Luke 21:4

21:4 The amount given counts for less than the heart attitude of the giver.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 21:4 . ἅπαντες οὗτοι , all these, referring to the rich and pointing to them. ὑστερήματος : practically = Mk.’s ὑστερήσεως , preferred possibly because in use in St. Paul’s epistles: not so good a word as ὑστέρησις to denote the state of poverty out of which she gave. Lk.’s expression strictly means that she gave out of a deficit, a minus quantity (“ex eo quod deest illi,” Vulg [170] ), a strong but intelligible way of putting it. τ . βίον , her living , as in Luk 15:12 ; Luk 15:30 = means of subsistence. Lk. combines Mk.’s two phrases into one.

[170] Vulgate (Jerome’s revision of old Latin version).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

of their abundance--their superfluity; what they had to spare," or beyond what they needed.

of her penury--or "want" (Mar 12:44) --her deficiency, of what was less than her own wants required, "all the living she had." Mark (Mar 12:44) still more emphatically, "all that she had--her whole subsistence." Note: (1) As temple offerings are needed still for the service of Christ at home and abroad, so "looking down" now, as then "up," Me "sees" who "cast in," and how much. (2) Christ's standard of commendable offering is not our superfluity, but our deficiency--not what will never be missed, but what costs us some real sacrifice, and just in proportion to the relative amount of that sacrifice. (See Co2 8:1-3.)

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(4) For all these have . . . cast.—Better, all these cast . . ., and so in the next clause.

Unto the offerings of God.—The better MSS. omit the last two words. “Offerings,” literally, gifts.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. of their abundance] Rather, out of their overplus. The essence of charity is self-denial. But in these days most people give ‘mites’ out of their vast superfluity,—which is no charity at all; and they talk of these offerings as ‘mites,’ as though that word excused and even consecrated an offering miserably inadequate.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For all these have of their abundance,.... Which they had remaining; the same Hebrew word signifying to remain, and to abound: they had large possessions, and gave in much, and yet had a great deal left; out of which they

cast in unto the offerings of God; or "gifts of God": not as gifts unto him; or among the gifts of God; but into the treasury where the gifts, and freewill offerings were put; the same with the "Corban", in Mat 27:6 and so the Syriac version here renders it, "the house of the offering of God": and it is expressed in the plural; because there were several chests, in which these gifts were put, for various uses; See Gill on Mar 12:41.

but she of her penury hath cast in all the living she had; See Gill on Mar 12:44.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

4. τοῦ θεοῦ is omitted after δῶρα by אBLX, &c.

4. οὗτοι. The word is not exactly contemptuous as it often is (see Luk 7:39, Luk 15:30), but still it has the depreciatory effect often conveyed by a pronoun being used δεικτικῶς, i.e. by substituting a gesture for a description.

ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύοντος αὐτοῖς. ‘Out of their overplus.’ The essence of charity is self-denial.

εἰς τὰ δῶρα. Not “into their gifts” (quae donarent, Beza) but ‘unto the gifts’ of the treasury.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4.] εἰς τὰ δῶρ., among (into) the gifts; not quæ donarent (Beza), ‘as,’ or, ‘for, gifts,’ which would require the omission of the article:—nor so that τὰ δῶρ. = τὸ γαζ.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. πάντες γὰρ οὗτοι. Pointing to those of them who were still in sight.

εἰς τὰ δῶρα. “Unto the gifts,” which were already in the boxes.

ἐκ τοῦ ὑστερήματος. Comp. 2Co 8:14, 2Co 8:11:9; Jdg 19:20; Psa 33:10. Whereas they had more than they needed for their wants, she had less: they had a surplus, and she a deficit. Yet out of this deficient store she gave,—gave all she had.

The Latin Versions vary much in rendering both expressions: de exuperantia (s), de eo quod superfuit illis (e), de quo super illis fuit (a), fre> (f), ex abundanti (Vulg.): de exiguitate sua (a), de inopia suo (e r), de minimo suo (d), ex eo quad deest illi (f Vulg.).

πάντα τὸν βίον. All that she had to support her at that time: comp. 8:43, 15:12, 30; Son 8:7; Soph. Phil. 933, 1283.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Offerings of God. The best texts omit of God. Rev., more simply, unto the gifts.

Penury [υστερηματος] . Lit., lack. Rev., neatly, of her want.

5 - 19. Compare Mt 24:1 - 14; Mr 13:1 - 13.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.