• Luke 15:8
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 8 Ἢ Or τίς what γυνὴ woman δραχμὰς drachmas ἔχουσα having δέκα, ten, ἐὰν if ever ἀπολέσῃ she should lose δραχμὴν drachma μίαν, one, οὐχὶ not ἅπτει she is lighting λύχνον lamp καὶ and σαροῖ is sweeping τὴν the οἰκίαν house καὶ and ζητεῖ is seeking ἐπιμελῶς carefully ἕως until οὗ what [time] εὕρῃ; she might find?

  • Luke 15:8
    The Emphasized Bible

    • 8 Or what woman having ten pieces of silver if she lose one piece doth not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek carefully, until she find it?

  • Luke 15:8
    King James Version

    • 8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

  • Luke Study Notes—Chapter 15
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 15:8

      ten: As shown in the study note on drachma coins in this verse, a drachma was worth almost a day’s wages. However, this lost coin may have had special value as one of a set of ten, perhaps an heirloom or part of a prized string of drachmas used for adornment. It was necessary to light a lamp to search for it because the window in a home, if there was one, was usually quite small. And houses at that time generally had clay floors, so the woman swept the floor to help her find the lost coin.

      drachma coins: A drachma was a Greek silver coin. By the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the drachma probably weighed about 3.4 g (0.109 oz t). At that time, the Greeks equated the drachma with the denarius, but the Roman government officially reckoned the value of the drachma at three fourths of a denarius. The Jews paid an annual temple tax of two drachmas (a didrachma).​—See study note on Mt 17:24; Glossary, “Drachma”; and App. B14.