Luke 21:3

And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Of a truth.—St. Luke’s use (according to the better MSS.) of the Greek for “truly,” instead of St. Mark’s “Amen” (so in the Greek), may, perhaps, be noted as characteristic.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:1-4 From the offering of this poor widow, learn that what we rightly give for the relief of the poor, and the support of God's worship, is given unto God; and our Saviour sees with pleasure whatever we have in our hearts to give for the relief of his members, or for his service. Blessed Lord! the poorest of thy servants have two mites, they have a soul and a body; persuade and enable us to offer both unto thee; how happy shall we be in thine accepting of them!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this explained in the notes at Mark 12:41-44.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. And he said—"to His disciples," whom He "called to Him" (Mr 12:43), to teach from it a great future lesson.

more than … all—in proportion to her means, which is God's standard (2Co 8:12).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 21:1"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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.

Geneva Study Bible

And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 21:3. εἶπεν: to whom not indicated. The narrator is concerned alone about the saying—ἀληθῶς, for Mk.’s Hebrew ἀμὴν, as nearly always.—πτωχὴ: Lk. does not avoid this word: the use of the other term in his preliminary narrative is a matter of style. πτωχὴ implies that the widow might have been expected to beg rather than to be giving to the temple treasury.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. more than they all] because “one coin out of a little is better than a treasure out of much, and it is not considered how much is given, but how much remains behind.” S. Ambrose. See 2 Corinthians 8:12. In the Talmud a High Priest is similarly taught by a vision not to despise a poor woman’s offering of meal. The true estimate of human actions, as Godet well observes, is according to their quality, not according to their quantity.

Bengel's Gnomen

[3. Ἀληθῶς, of a truth, in real fact) Luke very frequently coincides with Mark; but Mark loves Hebrew modes of expression more than Luke does. Luke employs the Greek ἀληθῶς more frequently than the Hebrew ἀμήν. So the rest of the Evangelists are liberal in their employment of the term Rabbi, which Luke never uses. As Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles; so Luke, the companion of Paul, had especial regard to the Gentiles in his writings.—Harm., p. 474.]

Luke 21:3

Vincent's Word Studies

This poor widow

See on Mark 12:43.