King James Bible Dictionary

1. Gr. balantion, a bag (Luke 10:4; 22:35, 36).

2. Gr. zone, properly a girdle (Matthew 10:9; Mark 6:8), a money-belt. As to our Lord's sending forth his disciples without money in their purses, the remark has been made that in this "there was no departure from the simple manners of the country. At this day the farmer sets out on excursions quite as extensive without a para in his purse; and a modern Moslem prophet of Tarshisha thus sends forth his apostles over this identical region. No traveller in the East would hestitate to throw himself on the hospitality of any village." Thomson's Land and the Book. (See SCRIP.)

a bag for money. The Hebrews, when on a journey, were provided with a bag, in which they carried their money, (Genesis 42:35; Proverbs 1:14; 7:20; Isaiah 46:6) and, if they were merchants, also their weights. (25:13; Micah 6:11) This bag is described in the New Testament by the terms balantion (bag) (Luke 10:4; 12:33; 22:35,38) and glossokomon (originally the bag in which musicians carried the mouth-pieces of their Instruments). (John 12:6; 13:29) The girdle also served as a purse. (Matthew 10:9; Mark 6:8) Ladies wore ornamental purses. (Isaiah 3:24)

PURSE, noun purs. [Latin byrsa, an ox hide; Gr. id.]

1. A small bag in which money is contained or carried in the pocket. It was formerly made of leather, and is still made of this material by common people. It is usually of silk net-work.

2. A sum of money offered as the prize of winning in a horse race.

3. In turkey, a sum of money, about f50 sterling, or $222.

4. The public coffers; the treasury; as, to exhaust a nation's purse or the public purse

Long purse or heavy purse wealth; riches.

Light purse or empty purse poverty, or want of resources.

Sword and purse the military power and wealth of a nation.

PURSE, verb transitive To put in a purse

1. To contract into folds or wrinkles.

Thou didst contract and purse thy blow.

PURS'ED, participle passive Put in a purse.

1. Contracted into folds or wrinkles.

PURSENET, noun purs'net. A net, the mouth of which may be closed or drawn together like a purse.

PURSE-PRIDE, noun Pride of money; insolence proceeding from the possession of wealth.

PURSE-PROUD, adjective Proud of wealth; puffed up with the possession of money or riches.

PURS'ER, noun In the navy, an officer who has charge of the provisions of a ship of war, and attends to their preservation and distribution among the officers and crew.