What is a Stater in the Bible?
Quick Summary
A stater in the Bible is an ancient Greek silver coin used throughout the eastern Mediterranean. In Scripture the stater appears in Matthew 17:24 to 27 where Jesus instructs Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish to pay the temple tax. A single stater equaled the exact amount needed for the tax for two people.
Introduction
The biblical world included a mixture of currencies from surrounding empires. One of the most common Greek coins was the stater. Although rooted in Greek economic life it circulated widely across Judea during the first century. Understanding the stater helps clarify stories in the Gospels and gives insight into the economic pressures faced by ordinary people.
The most well-known mention occurs in Matthew 17:24 to 27. Jesus and Peter owe the temple tax and Jesus provides a surprising way for the payment to be made. The stater reveals the amount required and the meaning behind the story.
What Is a Stater?
A stater was a Greek silver coin that typically weighed around fourteen grams. Because Greek currency flowed through trade routes, many towns in Judea and Galilee handled staters in daily transactions. The stater’s value made it useful for taxes and larger payments.
The coin usually represented four drachmas. Since the annual temple tax was two drachmas per person, a single stater could cover the fees for both Jesus and Peter in Matthew’s account.
Where the Stater Appears in Scripture
The Temple Tax Story
Matthew 17:24 to 27 records tax collectors asking Peter whether Jesus pays the temple tax. The tax supported the service and upkeep of the Jerusalem temple. Jesus uses the moment to teach about freedom and responsibility. He instructs Peter to catch a fish which will have a stater in its mouth. Peter then uses the coin to pay the tax for both of them.
Understanding the stater clarifies the story’s scale. It was not a small coin. It carried the combined value of two drachmas for each of the two men.
Broader Economic Context
Although this is the only explicit biblical reference to a stater, Greek coinage shaped the economic environment of the New Testament. Trade in Galilee, the Decapolis, and coastal cities relied heavily on such coins.
Daily Life and Use
The stater was used for taxes, trade, and larger purchases. Its value made it too significant for small, everyday transactions but perfect for obligations that involved multiple people or substantial sums.
Weight and Value
Weight: around fourteen grams of silver
Value: four drachmas (two didrachmas), equivalent to the temple tax for two individuals
Its size placed it between smaller coins such as the drachma and larger ones such as certain tetradrachms.
Why the Stater Matters for Biblical Interpretation
The stater helps readers understand Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 17:24 to 27. It shows that Jesus honors communal obligations while teaching about deeper identity and belonging. It also sheds light on the everyday economic realities that shaped life in first century Judea.
Knowing what a stater is gives life to the text and connects modern readers to ancient practices of taxation, trade, and coin circulation.
FAQs
How much was a stater worth?
Four drachmas of silver.
How heavy was a stater?
Around fourteen grams of silver.
Did Jesus regularly use Greek coins?
Like others in Galilee, Jesus and his followers likely encountered multiple currencies, including Roman and Greek coins.
Why did Jesus pay the temple tax with a stater?
To teach responsibility and humility while emphasizing freedom as children of God.
Are staters mentioned anywhere else in the Bible?
No explicit mentions beyond Matthew 17:24 to 27, though Greek coinage was widespread.
See Also
• Bible Facts Hub
• Bible Measurement Converter Tool
