[The Bible is an “Eastern” book.  It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

Often there are things in the Scriptures that don’t seem to make sense to our Western minds. The reason is that we don’t understand the Eastern culture.  This is why so many have misunderstood the record of the “ten pieces of silver.”

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus talked about a woman who had ten pieces of silver and lost one.  She then looked every where, diligently, until she found it.  And then she did something remarkable.

She called all her friends and neighbors together so they could all celebrate with her because she found the lost piece of silver.  Honestly, if my wife lost a quarter, and searched all over the house, and then after finding it, called every over for a big party, I’d be wondering what in the world was going on.

Why Did She Search So Diligently?

In the Eastern culture the ten pieces of silver was a gift from her husband.  It was not expensive, but, it carried a very deep sentimental value. It was not the only gift given to her by her husband, but it was certainly the most precious.

Some say that each piece was about the size of a quarter.  In most cases, each coin would have the coat of arms of the husband’s family on one side.  Usually the year the coin was made was on the other side.

On very special occasions the woman would hang these in her hair.  Because it had such sentimental value, the woman was very careful when wearing the ten pieces of silver.  The consequences of losing one were very harsh.

The Consequences Of Losing One Piece

None of the ten pieces could be replaced.  If the wife were to lose one, her husband would banish her from the house until she found it.  They believed that if you lost even one piece of the ten, then you would have lost God’s blessings as well.

By the way, if the husband died before his wife, the ten pieces of silver were to be returned to her husband’s family so that they could be given to another bride.  She could keep all the other jewelry, but the ten pieces of silver went back to his family.

The Point Of The Parable

In the Gospel of Luke, after telling this parable of the woman losing and then rejoicing over the found piece of silver, Jesus makes a fantastic point. Understanding the deep significance of the ten pieces of silver, his point is so very clear.

Just like a woman rejoicing over finding one of her lost pieces of silver, there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.  That means that God has put a very high value on each and every person.  And when even one person accepts Christ, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God.

Luke 15:8-10:
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?

And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

It reminds me of the line from the song, Amazing Grace:  “I once was lost, but now am found.”  And, since we have been “found,” we have been saved from the consequences of sin by the completed work of Jesus Christ.

This parable is the second of three back to back parables in the Gospel of Luke.  Take some time to read all three.

Does this help to give you more understanding of just how important and valuable you are to God?   Feel free to leave a comment below.

For more “Eastern Eye” articles, click here, or click the Eastern Eye tab above.

Mike Verdicchio

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There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)