Limitless Word
And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
Luke 21:3 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them,
  • BSB “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
  • NKJV So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;
  • NASB And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;
  • NLT “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus declares that this poor widow has given more than all the wealthy donors.

Overview

By heaven's measure, her tiny gift surpasses the large sums of the rich. God evaluates giving not by amount but by the love, faith, and sacrifice behind it. This overturns worldly standards of value and commends wholehearted devotion.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • 2 Cor 8:12For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
  • Acts 10:34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
  • 2 Cor 8:2–3How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
  • Exod 35:21–29And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
  • Mark 12:43–44And 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:
  • Luke 4:25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
  • Mark 14:8–9She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
  • Luke 9:27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
  • Luke 12:44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
  • Acts 4:27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
  • 2 Cor 9:6–7But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 21:3YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 21:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.