Lexical Summary kollubistes: Money changer Original Word: κολλυβιστής Strong's Exhaustive Concordance moneychanger. From a presumed derivative of kollubos (a small coin; probably akin to kollourion); a coin-dealer -- (money-)changer. see GREEK kollourion HELPS Word-studies 2855 kollybistḗs – properly, a charge ("commission") given to someone making a transaction or exchange; in the NT a money-changer, converting "heathen currency" into "Jewish money" so worshipers could make payments into the Temple-treasury. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2855: κολλυβιστήςκολλυβιστής, κολλυβιστου, ὁ (from κόλλυβος equivalent to a. a small coin, cf. κολοβός clipped; b. rate of exchange, premium), a money-changer, banker: Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:15. Menander, Lysias, in Pollux 7, 33, 170; ὁ μέν κόλλυβος δόκιμον, τό δέ κολλυβιστής ἀδόκιμον, Phryn. ed. Lob., p. 440. Cf. what was said under κερματιστής. Biblical Occurrences Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:15 Historical Background In First-century Jerusalem every adult Jewish male was required to pay the annual half-shekel temple tax (Exodus 30:13; Matthew 17:24). The only coin accepted for that levy was the Tyrian silver shekel, prized for its high purity. Pilgrims arriving with Roman or other provincial coinage had to exchange their money; the men who performed that service, setting up their tables in the Court of the Gentiles, were known as κολλυβισταί (“money-changers”). Historical sources note that they customarily exacted a small surcharge (κόλλυβος, “small piece of copper”) for each transaction, along with additional fees whenever larger coins were broken into smaller units. Over time the practice grew into a lucrative business intertwined with the sale of sacrificial animals, turning a place meant for prayer into a bustling marketplace. The Cleansing of the Temple All three Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and His decisive action in the temple precincts. Matthew 21:12: “Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those selling doves.” Mark 11:15 echoes the scene; John 2:15, describing the earlier Judean cleansing, adds, “He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” The repeated focus on the kollubistai highlights the Lord’s indignation at a system that obstructed true worship and exploited the faith of pilgrims. Prophetic and Theological Significance 1. Fulfillment of Scripture: Jesus’ actions recall Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for Your house consumes Me,” and Malachi 3:1-3, which foresees the Lord suddenly coming to His temple to purify it. Practical Ministry Lessons • Purity of Worship: Churches and individual believers must guard against commercialism overshadowing spiritual priorities. Later New Testament Echoes Though the noun κολλυβιστής appears only in the Gospels, the spirit of Jesus’ warning surfaces elsewhere. Acts 8:18-24 condemns Simon’s attempt to buy spiritual power, and James 5:1-6 warns rich oppressors. These passages continue the biblical witness against commercializing the sacred. Summary κολλυβιστής serves as more than a historical footnote; it encapsulates the clash between mercenary religion and the pure worship God desires. By confronting the money-changers, Jesus reasserted the true purpose of the temple and, ultimately, pointed to Himself as the new and living way into the presence of God. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 21:12 N-GMPGRK: τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν κατέστρεψεν καὶ NAS: the tables of the money changers and the seats KJV: the tables of the moneychangers, and INT: tables of the money changers he overturned and Mark 11:15 N-GMP John 2:15 N-GMP |
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