Mar 12:41-44 | PNT | STEP | Jesus sat over against the treasury . This incident of the widow's mites is omitted by Matthew, but given in . It is given as a contrast to the hypocrisy of the scribes. Treasury . A name given by the rabbis to thirteen chests, called trumpets, from their shape, which stood in the court of the women, at the entrance to the treasure-chamber. Lightfoot says: ``Nine chests were for the appointed temple tribute, and for the sacrifice-tribute; that is, money-gifts instead of the sacrifices; four chests for free-will offerings, for wood, incense, temple decoration, and burnt offerings.'' Beheld how the people cast money . Jesus still takes note of our offerings. Before the passover, free-will offerings, in addition to the temple tax, were made.

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat over against the treasury. This incident of the widow's mites is omitted by Matthew, but given in Lu 21:1-4. It is given as a contrast to the hypocrisy of the scribes.

Treasury. A name given by the rabbis to thirteen chests, called trumpets, from their shape, which stood in the court of the women, at the entrance to the treasure-chamber. Lightfoot says: ``Nine chests were for the appointed temple tribute, and for the sacrifice-tribute; that is, money-gifts instead of the sacrifices; four chests for free-will offerings, for wood, incense, temple decoration, and burnt offerings.''

Beheld how the people cast money. Jesus still takes note of our offerings. Before the passover, free-will offerings, in addition to the temple tax, were made. There came a certain poor widow. Here, as in other places in the Bible, we must remember the exceedingly depressed and dependent condition of a poor man's widow in the countries where our Lord was. The expression is almost proverbial for one very badly off, and most unlikely to contribute anything to a charitable purpose.

Two mites. The smallest of Jewish coins, about the value of one-fifth of a cent. It took its name from its extreme smallness, being derived from the adjective "lepton", signifying "thin".

A farthing. Mark (not Luke) adds for his Roman readers an explanation, using a Greek word, "kodrantes", (taken from the Latin "quadrans"), meaning the fourth part, as our word "farthing" does. The value is only of importance as showing upon how minute a gift our Lord pronounced this splendid panegyric, which might be envied by a Croesus or a Rothschild. Cast more in than all. Note the word "more"--proportionately, to-wit, to her means, and thus more in the estimation of God, who measures quantity by quality. 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, [even] 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.