In biblical times, "changers" refers primarily to money changers, individuals who exchanged currency in the Temple in Jerusalem. This practice is most notably mentioned in the New Testament, where it is associated with the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus Christ.

Biblical References:

1. Matthew 21:12-13 : "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. And He declared to them, 'It is written: My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of robbers.'"

2. Mark 11:15-17 : "When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. Then He began to teach them, and He declared, 'Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers.'"

3. John 2:14-16 : "In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those selling doves He said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!'"

Historical Context:

The role of money changers was significant in the context of the Jewish Temple. Pilgrims from various regions came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, and they needed to exchange their local currencies for the Tyrian shekel, the only currency accepted for the Temple tax. The money changers provided this service, but the practice became corrupt over time, with exorbitant fees and exploitation of the pilgrims.

Theological Significance:

The actions of Jesus in driving out the money changers highlight His zeal for the sanctity of worship and the purity of the Temple. The Temple was intended to be a place of prayer and communion with God, not a center for commercial exploitation. Jesus' cleansing of the Temple serves as a powerful symbol of His authority and His mission to restore true worship.

Moral and Ethical Implications:

The presence of money changers in the Temple and Jesus' response to them underscores the importance of integrity and reverence in places of worship. It serves as a caution against allowing commercial interests to overshadow spiritual devotion and the worship of God. The narrative challenges believers to examine their own practices and attitudes towards worship, ensuring that their focus remains on God rather than material gain.

Cultural Impact:

The account of Jesus driving out the money changers has had a lasting impact on Christian thought and art. It is often cited in discussions about the relationship between faith and commerce, and it has inspired numerous artistic depictions, emphasizing the righteous anger of Jesus and His commitment to the holiness of God's house.

In summary, the "changers" in the biblical narrative represent a broader theme of maintaining the purity and purpose of worship, free from the corruption and distractions of worldly pursuits.2855a. kollubistes -- a moneychanger
... Word Origin from kollubos (a small coin) Definition a moneychanger NASB Word Usage
money changers (3). 2855, 2855a. kollubistes. 2855b . Strong's Numbers.
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2855a.htm - 5k

2773. kermatistes -- a moneychanger
... changer. Word Origin from a derivation of kerma Definition a moneychanger
NASB Word Usage money changers (1). changer of money. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2773.htm - 6k

Jesus Drives Out the Money-Changers.
... CHAPTER I. JESUS DRIVES OUT THE MONEY-CHANGERS. Cast thyself ... scene. There were
the priests busily engaged with the money-changers. Nathanael ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter i jesus drives out.htm

The Cleansing of the Temple.
... And He found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers
of money sitting: and He made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol i/vi the cleansing of the.htm

Discrepancy of the Gospel Narratives Connected with the Cleansing ...
... "And Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [5049] And He found in the temple those that sold
oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting; and He made a ...
/.../origens commentary on the gospel of john/15 discrepancy of the gospel.htm

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
... was in this outer or Gentiles' court that the markets described in this section
were held] Those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxiv jesus attends the first.htm

Caution against Imprudent Zeal in Preaching the Gospel.
... An ancient and wide-spread tradition ascribes to Christ the following saying: "ginesthe
trapezitai dokimoi: become approved money-changers.' This expression ...
/.../section 183 caution against imprudent.htm

The Story of the Purging of the Temple Spiritualized. Taken ...
... which is called the church, which is the house of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth, [5060] when are there not some money-changers sitting who ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/16 the story of the.htm

And when Jesus Entered Jerusalem, He Went up to the Temple of God. ...
... [2184] And when he beheld those that sold and those that bought, and the money-changers
sitting, [2185] he made for himself a scourge of rope, and drove them ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xxxii and when jesus.htm

In his Father's House.
... The sellers of sheep, and oxen, and doves, and the money-changers had brought their
things into the great court inside the marble pillars, and on the pavement ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter x in his fathers.htm

Jesus Comes to Capernaum. Statements of the Four Evangelists
... of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and He found in the temple
those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/1 jesus comes to capernaum.htm

Cleansing his Father's House.
... And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers
of money sitting: and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/cleansing his fathers house.htm

Changers (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Changers (5 Occurrences). ... John 2:14 He found in the temple
those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. ...
/c/changers.htm - 8k

Money-changers (5 Occurrences)
Money-changers. Moneychangers, Money-changers. Money-grubber . Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia MONEY-CHANGERS. chan'-jers ...
/m/money-changers.htm - 9k

Moneychangers (2 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia MONEY-CHANGERS. chan'-jers (kollubistes,
from kollubos, "a small coin," so "a money-changer," or ...
/m/moneychangers.htm - 9k

Banking
... temple dues (see MONEY). The "money-changers" of Matthew 21:12, as the Greek
signifies, were men who made small change. Such men may ...
/b/banking.htm - 13k

Tables (41 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:12 Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who
sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers' tables and ...
/t/tables.htm - 20k

Bank (28 Occurrences)
... temple dues (see MONEY). The "money-changers" of Matthew 21:12, as the Greek
signifies, were men who made small change. Such men may ...
/b/bank.htm - 26k

Overthrew (17 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:12 Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who
sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers' tables and ...
/o/overthrew.htm - 12k

Overturning (14 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the Temple and sent out all who were trading there,
overturning the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those ...
/o/overturning.htm - 10k

Trading (24 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the Temple and sent out all who were trading there,
overturning the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those ...
/t/trading.htm - 13k

Doves (25 Occurrences)
... Matthew 21:12 Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who
sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers' tables and ...
/d/doves.htm - 14k

Who were the money changers in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

How many times did Jesus cleanse the temple? Why did He cleanse the temple? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that the house of prayer had been turned into a den of thieves? | GotQuestions.org

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