Luke 21:1-3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 21:1-4

This short passage of story we had before in Mark. It is thus recorded twice, to teach us, 1. That charity to the poor is a main matter in religion. Our Lord Jesus took all occasions to commend it and recommend it. He had just mentioned the barbarity of the scribes, who devoured poor widows (Luke 20:1-47); and perhaps this is designed as an aggravation of it, that the poor widows were the best benefactors to the public funds, of which the scribes had the disposal. 2. That Jesus Christ has his... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 21:1-4

21:1-4 Jesus looked up and saw those who were putting their gifts into the treasury--rich people--and he saw a poor widow putting in two lepta. So he said, "I tell you truly that this poor widow has put in more than all, for all these contributed to the gifts out of their abundance, but she, out of her need, has put in everything she had to live on." In the Court of the Women in the Temple there were thirteen collecting boxes known as the Trumpets. They were shaped like trumpets with the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 21:1

And he looked up ,.... As Christ sat over against the treasury, looking upon the ground, he lift up his eyes; for the treasury was not in an high place, or above Christ, who was right against it. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions leave out this clause. And saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury ; See Gill on Mark 12:41 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 21:2

And he saw also a certain poor widow ,.... Whom he took particular notice of above all the rest: the poor, and the widow, are regarded by him, and are his care; nor are their mean services, done in faith, and from a principle of love, despised by him, but preferred to the greater services of others, where faith and love are wanting: casting in thither two mites ; the value of a farthing. The Persic version renders it, "two bottoms of yarn"; See Gill on Mark 12:42 , read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 21:3

And he said ,.... To his disciples, as the Ethiopic version adds; these he called to him, upon this occasion, as appears from Mark 12:43 of a truth I say unto you, that this poor woman hath cast in more than they all : than all the rich men; not in quantity, but in proportion to her ability; See Gill on Mark 12:43 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 21:1

The rich men casting their gifts into the treasury - See all this, from Luke 21:1-4 , explained on Mark 12:41-44 ; (note). read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 21:2

A certain poor widow - A widow miserably poor; this is the proper import of πενιχραν , and her being miserably poor heightened the merit of the action. Two mites - Which Mark says, Mark 12:42 , make a farthing or quadrans, the fourth part of an As, or penny, as we term it. In Plutarch's time we find the smallest piece of brass coin in use among the Romans was the quadrans, but it appears that a smaller piece of money was in circulation among the Jews in our Lord's time, called here,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 21:1

And he looked up, and saw the rich men outing their gifts into the treasury. It is not improbable that a special stream of almsgivers were just then passing through the temple court, many being specially impressed by the solemn words they had just been listening to. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 21:1-4

The widow ' s mite. We find this little sketch only here and in St. Mark ( Mark 12:41-44 ). The Master was sitting—resting, probably, after the effort of the great denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees—in the covered colonnade of that part of the temple which was open to the Jewish women. Here was the treasury, with its thirteen boxes in the wall, for the reception of the alms of the people. These boxes were called shopheroth, or trumpets, because they were shaped like... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 21:1-4

Worth in the estimate of wisdom. What is the real worth of a human action? Surely, to us who are acting every wakeful hour of life, a very serious question. How shall we decide that an action of ours is worthy or unworthy, and what is the standard by which we shall estimate the comparative excellence of worthy deeds? Our text gives us one principle by which to judge. There are, however, two others which are essentially Christian, that should be placed in the foreground. Acts are worthy— ... read more

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