Purse

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Purse — 1. βαλλάντιον, peculiar to St. Luke, which occurs in LXX Septuagint as the translation of צְרוֹר ( Job 14:17) and כִּיס ( Proverbs 1:14). ‘The purse of the modern Syrian peasant is a little bag, sometimes of woven silk thread, but usually of yellow cotton. The open mouth is not drawn close by a string, but is gathered up by one hand, and then by the other the neck of the bag is carefully whipped round’ (Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, art. ‘Bag’); it, no doubt, corresponds to βαλλάντιον. The ‘Seventy’ were directed not to carry a purse ( Luke 10:4); in  Luke 22:35 f. Christ asked the Apostles, ‘When I sent you forth without purse, lacked ye anything?’ and gave the new direction, ‘He that hath a purse, let him take it.’ In  Luke 22:36 Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 gives ‘and he that hath none,’ i.e. no purse (so Cov. [Note: Coverdale’s Bible 1535.] , Rhem. [Note: Rhemish NT 1582.] , Gen. [Note: Geneva NT 1557, Bible 1560.] , Meyer, etc.; on the other hand, Tind. [Note: Tindale’s NT 1526 and 1534, Pent. 1530.] , Cran. [Note: Cranmer’s ‘Great’ Bible 1539.] , Beza, Ewald, Godet prefer to supply μάχαιρα as Authorized Version (‘he that hath no sword’). The passage, says Wendt, is to be explained from foresight of an impending period of persecution for the disciples: Jesus sets the necessity of buying a sword in contrast to the freedom from all want hitherto enjoyed by His disciples in their work as His messengers, and bases His exhortation on a reference to the doom about to fall on Himself; a period would begin when the disciples would no longer be unharmed, but would be in the midst of conflicts and persecutions (see Wendt, Teaching of Jesus , ii. p. 358). In  Luke 12:33 βαλλάντια is used in a figurative sense, ‘make for yourselves purses (Authorized Version after Tind. [Note: Tindale’s NT 1526 and 1534, Pent. 1530.] ‘bags’) which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not’ (‘continens pro contento,’ de Wette).

2. ζώνη ( Matthew 10:9 =  Mark 6:8 in the directions to the Twelve), properly the girdle, which is still in Syria made ‘double for a foot and a half from the buckle, thus making a safe and well-guarded purse’ (Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, art. ‘Bag’). (Revised Version margin) translation ‘girdle.’

‘There was no extraordinary self-denial in the matter or mode of their mission. We may expound the instructions given to these primitive evangelists somewhat after the following manner—“Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses. You are going to your brethren in the neighbouring villages, and the best way to get to their hearts and their confidence is to throw yourselves upon their hospitality.…” At this day the farmer sets out on excursions quite as extensive without a para in his purse’ (Thomson, LB [Note: The Land and the Book.] p. 345 f.).

See also Bag.

Literature.—The Lexicons of Liddell and Scott, and Grimm-Thayer, s.v. βαλλάντιον; ExpT [Note: xpT Expository Times.] iv. [1893] 153 ff.; Expositor , i. vi. [1877] 312ff.

W. H. Dundas.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Purse. A Bag For Money. The Hebrews, when on a journey, were provided with a bag, in which they carried their money,  Genesis 42:35;  Proverbs 1:14;  Proverbs 7:20;  Isaiah 46:6, and, if they were merchants, also their weights.  Deuteronomy 25:13;  Micah 6:11.

This bag is described, in the New Testament, by the terms, balantion , (Bag ),  Luke 10:4;  Luke 12:33;  Luke 22:35;  Luke 22:38, and glossokomon , (originally, The Bag In Which Musicians Carried The Mouth-Pieces Of Their Instruments ).  John 12:6;  John 13:29. The girdle also served as a purse.  Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8. Ladies wore ornamental purses.  Isaiah 3:24.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( v. t.) To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles, like the mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit.

(2): ( n.) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters.

(3): ( n.) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans.

(4): ( v. i.) To steal purses; to rob.

(5): ( v. t.) To put into a purse.

(6): ( n.) A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse.

(7): ( n.) Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse.

(8): ( n.) A small bag or pouch, the opening of which is made to draw together closely, used to carry money in; by extension, any receptacle for money carried on the person; a wallet; a pocketbook; a portemonnaie.

(9): ( n.) A specific sum of money

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gr. zone, properly a girdle ( Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8 ), a money-belt. As to our Lord's sending forth his disciples without money in their purses, the remark has been made that in this "there was no departure from the simple manners of the country. At this day the farmer sets out on excursions quite as extensive without a para in his purse; and a modern Moslem prophet of Tarshisha thus sends forth his apostles over this identical region. No traveller in the East would hestitate to throw himself on the hospitality of any village." Thomson's Land and the Book. (See Scrip .)

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

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

King James Dictionary

PURSE, n. purs. L. byrsa, an ox hide Gr. id.

1. A small bag in which money is contained or carried in the pocket. It was formerly made of leather, and is still made of this material by common people. It is usually of silk net-work. 2. A sum of money offered as the prize of winning in a horse race. 3. In turkey, a sum of money, about f50 sterling, or . 4. The public coffers the treasury as, to exhaust a nation's purse, or the public purse.

Long purse, or heavy purse, wealth riches.

Light purse, or empty purse, poverty, or want of resources.

Sword and purse, the military power and wealth of a nation.

PURSE, To put in a purse.

1. To contract into folds or wrinkles.

Thou didst contract and purse thy blow.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Often "the girdle" ( Zoonee ):  Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8. Or "a bag for money", and "for merchants' weights". (  Genesis 42:35 ;  Proverbs 1:14 ;  Isaiah 46:6 ;  John 12:6 , Glossokomon , Literally, A Bag For Carrying Mouthpieces Of Musical Instruments.)

Morrish Bible Dictionary

A bag for money or weights.  Proverbs 1:14;  Isaiah 46:6;  Luke 10:4;  Luke 22:35,36;  John 12:6 . In  Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8 , the 'girdle' is alluded to, a portion of which was used as a purse.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Purse. A fold in the girdle, such, as is often found at the present day in eastern countries. But Hebrews also had a bag which was used to hold money. The first fold in a girdle had an opening, closed with a leathern strap, where the money was carried.  Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Matthew 10:9 Mark 6:8Girdle

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

Bag

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

PURSE . See Bag.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( כַּיס , Kis ,  Proverbs 1:14; a "bag" for money,  Isaiah 46:6, or for weights,  Deuteronomy 25:13 :  Proverbs 16:11;  Micah 6:11; Βαλάντιον ,  Luke 10:4;  Luke 12:23 [" bag";1 22:35, 36; but Ζώνη ,  Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8, is the Gin-Dle , as elsewhere rendered). The Hebrews, when on a journey, were provideed with a bag, in which they carried their money (Genesis 43:35;  Proverbs 1:14;  Proverbs 7:20;  Isaiah 46:6), and if they were merchants, also their weights ( Deuteronomy 25:13;  Micah 6:11). This bag is variouslv termed in Iheb. כַּים , Kis (as above); צְרוֹר , Tse ror; and חָרַיט , Charit. The last occurs only in 2 Kings v, 23 ( bags");  Isaiah 3:22 (A. V. "crisping-pins"). The latter is supposed to refer to the long, round form of the purse. The money-bag is described in the New Test. by the terms Βαλάντιον (as above, peculiar to  Luke 10:4;  Luke 12:33;  Luke 22:35-36), and Γλωσσόκομον (peculiar to  John 12:6;  John 13:29). The former is a classical term (Plato, Coulit. p. 190, Σύσπαστα Βαλάντια ) ; the latter is connected with the classical Γλωσσοκομεῖον , which originally meant the bag in which musicians carried the mouthpieces of their instruments. In the Sept. the term is applied to the chest for the offerings at the Temple ( 2 Chronicles 24:8;  2 Chronicles 24:10-11), and was hence adopted by John to describe the common purse carried by the disciples. The girdle also served as a purse, and hence the term Ζώνη occurs in  Matthew 10:9;  Mark 6:8. (See Girdle). Ladies wore ornamental purses ( Isaiah 3:23). The Rabbinists forbade any one passing through the Temple with stick, shoes, and purse, these three being the indications of travelling (Mishna, Berachoth, 9, § 5). (See Bag); (See Money)

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