Measures & money
Drachma
A silver coin in Greek monetary systems, named in Luke’s parable of the lost coin.
Also called · drachm
What it means
In Luke 15, a woman loses one of her ten drachma coins. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it. The text does not identify it as a marriage ornament or a particular ceremonial gift.
After finding it, she invites friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. Jesus connects the scene with joy before God’s angels over one sinner who repents.
How it appears in the Bible
The parable comes in Jesus’ response to complaints that he welcomes sinners and eats with them. Its sequence is loss, finding, and joy connected with repentance; it is not a statement of the coin’s modern price.
Translation note
The selected World English Bible uses drachma coin. The parable itself gives no coin weight or exchange rate in modern money.