Luke 15 · Verse 8

Luke 15:8

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?
Luke 15:8, King James Version

Luke 15:8 in other translations

BSBOr what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?
WEB“Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?
ASVOr what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it?
YLT‘Or what woman having ten drachms, if she may lose one drachm, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek carefully till that she may find?
DARBYOr, what woman having ten drachmas, if she lose one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek carefully till she find it?
BBEOr what woman, having ten bits of silver, if one bit has gone from her hands, will not get a light, and go through her house, searching with care till she sees it?
WebsterEither what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she loseth one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she findeth it?

What does Luke 15:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Lu 15:8-10. II. The Lost Coin.

8. sweep the house--"not done without dust on man's part" [Bengel].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verses 8-10.

Verse 8. Ten pieces of silver. In the original, ten drachmas. The drachma was about the value of fifteen cents, and consequently the whole sum was about a dollar and a half, or six shillings. The sum was small, but it was all she had. The loss of one piece, therefore, was severely felt.

There is joy in the presence, &c. Jesus in this parable expresses the same sentiment which he did in the preceding. A woman would have more immediate, present joy at finding a lost piece, than she would in the possession of those which had not been lost. So, says Christ, there is joy among the angels at the recovery of a single sinner.

(1) "pieces of silver" Drachma here translated a piece of silver is the eighth part of an ounce, which cometh to sevenpence halfpenny. Mt 18:28.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Ten pieces of silver - Δραχμας δεκα, ten drachmas. I think it always best to retain the names of these ancient coins, and to state their value in English money. Every reader will naturally wish to know by what names such and such coins were called in the countries in which they were current. The Grecian drachma was worth about sevenpence three farthings of our money; being about the same value as the Roman denarius. The drachma that was lost is also a very expressive emblem of a sinner who is estranged from God, and enslaved to habits of iniquity. The longer a piece of money is lost, the less probability is there of its being again found; as it may not only lose its color, and not be easily observed, but will continue to be more and more covered with dust and dirt: or its value may be vastly lessened by being so trampled on that a part of the substance, together with the image and superscription, may be worn off. So the sinner sinks deeper and deeper into the impurities of sin, loses even his character among men, and gets the image and superscription of his Maker defaced from his heart. He who wishes to find the image of God, which he has lost by sin, must attend to that word which will be a lantern to his steps, and receive that Spirit which is a light to the soul, to convince of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He must sweep the house - put away the evil of his doings; and seek diligently - use every means of grace, and cry incessantly to God, till he restore to him the light of his countenance. Though parables of this kind must not be obliged to go on all fours, as it is termed; yet they afford many useful hints to preachers of the Gospel, by which they may edify their hearers. Only let all such take care not to force meanings on the words of Christ which are contrary to their gravity and majesty.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 15:1-10

The parable of the lost sheep is very applicable to the great work of man's redemption. The lost sheep represents the sinner as departed from God, and exposed to certain ruin if not brought back to him, yet not desirous to return. Christ is earnest in bringing sinners home. In the parable of the lost piece of silver, that which is lost, is one piece, of small value compared with the rest. Yet the woman seeks…

Read the full comment on Luke 15:1-10 →

Luke 15:8 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἪĒOrG2228
τίςtiswhatG5101
γυνὴgunēwomanG1135
δραχμὰςdrachmasdrachmasG1406
ἔχουσαechousahavingG2192
δέκα,dekaten,G1176
ἐὰνeanifG1437
ἀπολέσῃapolesēshe may loseG622
δραχμὴνdrachmēndrachmaG1406
μίαν,mianone,G1520
οὐχὶouchisurelyG3780
ἅπτειhapteishe lightsG681
λύχνονluchnona lampG3088
καὶkaiandG2532
σαροῖsaroishe sweepsG4563
τὴνtēntheG3588
οἰκίανoikianhouseG3614
καὶkaiandG2532
ζητεῖzēteishe seeksG2212
ἐπιμελῶςepimelōscarefullyG1960
ἕωςhe'ōsuntilG2193
οὗhouitG3739
εὕρῃ;heurēshe may find?G2147

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 15:8

  • Ezekiel 34:12

    As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

  • Luke 19:10

    For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

  • John 10:16

    And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

  • John 11:52

    And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

  • Ephesians 2:17

    And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
pieces."Drachma, here translated a piece of silver, is the eighth part of an ounce, which cometh to 7®d., and is equal to the Roman penny. Mt 18:28."
and seek.
19:10; Eze 34:12; Joh 10:16; 11:52; Eph 2:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 15:7

    I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

  • Luke 15:8

    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?

  • Luke 15:9

    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.

Read all of Luke 15

Luke 15:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿O qué mujer que tiene diez dracmas, si perdiere una dracma, no enciende el candil, y barre la casa, y busca con diligencia hasta hallarla?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ou quelle est la femme, qui, ayant dix drachmes, si elle perd une drachme, n’allume la lampe et ne balaie la maison, et ne cherche diligemment jusqu’à ce qu’elle l’ait trouvée?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Oder welches Weib, das zehn Drachmen hat, zündet nicht, wenn sie eine Drachme verliert, eine Lampe an und kehrt das Haus und sucht sorgfältig, bis sie sie findet?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Aut quæ mulier habens drachmas decem, si perdiderit drachmam unam, nonne accendit lucernam, et everrit domum, et quærit diligenter, donec inveniat?