Matthew 17:24

They that received tribute - money [ο ι τ α δ ι δ ρ α χ μ α λ α μ β α ν ο ν τ ε ς]. Rev., They that received the half - shekel. Every male Israelite of age, including proselytes and manumitted Jews, was expected to pay annually for the temple - service a half - shekel or didrachm, about thirty - five cents. This must be paid in the ancient money of Israel, the regular half - shekel of the treasury; and the money - changers, therefore, were in demand to change the current into the temple coin, which they did at a rate of discount fixed by law, between four and five cents on every half - shekel. The annual revenue to the money - changers from this source has been estimated at nearly forty - five thousand dollars; a very large sum in a country where a laborer received less than twenty cents for a day's work, and where the good Samaritan left about thirty - three cents at the inn for the keeping of the wounded man. Jesus attacked a very powerful interest when he overthrew the tables of the money - changers.