Measures & money
Lepton
A very small copper coin of low value in the New Testament world.
Also called · widow’s mite
What it means
The Greek name means something small or thin and referred to one of the least valuable coins in local circulation.
Older English tradition calls it a “mite,” but lepton identifies the historical coin more precisely.
How it appears in the Bible
The poor widow offered two lepta, and Jesus focused on the cost of her gift rather than its market value.
Translation note
Plural Greek lepta is also used in scholarship.