Teks -- Mark 12:43 (NET)

12:43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others.

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Robertson: Mar 12:43 - Called unto him

Called unto him ( proskalesamenos ).

Indirect middle voice. The disciples themselves had slipped away from him while the terrific denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees had gone on, puzzled at this turn of affairs.

Robertson: Mar 12:43 - More than all

More than all ( pleion pantōn ).

Ablative of comparison (pantōn ). It may mean, more than all the rich put together.

Robertson: Mar 12:43 - All that she had

All that she had ( panta hosa eichen ).

Imperfect tense.

Robertson: Mar 12:43 - Cast in

Cast in ( ebalen ).

Aorist tense, in sharp contrast.

Robertson: Mar 12:43 - All her living

All her living ( holon ton bion autēs ).

Her livelihood (bios ), not her life (zōē ). It is a tragedy to see a stingy saint pose as giving the widow’ s mite when he could give thousands instead of pennies.

Vincent: Mar 12:43 - This poor widow

This poor widow ( ἡ χήρα αὕτη ἡ πτωχὴ )

The Greek order is very suggestive, forming a kind of climax: this window, the poor one, or and she poor .

Wesley: Mar 12:43 - I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all

See what judgement is cast on the most specious, outward actions by the Judge of all! And how acceptable to him is the smallest, which springs from self - denying love!

Calvin: Mar 12:43 - Verily I say to you

Mar 12:43.Verily I say to you This reply of Christ contains a highly useful doctrine that whatever men offer to God ought to be estimated not by its apparent value, ¹²² but only by the feeling of the heart, and that the holy affection of him who according to his small means, offers to God the little that he has, is more worthy of esteem than that of him who offers a hundred times more out of his abundance. In two ways this doctrine is useful, for the poor who appear not to have the power of doing good, are encouraged by our Lord not to hesitate to express their affection cheerfully out of their slender means; for if they consecrate themselves, their offering, which appears to be mean and worthless, will not be less valuable than if they had presented all the treasures of Crœsus. ¹²³ On the other hand, those who possess greater abundance, and who have received from God larger communications, are reminded that it is not enough if in the amount of their beneficence they greatly surpass the poor and common people; because it is of less value in the sight of God that a rich man, out of a vast heap, should bestow a moderate sum, than that a poor man, by giving very little, should exhaust his store. This widow must have been a person of no ordinary piety, who, rather than come empty into the presence of God, chose to part with her own living. And our Lord applauds this sincerity, because, forgetting herself, she wished to testify that she and all that she possessed belonged to God. In like manner, the chief sacrifice which God requires from us is self-denial. As to the sacred offerings, it is probable that they were not at that time applied properly, or to lawful purposes; but as the service of the Law was still in force, Christ does not reject them. And certainly the abuses of men could not prevent the sincere worshippers of God from doing what was holy, and in accordance with the command of God, when they offered for sacrifices and other pious uses.

TSK: Mar 12:43 - That

That : Exo 35:21-29; Mat 10:42; Act 11:29; 2Co 8:2, 2Co 8:12, 2Co 9:6-8

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Poole: Mar 12:41-44

Ver. 41-44. This is the only piece of history in this chapter which we did not before meet with in Matthew. Luke hath this, Luk 21:1-4 . For the understanding of this history, both as to the letter and profitable instruction arising from it, we must know, that in the temple (where our Saviour now was) there was a treasury, or rather treasuries. And famous Dr. Lightfoot said, there were treasure chambers, called Lesacoth, and thirteen treasure chests, called Shopheroth, all called by the general name of Corban or Corbonah. Two of these chests were for the half shekel, which every Israelite was to pay according to the law, Exo 30:12,13 . There were eleven more, the inscription upon which showed what money should be put there.

1. For the price of the two turtle doves, or two young pigeons.

2. For the burnt offering of birds.

3. For the money offered to buy wood for the altar.

4. For those who gave money to buy frankincense.

5. For those who offered gold for the mercy seat.

6. For the residue of the money for the sin offering.

7. For the residue of the money for a trespass offering.

8. For the residue of an offering of birds.

9. For the surplus of a Nazarite’ s offering.

10. For the residue of a leper’ s trespass offering.

11. For whosoever would offer an offering of the herd.

The Israelites, tied to their several offerings, were not tied to

provide them themselves, but they might bring sums of money, with which the priests provided them, and if there were a surpulsage, it was put into one or other of these chests. These chests were placed in that part of the temple which was called the court of the women, not because none but women might come there, but because women might go no further, as the court of the Gentiles (into which Jews came) was so called because the Gentiles might go no further. Our Lord so sat, as he observed men come and put their offerings into one of these chests. He saw many Jews that were rich casting in much money of silver, or gold, or brass, though brass money was most in use. Amongst others a poor widow came;

she threw in two mites, which make a farthing As to the value of what she threw in, let us hear the learned Dr. Lightfoot in his Temple Service, chapter 19.

"The weight of the piece of silver mentioned in the law, was three hundred and twenty barley corns. The wise men added to it, and made it four hundred and eighty-four middle barley corns. This made four Denarii; each Denarius made six Meahs, which in Moses’ s time was called a Gerah. The Meah made two Pondions; the Pondion made two Issarines or Assariusses. The Assarius, or Issarine, was the weight of four barley corns, the weight of a mite was half a barley corn."

According to this rate, the widows’ s two mites made in silver the weight of a middle barley corn. This our Saviour calls all that she had, and all her living. The Greek is all her life, that is, all that she had to sustain her life. Arias Montanus thinks that that which is meant is, all that she had to uphold her life for one day. For it is said, that this quantity was usually reckoned the livelihood, or a sufficiency, for a poor man for a day. Christ said, she had cast in more than any of the rest; not more strictly, but pro rata, comparing what they were able to do with what she was able to do. The two great instructions which this history affords us are:

1. That the poorer sort of people are not excused from good works, 2Co 8:2,3 .

2. That God in his acceptation of our good works looks at the heart, the will, and affections, not at the quantum of what we do: If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not, 2Co 8:12 . It is the obedience and love which God accepteth, not the quantum of the gift.

Haydock: Mar 12:43

God accepts alms, if they are corresponding to each one's abilities; and the more able a man is, the more must he bestow in charities. The widow's mite was very acceptable to God, and very meritorious to herself; because though small the offering considered in itself, it was great considering her extreme indigence.

Gill: Mar 12:43 - 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

And he called unto him, his disciples,.... Who were at some little distance from him, he having finished his discourses:

and saith unto them, verily I say unto you: a way of speaking he often used, when he was about to deliver something of importance, and not so easy of belief, and which required attention, and what he solemnly affirmed:

that this poor widow, pointing to her,

hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: not that she had cast in more, or so much as any one of them as to value and substance, much less more than them all put together; but that she had cast in more in proportion to what she had, than they had in proportion to their substance; and that hers, though very small in itself, and might be contemptible to others, yet it was more in the account of God and Christ, and more highly valued and esteemed of by them, than all that the rich men put in: since what she gave, she gave in faith, and from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God; when theirs was given only in hypocrisy, to make an outward show, and to be seen of men.