And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them,
- KJV And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
- 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;
- 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 the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.
- Acts 10:34Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;
- 2 Cor 8:2–3how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.
- Exod 35:21–29They came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought Yahweh’s offering, for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all of its service, and for the holy garments.
- Mark 12:43–44He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,
- Luke 4:25But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.
- Mark 14:8–9She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.
- Luke 9:27But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see God’s Kingdom.”
- Luke 12:44Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has.
- Acts 4:27“For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
- 2 Cor 9:6–7Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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.