Farthing

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: ἀσσάριον (Strong'S #787 — Noun Neuter — assarion — as-sar'-ee-on )

a diminutive of the Latin as, was one-tenth of a drachma, or one-sixteenth of a Roman denarius, i.e., about three farthings,  Matthew 10:29;  Luke 12:6 .

2: κοδράντης (Strong'S #2835 — Noun Masculine — kodrantes — kod-ran'-tace )

was the Latin quadrans, "the fourth part of an as" (see No. 1), about two thirds of a farthing,  Matthew 5:26;  Mark 12:42 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Representing two Greek words: kodrantes (Latin: quadrans ,  Matthew 5:26;  Mark 12:42), and assarion (Latin: as,  Matthew 10:29;  Luke 12:6; the "two assaria" constituted probably one coin). The quadrans was originally the fourth of an as, i.e. three ounces. In Christ's time the quadrans equaled two Greek lepta , "mites." Among the Roman copper coins current then in Palestine there was none smaller than the as or assarich; among the Greek imperial coins there was the quadrans (quarter of the as) and lepton , "mite," one-eighth of an as and half of a quadrans. The as was one and three-fourths of a farthing; the quadrans thus less than half a farthing. But either the as the lowest Roman coin, or the quadrans, the lowest Greek imperial coin, is sufficiently expressed by the term "farthing," as being our lowest coin.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

  Matthew 5:26;  Mark 12:42 (Gr. kodrantes), the quadrant, the fourth of an As , equal to two lepta, mites. The lepton (mite) was the very smallest copper coin.

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Farthing'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/f/farthing.html. 1897.

King James Dictionary

F'Arthing, n.

1. The fourth of a penny a small copper coin of Great Britain, being the fourth of a penny in value. In America we have no coin of this kind. We however use the word to denote the fourth part of a penny in value, but the penny is of different value from the English penny, and different in different states. It is becoming obsolete, with the old denominations of money. 2. Farthings, in the plural, copper coin. 3. Very small price or value. It is not worth a farthing, that is, it is of very little worth, or worth nothing. 4. A division of land. Not now used.

Thirty acres make a farthing-land nine farthings a Cornish acre and four Cornish acres a knight's fee.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Farthing. Two names of coins in the New Testament are rendered in the Authorized Version by this word:

1. Quadrans ,  Matthew 5:26;  Mark 12:42, a coin current in the time of our Lord, equivalent to three-eights of a cent;

2. The assarion , equal to one cent and a half,  Matthew 10:29;  Luke 12:6.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Farthing. Two Greek words are translated "farthing' in the New Testament: kodrantes ; Roman, quadram —worth about three-eighths of a cent;  Matthew 5:26;  Mark 12:42; and assarion ; Roman, æs or as —the tenth of a denarius, worth about a cent to 1½ cents.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) A very small quantity or value.

(2): ( n.) A division of land.

(3): ( n.) The fourth of a penny; a small copper coin of Great Britain, being a cent in United States currency.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Two different Roman brass coins are translated by this word: one of these, the assarion,  Matthew 10:29   Luke 12:6 , was worth less than a cent; the other, the kodrantes,  Matthew 5:26 , was probably nearly four mills.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Farthing . See Money, § 7 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

Coins

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Farthing. —See Money.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

See Weights And Measures.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Copyright StatementThese files are public domain. Bibliography InformationMcClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Farthing'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/f/farthing.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

far´thing : The rendering of two words in the Greek of the New Testament, ἀσσάριον , assárion , and κοδράντης , kodrántēs , Latin quadrans . The assarion was the tenth part of the denarius , and hence in value about one penny or two cents. The quadrans was the fourth part of the Roman as , and worth only about three mills, or less than the English farthing, and is the only term rendered farthing by the American Standard Revised Version. It occurs in  Matthew 5:26 and   Mark 12:42 , while assarion , which occurs in  Matthew 10:29 and   Luke 12:6 , is rendered "penny" by the American Standard Revised Version.