What is a…
“pound” in the King James Bible?
This word in the King James Bible takes two forms, a weight and a sum of money.
Pound, a weight
Hebrew: מָנֶה —transliteration: maneh
This is a maneh, a fixed weight or measured amount. It is equivalent to a Greek mina.
And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound [maneh] of gold went to one shield… —1 Kings 10:17 KJV excerpt
They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound [maneh] of silver… —Ezra 2:69 KJV excerpt
And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound [maneh] of silver. And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound [maneh] of silver… —Neh. 7:71-72 KJV excerpt
A meneh was equal to 100 shekels.
Pound, a sum of money
Greek: μνᾶ —transliteration: mna or mina
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds [mina], and said unto them, Occupy till I come. —Luke 19:13 KJV
The Greek word translated as “pound” here is mina (Luke 19:16, 18, 20, 24, 25).
One mina was equivalent to 100 denarii (drachmas). The denarius (drachma) was the standard silver coin at the time of Jesus.
A single denarius was a day’s wage for a skilled laborer or a common soldier. So, 1 mina = 100 days’ wages.
To estimate its modern value, we can use several methods:
Silver Value: A denarius had about 3.9 grams of nearly pure silver. As of October 2025, silver prices are approximately $34 per troy ounce (31.1 grams), so 3.9 grams is worth about $4.26 (3.9 ÷ 31.1 × $34). Thus, 10 minas (1000 denarii) would be 1000 × $4.26 = $4,260.
Purchasing Power: A denarius could buy roughly a day’s labor or enough wheat to feed a person for a week (based on historical price data, e.g., a modius of wheat cost about 1 denarius). Using a modern U.S. minimum wage of $7.25/hour (federal rate, though higher in some states), an 8-hour day’s wage is $58. For 1000 denarii (10 minas), this gives 1000 × $58 = $58,000. Alternatively, using wheat purchasing power, a denarius could buy about 10 kg of wheat; at modern prices of ~$0.25/kg, this suggests a denarius is worth ~$2.50, so 10 minas = 1000 × $2.50 = $2,500.
Economic Status Approach: A denarius represented a day’s wage for a laborer, akin to a modern low-to-mid skilled worker’s daily earnings. If we assume a modern equivalent of $100–$200/day (accounting for higher living standards), 1000 denarii could range from $100,000 to $200,000.
Choosing a Method: The silver value ($4,260) is a lower bound, as it ignores labor and economic context. The purchasing power method varies widely (e.g., $2,500 for wheat vs. $58,000 for wages). The economic status approach ($100,000–$200,000) better reflects the denarius’s societal value but is less precise. Given the question’s focus on currency, the silver-based valuation is often used for historical conversions, though it underestimates purchasing power.
Final Estimate: Balancing these approaches, the silver value provides a conservative, tangible estimate, while wage-based estimates suggest a higher range. For simplicity, using the silver value (most common for direct currency conversion), 10 minas (1000 denarii) is approximately $4,260 in 2025 U.S. dollars. However, if we consider purchasing power parity or societal equivalence, the value could range up to $58,000 or more, depending on the metric.
Final Answer: Approximately $4,260 in modern U.S. dollars, based on the silver content of 1000 denarii, though its purchasing power could equate to $50,000–$200,000 depending on the valuation method.
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