Meaning
Coin Before the Exile the Jews had no regularly stamped money. They made use of uncoined shekels or talents of silver, which they weighed out (Gen 23:16; Ex 38:24; 2Sam 18:12). Probably the silver ingots used in the time of Abraham may have been of a fixed weight, which was in some way indicated on them. The "pieces of silver" paid by Abimelech to Abraham (Gen 20:16), and those also for which Joseph was sold (37:28), were proably in the form of rings. The shekel was the common standard of weight and value among the Hebrews down to the time of the Captivity. Only once is a shekel of gold mentioned (1Chr 21:25). The "six thousand of gold" mentioned in the transaction between Naaman and Gehazi (2Kings 5:5) were probably so many shekels of gold. The "piece of money" mentioned in Job 42:11; Gen 33:19 (marg., "lambs") was the Hebrew kesitah , probably an uncoined piece of silver of a certain weight in the form of a sheep or lamb, or perhaps having on it such an impression. The same Hebrew word is used in Josh 24:32, which is rendered by Wickliffe "an hundred yonge scheep."
