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Farthing

historical_background_term theological_term standard

A farthing is a very small coin named in older English Bible translations to express a trivial sum.

At a Glance

Older English translation term for a tiny coin or small denomination used in New Testament money sayings.

Key Points

Description

In older English translations of the New Testament, farthing denotes a very small coin or unit of value used in sayings about payment, poverty, and small sums. It is not a technical theological term but a translation convention that communicates the minuteness of the amount in view. Because different Greek terms and different historical coins may be involved, the English word should be treated as approximate rather than as a fixed modern equivalent. The main point in the biblical text is usually the smallness of the amount, not the exact denomination.

Biblical Context

The term appears in passages where Jesus speaks about settling accounts, the cost of sparrows, or the value of small coins. In those contexts it highlights either complete payment of debt or the low monetary worth of items being discussed.

Historical Context

Farthing is an archaic English monetary term. In Bible translation it was used to render small Roman coinage or the rough equivalent of a tiny denomination, helping English readers grasp the force of the passage without giving a precise modern conversion.

Jewish and Ancient Context

First-century Judea used a mix of local and Roman coinage. Everyday transactions often involved very small denominations, so references to tiny coins would have been immediately intelligible as illustrations of minimal value.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Older English 'farthing' may represent different small Greek coin terms depending on the passage, including terms commonly rendered 'quadrans,' 'assarion,' or 'mite' in English versions.

Theological Significance

The term itself carries no doctrine, but the passages that use it often underscore God's care for small things, the seriousness of debt, and the completeness of judgment or payment.

Philosophical Explanation

The word functions as a scale marker: it places a tiny amount of money in view so that a larger moral or spiritual point can be made clearly.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not assume one fixed ancient coin for every occurrence. The English term is approximate and translation-dependent. The biblical point is usually the insignificance of the amount, not a precise numismatic identification.

Major Views

Readers and translators generally agree that the term points to a very small coin, though the exact ancient equivalent may differ by passage and by translation tradition.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry concerns translation and historical background, not doctrine. It should not be used to build theological conclusions beyond the biblical author's intended point.

Practical Significance

The term reminds readers that Scripture often uses ordinary economic images to teach spiritual realities. It also shows that even very small matters can matter in God’s moral order.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Farthing

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