Luke - 21:4



4 for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on."

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Luke 21:4.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had.
For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God: but she of her want, hath cast in all the living that she had.
for all these out of their abundance have cast into the gifts of God; but she out of her need has cast in all the living which she had.
for all these out of their superabundance did cast into the gifts to God, but this one out of her want, all the living that she had, did cast in.'
For all these have of their abundance cast in to the offerings of God: but she of her penury has cast in all the living that she had.
For from what they could well spare they have all of them contributed to the offerings, but she in her need has thrown in all she had to live on."
For they gave out of their wealth, having more than enough for themselves: but she, even out of her need, has put in all her living.
For all these, out of their abundance, have added to the gifts for God. But she, out of what she needed, has put in all that she had to live on."
for everyone else here put in something from what he had to spare, while she, in her need, has put in all she had to live on."

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

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

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 Matthew 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 Mark 12:41.
but she of her penury hath cast in all the living she had; See Gill on Mark 12:44.

of their abundance--their superfluity; what they had to spare," or beyond what they needed.
of her penury--or "want" (Mark 12:44) --her deficiency, of what was less than her own wants required, "all the living she had." Mark (Mark 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 2-Corinthians 8:1-3.)

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