Luke 15:8

Either what woman. [The Lost Coin, Luke 15:8-10. Cf. Matt. 13:44-46. On parables see pp. 203-207.] For circumstances that prompted this parable and for its relationship to the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Son see on vs. 3, 4. As the former parable was apparently addressed to men in the audience, this was perhaps directed particularly to the women who listened. Jesus often used illustrations that appealed to women in particular (cf. Matt. 13:33; Luke 17:35).

In the case of the lost sheep, the owner was moved both by pity for the sheep and by his own financial interest in the sheep. Here, the element of pity is lacking. The woman had only her own carelessness to blame for the loss of the coin, and her desire to reclaim it was based exclusively on her personal interest in it. The sheep was to blame, in a sense, for straying; the coin could not be blamed for losing itself. This parable emphasizes the intrinsic value of a soul, and the fact that a lost sinner is of so much value in the sight of God that He will “seek diligently” in order to reclaim it.

Pieces of silver. Gr. drachmai. In the time of Christ the Greek drachme was .1145 oz. troy, or 3.56 g. of silver, and thus was approximately equivalent in value to the Roman denarius (see p. 49), which was a typical wage for a farm laborer (see on Matt. 20:2).

The number ten is of no particular significance; it appears often as a round number (1 Sam. 1:8; Eccl. 7:19; Isa. 5:10; Amos 6:9; etc.). Jesus employed it in various parables (see Matt. 25:1, 28; Luke 19:13, 16, 17). The ten coins may have been part of the woman’s dowry, and thus constituted her savings. Perhaps she had moved them as she cleaned the house, or had been looking at them.

Lose one piece. It was her carelessness that resulted in the loss. The coin did not know that it was lost. Furthermore, it was lost at home, not out in the mountains, like the sheep, nor in a “far country,” like the lost son.

A candle. Better, “a lamp.” The usual Oriental home often consisted of but one room and had no natural light except that admitted through the door or through small latticed windows. For the purpose of finding such an object, the housewife would almost certainly need an artificial source of light even in the daytime.

Sweep the house. Even today most Oriental houses, particularly in the country districts and in the villages, have only dirt floors. On such a “floor” and in a dark room it would be very easy to lose a coin and difficult to find it again. Diligent search would probably be necessary before the woman could expect to find it.