δίδραχμον (G1323) — Greek Lexicon

δίδραχμον

dídrachmon

G1323 noun

SILEX Entry

Root δραχμ- to grasp, to seize (applied to coinage: a unit that can be grasped; as 'drachma')

Definition

A silver coin valued at two drachmas; a 'double drachma.' In Greco-Roman monetary contexts, refers specifically to a coin worth two drachmas, but in Judean contexts of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, especially in the New Testament, dídrachmon primarily refers to the half-shekel tax or the coin used to pay that tax—an annual levy for the upkeep of the Jerusalem temple. The term may be used both for the coin itself and, metonymically, for the tax paid with such a coin.

Semantic Range

double drachma coin, a coin worth two drachmas, the half-shekel temple tax, the coin used to pay that tax

Root / Etymology

From δις ('twice, two times') and δραχμή ('drachma,' a standard Greek silver coin). The word thus literally means 'two drachmas.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The δίδραχμον was a standard Greek coin, first minted in classical Greece, and widely circulated in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. In the context of Second Temple Judea, the word occurs in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 17:24) to denote the annual temple tax, which was equivalent in value to a half shekel. The coin functioned as a commonly recognized standard for this religious levy. The Septuagint and Greek Jewish literary tradition use related monetary terms for similar temple taxes or assessments. While English translations sometimes render the term 'tribute' or 'temple tax,' these can obscure its precise nature as a specific Greek coin or the coin required for this particular tax. Greek literary authors outside Jewish contexts typically use δίδραχμον for the currency value alone. In Judean and New Testament usage, the term is loaded with social, religious, and political significance regarding the Jerusalem Temple and obligations of Judean inhabitants.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from δίς and δραχμή; a double drachma (didrachm):--tribute.

Root Family

δίδραχμον (dídrachmon) — double drachma coin, two-drachma piece, half-shekel tax coin

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`G1323-01`	δίδραχμα	didrachma	`N ACC N PL`		double-drachma coins	2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`G1323-01`	Matthew 17:24	δίδραχμα	didrachma	`N ACC N PL`		double-drachma coins
`G1323-01`	Matthew 17:24	δίδραχμα	didrachma-2	`N ACC N PL`		double-drachma coins

← G1322 Greek Lexicon G1324 →