Dictionaries :: Mite

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Mite:

contraction of minute, from the Latin minutum, the translation of the Greek word lepton, the very smallest bronze of copper coin (Luk 12:59; 21:2). Two mites made one quadrans, i.e., the fourth part of a Roman as, which was in value nearly a halfpenny. (See FARTHING.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Mite:

mit (lepton): The smallest copper or bronze coin current among the Jews. They were first struck by the Maccabean princes with Hebrew legends, and afterward by the Herods and the Roman procurators with Greek legends. The "widow's mite" mentioned in Mr 12:42 and Lu 21:2 was probably of the first kind, since those with Greek legends were regarded as unlawful in the temple service. According to Mark, the lepton was only half a kodrantes (Latin quadrans), which would indicate a value of about one-fourth of a cent or half an English farthing.

Written by H. Porter

King James Dictionary

Mite: A Jewish Coin.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two MITES, which make a farthing. (Mark 12:41-42)

Nave's Topical Bible

Mite: About One-Fifth of a Cent

Mar 12:42

Mite: Widow's

Luk 21:2

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Mite:

the neuter of the adjective leptos, signifying, firstly, "peeled," then, "fine, thin, small, light," became used as a noun, denoting a small copper coin, often mentioned in the Mishna as proverbially the smallest Jewish coin. It was valued at 1/8th of the Roman as, and the 1/128th part of the denarius: its legal value was about one third of an English farthing; Mar 12:42 lit. reads "two lepta, which make a kodrantes (a quadrans);" in Luk 12:59 "the last lepton" corresponds in effect to Mat 5:26, "the uttermost kodrantes," "farthing;" elsewhere Luk 21:2; see FARTHING.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Mite:

a coin current in Palestine in the time of our Lord (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). It seems in Palestine to have been the smallest piece of money (worth about one‐fifth of a cent) being the half of the farthing, which was a coin of very low value. From St. Mark's explanation,"two mites, which make a farthing," verse 42, it may perhaps be inferred that the farthing was the commoner coin.