^12:38In his teaching Jesus⁷³ also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law.⁷⁴ They like walking⁷⁵ around in long robes and elaborate greetings⁷⁶ in the marketplaces, ^12:39and the best seats in the synagogues⁷⁷ and the places of honor at banquets. ^12:40They⁷⁸ devour widows’ property,⁷⁹ and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

The Widow’s Offering

^12:41Then⁸⁰ he⁸¹ sat down opposite the offering box,⁸² and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. ^12:42And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins,⁸³ worth less than a penny. ^12:43He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth,⁸⁴ this poor widow has put more into the offering box⁸⁵ than all the others.⁸⁶^12:44For they all gave out of their wealth.⁸⁷ But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”⁸⁸

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Footnotes

73 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
74 Or “for the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in .
75 In Greek this is the only infinitive in vv. 38–39. It would be awkward in English to join an infinitive to the following noun clauses, so this has been translated as a gerund.
76 There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, 1:498.
77 See the note on synagogue in .
78 Grk “who,” continuing the sentence begun in v. 38.
79 Grk “houses,” “households”; however, the term can have the force of “property” or “possessions” as well (O. Michel, 5:131; οἶκια 1.a).
80 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
81 Most , predominantly of the Western and Byzantine texts (A D W Θ f1, 13 33 2542 𝔐 lat), have ὁ Ἰησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”) as the explicit subject here, while א B L Δ Ψ 892 2427 lack the name. A natural scribal tendency is to expand the text, especially to add the Lord’s name as the explicit subject of a verb. Scribes much less frequently omitted the Lord’s name (cf. the readings of W Θ 565 1424 in Mark 12:17). The internal and external evidence support one another here in behalf of the shorter reading.
82 On the term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazophulakion), often translated “treasury,” see , which states, “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. to , Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself. The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, 5.5.2 (5.200); 6.5.2 (6.282); 19.6.1 (19.294), and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Luke 21:1; John 8:20).
83 These two small copper coins were lepta (sing. “lepton”), the smallest and least valuable coins in circulation in Palestine, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius, or about six minutes of an average daily wage. This was next to nothing in value.
84 Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
85 See the note on the term “offering box” in v. .
86 Has put more into the offering box than all the others. With God, giving is weighed evaluatively, not counted. The widow was praised because she gave sincerely and at some considerable cost to herself.
87 Grk “out of what abounded to them.”
88 The contrast between this passage, 12:41–44, and what has come before in 11:27–12:40 is remarkable. The woman is set in stark contrast to the religious leaders. She was a poor widow, they were rich. She was uneducated in the law, they were well educated in the law. She was a woman, they were men. But whereas they evidenced no faith and actually stole money from God and men (cf. 11:17), she evidenced great faith and gave out of her extreme poverty everything she had.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who want greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy prayers for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!”

And he sat down opposite the contribution box and was observing how the crowd was putting coins into the contribution box. And many rich people were putting in many coins. And one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins (that is, a penny). And summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow put in more than all those who put offerings into the contribution box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everything she had, her whole means of subsistence.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

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