Bible Lexicons

νόμισμα in its primary sense of institutum, anything sanctioned by usage, is in classical Greek almost confined to poetry (cf. Jebb Antigone 296). We can however supply an example in the Κοινή from the petition of Dionysia, P Oxy II. 237viii. 22 (A.D. 186), where reference is made to the fact τὰς Αἰγυπτιακὰς γυναῖκ ̣α ̣ς ̤ κατὰ ἐνχώριον νόμι ̣μ ̣α (l. νόμισμα) κατέχειν τ ̣ὰ ̣ ὑπάρχο ̣ν ̣τ ̣α ̣ τ ̣ω ̣ν ̣ ἀνδρῶν διὰ τῶν γαμικῶν συνγραφῶν, ";that Egyptian wives have by native Egyptian law a claim upon their husbands’ property through their marriage contracts"; (Edd.). It should be noted, however, that the reading is somewhat uncertain. With the more special sense of ";coin"; in Matthew 22:19 (cf. 1 Maccabees 15:6) we may compare P Tebt II. 485 (ii/B.C.) ὃς δ᾽ ἂν παρὰ ταῦτα ποιῆι τό τε ἀργυρικὸν νόμισμα καὶ τὸν ἀποτ [., P Grenf II. 77.8 (iii/iv A.D.) (= Selections, p. 120) ἐν δραχμαῖς τριακοσίαις τεσσαράκοντα παλαιοῦ νομίσματος : see also the introd. to P Thead 33. For the form νόμιζμα see BGU I. 69.6 (A.D. 120) ἀργυρίου σεβαστοῦ νομίζματος : cf. Deissmann BS p. 185.