Mark 12:44

Mar 12:44 . ἐκ τῆς ὑστερήσεως , from her state of want, cf. on Lk. ὑστέρησις , here and in Phi 4:11 . πάντα ὅσα : this not visible to the eye; divined by the mind, but firmly believed to be true, as appears from the repetition of the statement in another form. ὅλον τὸν βίον , her whole means of life. For the use of βίος in this sense vide Luk 8:43 ; Luk 15:12 ; Luk 15:30 ; similarly in classics.

Though it has nothing to do with strict exegesis, I am tempted to give here a prayer by that felicitous interpreter and devout monk, Euthymius Zigabenus, based on this beautiful Gospel story: “May my soul become a widow casting out the devil to which it is joined and subject, and casting into the treasury of God two lepta , the body and the mind; the one made light ( λεπτυνθέντα ) by temperance, the other by humility”.

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

(44) They did cast in of their abundance . . . she of her want.—The contrast between the two Greek words is somewhat stronger: They of their superfluity . . . she of her deficiency. We recognise the same standard of judgment, possibly even an allusive reference to our Lord’s language, in St. Paul’s praises of the churches of Macedonia, whose “deep poverty” had “abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (2Co_8:1-2).

Even all her living.—This was not necessarily involved in the act itself, but the woman may have become known to our Lord in one of His previous visits to Jerusalem, or we may see in the statement an instance of His divine insight into the lives and characters of men, like that shown in the case of the woman of Samaria (Joh_4:18).

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

44. of their abundance] i. e. of their superfluity, “of þat þing þat was plenteuous to hem.” Wyclif.

she of her want] “of hir myseste sente alle þingis þat she hadde, al hir lyflode,” Wyclif. Observe all the graphic touches in the account of the widow’s mite. (i) Our Lord was sitting over against the Treasury; (ii) He was watching the people casting in their contributions; (iii) He called to Him His disciples; and (iv) He points out to them the full meaning of her act of self-denial. After this incident in the “court of the women,” and apparently while the Saviour was still there, it came to pass, that two of the Apostles, Andrew and Philip, brought to Him the “inquiring Greeks,” who had desired to see Him (Joh_12:20-22). No sooner did He behold these “inquirers from the West,” than He broke forth into words of mysterious joy (Joh_12:24-26), and presentiments of His coming Passion (Joh_12:27-28); after which was heard the last of the Three Heavenly Voices, attesting the true dignity of His mission (Joh_12:28). And so with the clear prevision that He was about to be “lifted up” upon His Cross, and, if “lifted up,” would “draw all men unto Him” (Joh_12:32), He prepared to leave the Temple, which He was never to enter again. His public work was over. His last counsels, His final warnings, had been delivered.

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.

Of their abundance - Of their superfluous store. They have given what they did not “need.” They could afford it as well as not, and in doing it they have shown no self-denial.

She of her want - Of her poverty.

All her living - All that she had to live on. She trusted in God to supply her wants, and devoted her little property entirely to him. From this passage we may learn:

1. That God is pleased with offerings made to him and his cause.

2. That it is our duty to devote our property to God. We received it from him, and we shall not employ it in a proper manner unless we feel that we are stewards, and ask of him what we shall do with it. Jesus approved the conduct of all who had given money to the treasury.

3. That the highest evidence of love to the cause of religion is not the “amount” given, but the amount compared with our means.

4. That it “may be” proper to give “all” our property to God, and to depend on his providence for the supply of our wants.

5. That God does not despise the humblest offering, if made in sincerity. He loves a cheerful giver.

6. That there are none who may not in this way show their love to the cause of religion. There are few, very few students in Sunday Schools who may not give as much to the cause of religion as this poor widow; and Jesus would be as ready to approve their offerings as he was hers: and the time to “begin” to be benevolent and to do good is in early life, in childhood.

7. That it is every man’s duty to inquire, not how much he gives, but how much compared with what he has; how much self-denial he practices, and what is the “motive” with which it is done.

8. We may remark that few practice self-denial for the purpose of charity. Most give of their abundance - that is, what they can spare without feeling it, and many feel that this is the same as throwing it away. Among all the thousands who give to these objects, how few deny themselves of one comfort, even the least, that they may advance the kingdom of Christ!

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

But she, of her want,[2] or indigence, out of what she wanted to subsist by, as appeareth by the Greek. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

De penuria sua, Greek: ek tes ustereseos. See the same Greek word, 1 Corinthians xvi. 17; 2 Corinthians ix. 12, and Chap. xi. 9. &c.

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George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

44. For. The worth of a gift is to be determined, not by intrinsic value, but by what it costs the giver. The measure of that cost is what is left, not what is given. For the widow to give her mites was noble; for one well off to give “his mite” is contemptible. All that she had, all her living. Out of her want, out of her destitution, she has cast in all that (in cash) she possessed—her whole (present) means of subsistence. In love she devoted all of God, with strong faith in his providential care.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

44. ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύοντος. see on 2Co 8:12; 2Co 8:14. Non perpendit Deus quantum in sacrificio, sed ex quanto proferatur (Bede). Vulg. here has ex eo quod abundabat illis; in Lk. ex abundanti.

ἐκ τῆς ὑστερήσεως. They had a great deal more than they needed, while she had a great deal less; it was the difference between a surplus and a deficit. There is similar irony in 1Jn 3:17; “Whoso hath the world’s goods and beholdeth his brother having need.” The one possesses wealth and the other possesses the want of it. This irony is marred in R.V. by the substitution of “in need.” Vulg. here has de penuria sua; in Lk. ex eo quod deest illi. Cf. τὸ ὑστέρημα (2Co 8:14); in N.T. the difference between -σις and -μα has become blurred, e.g. βρῶσις = βρῶμα, πόσις = πόμα Syr-Sin. omits.

ὅλον τὸν βίον. Βίος occurs here only in Mk and nowhere in Mt. or Jn. It means either “the physical life of human beings” (Luk 8:14; 1Ti 2:2; etc.) or “means of life” (here, Luk 8:43; Luk 15:12; Luk 15:30; Luk 21:4). The words are another instance of Mk’s fulness of expression. See on Mar 12:14, where, as here, Syr-Sin. omits what is superfluous. There is a remarkable parallel to this incident in the literature of Chinese Buddhism. A widow enters a religious assembly and says, “Others give costly gifts; I in my poverty can give nothing.” Then she remembers that she has still two copper coins and she offers these to the priests. The chief priest pays no attention to the rich gifts of the others, but only to the devout spirit of the poor widow, and he sings a song in her praise. Clemen, Primitive Christianity and Non-Jewish Sources, p. 331.

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.

44. ὑστερήσεως—This expression is the exact opposite of περισσεύοντος, one meaning more than enough, and the other less than enough; excess and deficiency. RV. superfluity and want. ὅλον τὸν βίον—all her living, her resources. The idea of περισσευεύοντος is that they did not trench on their resources, but gave a part only of what they had over and above that, while the poor widow gave all her resources. Hence, while the real value of their gifts was many times greater than hers, the ideal value of hers was the greatest of them all. Money values are not the standard of gifts in the kingdom of God, but only these ideal values. It is only as the gift measures the moral value of the giver, that it counts with him who looks at the heart.

It is noticeable that Mk. closes his account of this stormy scene in the Temple with this idyl. The connection is not the verbal and superficial relation to the widows of v. 40, but the contrast between the outward meagreness and inward richness of the widow’s service, and the outward ostentation and inward barrenness of the Pharisees’ religion.

Tisch. Tischendorf.

Treg. Tregelles.

WH. Westcott and Hort.

RV. Revised Version.

אԠCodex Sinaiticus.

B Codex Vaticanus.

G Codex Wolfi A.

L Codex Regius.

Δ̠Codex Sangallensis

1 .Codex Basiliensis

13 Codex Regius.

69 Codex Leicestrensis.

346 Codex Ambrosianus.

Lat. Vet. Vetus Latina.

Egyptt. Egyptian Versions.

Pesh. Peshito.

Harcl. Harclean.

marg. Revided Version marg.

1 See 11:33, 12:12.

2 Mat 21:43, Mat 21:45.

3 Luk 20:9, Luk 20:19.

4 AV. wine-fat. Fat is an old English word for vat. RV., pit for the winepress.

5 This vb. is common in Grk., but occurs in N.T. only in this parable in the Synoptics. The irregular form, ἐξέδετο for δοτο, is also repeated.

AV. Authorised Version.

A Codex Alexandrinus.

C Codex Bezae.

K Codex Cyprius.

N Codex Purpureus.

33 Codex Regius.

1 ἔδειραν means they flayed him, literally. This modified meaning, they beat him, does not belong to the best usage, though it is found sometimes from Aristophanes down.

D Codex Ephraemi.

Memph. Memphitic.

2 ἐκεφαλίωσαν is evidently a corrupt form of ἐκεφαλαίωσαν, and that word is treated as if it came from κεφαλή, instead of κεφάλαιον. Properly, it means to bring under heads, to summarize, but here, apparently, to wound in the head. It occurs only here in the N.T. Thay.-Grm. Lex.

28 Codex Regius.

Latt. Latin Versions.

3 2Ch 36:15, 2Ch 36:16, Neh 9:26, Jer 25:3-7.

4 On the use of the acc., instead of the regular dat., see Win. 32, 1 b, a.

Vulg. Vulgate.

1 On this use of the adv. as a prep., see Win. 54, 6.

M Codex Campianus.

Γ̠Codex Tischendorfianus

Π̠Codex Petropolitianus

Syrr. Syriac Versions.

2 On the meaning of οὐδέ without a preceding negative, see Win. 55, 6, 2.

3 The passage is Psa 118:22, Psa 118:23.

4 A translation of the Heb. הָיָה לְ. Win. 29, 3 a.

5 A translation of the Heb. ראשׁ פִּ נָּה.

1 See Win. 61, 7b.

1 Thay.-Grm. Lex.

2 This use of ὁδός is familiar in the Heb. but uncommon, though not unknown, in the Greek.

3 κῆσον is the Latin word census, meaning a registration of persons and property on which taxation is based. In the N. T., it denotes the tax itself.

4 Καίσαρι—there is a mixture here of the personal and the titular use of this name. As a title of the Roman emperors, it takes the article properly.

5 οὐ is used in the first question, because it is one of objective fact. μὴ in the second, because it is a question of proposed action, subjective. Win. 55, 1 a.

1 See RV. American readings. Classes of Passages.

2 Penny, EV. is specially misleading, since the denarius had not only the nominal value of our shilling, but a far greater relative value, as it was a day’s wages. The denarius was a Roman coin, equivalent to ten asses, a ten as piece.

Theb. Thebaic.

1 See Schürer, II. 2, 26, II.

209 An unnamed, valuable manuscript.

2 μὴ is used here, instead of οὐ, because the denial is in some way subjective. μὴ gives it something the tone of “so the story goes.”

3 ἔσχατον is here an adv. and denotes the last of a series of events, and its conjunction with πάντων denoting persons is therefore incongruous. Hence the substitution of έσχάτη by some copyist. Cf. 1Co 15:8.

H Codex Wolfi B.

E Codex Basiliensis.

F Codex Borelli.

S Codex Vaticanus.

U Codex Nanianus.

V Codex Mosquensis.

1 μὴ is the negative used, because the statement is made by Jesus as a conjecture, of which he asks their opinion.

2 See 1Co 7:38. γαμίζονται is a Biblical word.

3 βίβλος is originally the name of the papyrus plant, from which paper was made, and then a book or scroll. The quotation is from Exo 3:6.

4 The use of ἐπὶ is analogous to that with the gen. of persons or things to locate an event by its connection with some person or thing; at the passage which tells about the bush. Win. 47, g, d.

1 See Act 23:8.

2 Compare Paul’s proof of the resurrection by the case of Jesus. 1Co 15:12 sqq.

1 Mat 22:34-40.

2 Luk 10:25-37.

3 On the gender of πάντων, see Win. 27, 6. On this use of πάντων with superlative, the only case in N.T., See Win. 36, note.

1 Deu 6:4, Deu 6:5. This is quoted just as it stands in the Sept.

2 See Deu 6:4, RV.marg.

1 The classical Greek has the verb ὁλοκαυτόω, to burn whole, but this word is confined to the Bible and to Philo.

2 See Psa 40:6, Psa 51:16, Psa 50:8-15, Isa 1:11, Hos 5:6.

1 This word does not occur elsewhere in the N.T.

1 On κύριος without the art. See Win. 19, 1 a.

T fragment of Lectionary.

1 Mt. says ἐν πνεύματι. This is the only case of the use of this phrase in the Gospels.

2 This passage is quoted from the Sept. without change.

3 See on 8:15.

4 This word is found only here and in the parallel passages from Mt. and Lk. in the N.T., and elsewhere, in ecclesiastical writings.

1 This word is also found only in the parallel accounts of this discourse, and in ecclesiastical writings.

2 See Win., who treats it as an annex with an independent structure. 59, 8 b, 62, 3.

3 So Grotius, and following him, Bengel, Meyer, and others.

1 A Scriptural word, of which the first part is a Persian word for treasure.

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