Farthing

Farthing - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

(1.) Matt. 10:29; Luke 12:6. Greek assarion, i.e., a small as, which was a Roman coin equal to a tenth of a denarius or drachma, nearly equal to a halfpenny of our money.

(2.) Matt. 5:26; Mark 12:42 (Gr. kodrantes), the quadrant, the fourth of an as, equal to two lepta, mites. The lepton (mite) was the very smallest copper coin.

Farthing - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

F'ARTHING, n.

1. The fourth of a penny; a small copper coin of Great Britain, being the fourth of a penny in value. In America we have no coin of this kind. We however use the word to denote the fourth part of a penny in value, but the penny is of different value from the English penny, and different in different states. It is becoming obsolete, with the old denominations of money.

2. Farthings, in the plural, copper coin.

3. Very small price or value. It is not worth a farthing, that is, it is of very little worth, or worth nothing.

4. A division of land. [Not now used.]

Thirty acres make a farthing-land; nine farthings a Cornish acre; and four Cornish acres a knight's fee.

far'-thing: The rendering of two words in the Greek of the New Testament, assarion, and kodrantes, Latin quadrans. The assarion was the tenth part of the denarius, and hence in value about one penny or two centuries The quadrans was the fourth part of the Roman as, and worth only about three mills, or less than the English farthing, and is the only term rendered farthing by the American Standard Revised Version. It occurs in Mt 5:26 and Mr 12:42, while assarion, which occurs in Mt 10:29 and Lu 12:6, is rendered "penny" by the American Standard Revised Version.

1. Quadrans , (Matthew 5:26; Mark 12:42) a coin current in the time of our Lord, equivalent to three-eights of a cent;
2. The assarion , equal to one cent and a half, (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6)