps bore a stamp. See MONEY . In other passages of the Old Testament where pieces of silver are mentioned, the Hebrew has simply a numeral joined with keṣeph , "silver," as in the account of the selling of Joseph (Genesis 37:28 ). In Isaiah 7:23 the word silverlings means small pieces of silver, and they were no doubt shekels. In the New Testament the Greek ἀργύρια , argúria (Matthew 26:15; Matthew 27:3-9 ), is translated as pieces of silver, but probably means shekels. In Acts 19:19 the same word occurs, but in this case the reference is probably to the denarius or drachma (compare Luke 15:8 f). Thus, the 30 pieces of Matthew would be equal to about 4 British pounds or (in 1915), and the 50,000 of Acts to about 2,000 British pounds or ,000 (in 1915).

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Piece of Silver'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/p/piece-of-silver.html. 1915.

Bible Encyclopedias Piece of Silver

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Bible Encyclopedias
Piece of Silver