Moneychangers

Biblical Text

The moneychangers appear in the account of the cleansing of the Temple, in which Jesus drove out those doing business in the Temple in Jerusalem. The Korean New Korean Revised Version refers to them as "those who change money" and "people who change money" (the KJV has "moneychangers" and "changers of money").

• Matthew 21:12-13 and Mark 11:15-17: Jesus drives out those who bought and sold in the Temple and overthrows "the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves." Quoting the words "My house shall be called the house of prayer," He rebukes them: "ye have made it a den of thieves."
• John 2:13-16: As the Passover approaches, Jesus makes a scourge of small cords, drives out those doing business, pours out the changers' money, and overthrows the tables. He then says, "make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."

Luke 19:45-46 records the same event but does not mention the moneychangers specifically.

Background

The Greek word kollybistēs, used in Matthew and Mark, derives from kollybos, meaning "small coin" or "exchange fee." The word kermatistēs in John 2:14 likewise derives from a word meaning "small change."

Every Israelite man paid an annual Temple tax of half a shekel (Exodus 30:13). The Mishnah, a compilation of Jewish rabbinic tradition, records that in the month of Adar (the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar) moneychangers set up their tables in the provinces and in the Temple. The Temple tax is believed to have been payable in Tyrian silver coins of high purity. Pilgrims arriving from various regions therefore had to exchange the currency they brought for these coins, and exchange was also needed to buy animals for sacrifice.

The Gospels do not say where in the Temple precincts the moneychangers were located. It is widely held that they were probably in the outer court, which Gentiles were permitted to enter.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Jesus' rebuke combines two Old Testament texts: "house of prayer" comes from Isaiah 56:7, and "den of thieves" from Jeremiah 7:11. Mark also retains the phrase "of all nations" from the Isaiah passage, preserving the sense that the Temple is a place of prayer for all peoples, including the Gentiles. Some scholars also read the episode in light of Zechariah 14:21: "there shall be no more the Canaanite [merchant] in the house of the LORD of hosts."

Money exchange as a trade appears in other passages as well, such as "the exchangers" in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:27) and "the bank" in the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:23). In these texts, money exchange and moneylending are not condemned but are mentioned as ordinary occupations of the time.

Interpretations and Debates

• The reason for the rebuke: The text does not state directly that the moneychangers charged exorbitant rates. The claim that "the moneychangers exploited pilgrims" should therefore be regarded as an interpretation. Other interpretations hold that Jesus objected to the commercialization of the Temple precincts as such, or that His action was a symbolic prophetic act of judgment on the Temple system.
• Why exchange was necessary: A common explanation is that the emperor's image on Roman coins was regarded as idolatrous, so the coins could not be used in the Temple. However, Tyrian silver coins also bore the image of a pagan deity. Some therefore hold that the deciding factor was the purity of the silver rather than the imagery.
• The timing of the event: John places the event early in Jesus' public ministry, whereas the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) place it in the final week of His life. Opinion is divided between the view that there were two cleansings of the Temple and the view that there was a single event, which John placed earlier for theological reasons.

In the Korean Church

This passage is frequently cited in sermons calling for a return to the true nature of worship and warning against the secularization and commercialization of the church. It is also sometimes raised in discussions about selling goods inside church buildings or operating church cafés. Churches and preachers differ, however, on how far the passage should be applied to church spaces today.