Money Changer
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(John 2:14)—a dealer who exchanged currencies. Pilgrims arriving from many regions needed acceptable coinage for offerings and the Temple tax, and money changers provided the service in return for a fee. Jesus drove out sellers and money changers because commerce had corrupted the house of prayer into a “marketplace” or “den of robbers” (John 2:13-17; Matt. 21:12-13). The Gospel condemns exploitation and profanation of worship, not the mere existence of currency exchange.