אֲגוֹרָה
𐤀𐤂𐤅𐤓𐤄
ʼăgôwrâh
H95 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A small piece of silver used as a coin, especially in contexts of trade or as a unit of payment; refers specifically to a minor denomination of currency, likely corresponding to a fractional value in the ancient Israelite system of weights and money. The term is rare and its precise value or coinage type is uncertain, but it is generally understood to denote a token or low-value unit rather than a weight of uncoined metal.
Semantic Range
small piece of silver, coin, low-denomination currency, token, small payment
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root אָגוּר (אג"ר), meaning 'to collect, gather'. אֲגוֹרָה is a derivative suggesting something that has been gathered or collected, in this case referring to a tangible item, namely a coin or piece of silver. The relationship between the root's core sense of 'gathering' and the noun 'coin' is through the concept of collecting silver pieces as payment or currency.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears only in Joshua 9:8 (in the plural), possibly reflecting a regional or period-specific usage for small silver coins or tokens within the ancient Israelite economy. The exact value and equivalency of an אֲגוֹרָה are not specified in the biblical text and are a matter of scholarly discussion, suggesting usage may have varied over time or that the term referenced a form of currency known and accepted locally. While later periods (and modern Hebrew) use agorah as a coin denomination, this reflects terminological continuity rather than direct historical equivalence. Standard English translations often render the term as 'piece of silver' or 'coin,' but this does not capture the nuance that it was a small or minor denomination. No theological or ethnic connotations are embedded in the word itself, and it occurs outside of contexts defining group identity. The term is distinct from other Hebrew words for silver (כֶּסֶף, keseph), shekel (שֶׁקֶל), or money more generally.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as אָגוּר; properly, something gathered, i.e. perhaps a grain or berry; used only of a small (silver) coin; piece (of) silver.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אגר (ʾ-g-r) — gathering, collecting
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H103 | אָגַר | she gathered |
| H104 | אִגְּרָא | the official dispatch |
| H107 | אִגֶּרֶת | in official letters |
| H94 | אָגוּר | Agur |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H95-01 |
לַ/אֲג֥וֹרַת | laagorat | HR/Ncfsc |
for a piece of | for a small silver-coin of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H95-01 |
1 Samuel 2:36 | לַ/אֲג֥וֹרַת | laagorat | HR/Ncfsc |
for a piece of | for a small silver-coin of |