Focused Passage

Luke 21:1-4

The Widow’s Gift, Jerusalem’s Fall, and Watchfulness before the Son of Man

Jesus contrasts the widow’s costly offering with outward religious abundance, foretells the temple’s destruction, prepares disciples for deception and persecution, announces Jerusalem’s siege and devastation, widens the horizon to the coming of the Son of Man, and commands watchful readiness.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,

2 and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.

3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

4 For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Then δὲ G1161 Conjunction [Jesus] looked up Ἀναβλέψας G308 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular [and] saw εἶδεν G3708 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular the τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural rich πλουσίους G4145 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural putting βάλλοντας G906 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural - τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural their αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural gifts δῶρα G1435 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural into εἰς G1519 Preposition the τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular treasury γαζοφυλάκιον G1049 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 2

Original words

and δέ G1161 Conjunction He saw εἶδεν G3708 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular a τινα G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular poor πενιχρὰν G3998 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular widow χήραν G5503 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular put βάλλουσαν G906 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Feminine Singular in ἐκεῖ G1563 Adverb two δύο G1417 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural small copper coins λεπτὰ G3016 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural

BSB notes

  • Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish coin of bronze or copper worth about 1/128 of a denarius.
Verse 3

Original words

Truly Ἀληθῶς G230 Adverb I tell λέγω G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular you ὑμῖν G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural - Καὶ G2532 Conjunction He said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular - ὅτι G3754 Conjunction this αὕτη G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular - «ἡ G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular poor πτωχὴ» G4434 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular widow χήρα G5503 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular has put in ἔβαλεν G906 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular more πλεῖον G4119 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative than all [the others] πάντων G3956 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 4

Original words

For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction they all πάντες G3956 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural . . . οὗτοι G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural contributed ἔβαλον G906 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition . . . τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural . . . δῶρα G1435 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural out of ἐκ G1537 Preposition their αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular surplus περισσεύοντος G4052 Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Singular but δὲ G1161 Conjunction she αὕτη G3778 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular out of ἐκ G1537 Preposition her αὐτῆς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular poverty ὑστερήματος G5303 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular has put in ἔβαλεν G906 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular all πάντα G3956 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular - ὃν G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular she had εἶχεν G2192 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to live on βίον G979 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.