Mark 12:40
New International Version
They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

New Living Translation
Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”

English Standard Version
who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Berean Standard Bible
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

Berean Literal Bible
those devouring the houses of widows, and praying at great length as a pretext. These will receive greater judgment."

King James Bible
Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

New King James Version
who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

New American Standard Bible
who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.”

NASB 1995
who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

NASB 1977
who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

Legacy Standard Bible
who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

Amplified Bible
[these scribes] who devour (confiscate) widows’ houses, and offer long prayers for appearance’s sake [to impress others]. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

Christian Standard Bible
They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher punishment.”

American Standard Version
they that devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
They who devour widows' houses by an offering for making their long prayers; they shall receive the greater judgment.”

Contemporary English Version
But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who devour the houses of widows under the pretence of long prayer: these shall receive greater judgment.

English Revised Version
they which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The scribes will receive the most severe punishment."

Good News Translation
They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse!"

International Standard Version
They devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!"

Literal Standard Version
who are devouring the widows’ houses, and for a pretense are making long prayers; these will receive more abundant judgment.”

Majority Standard Bible
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

New American Bible
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”

NET Bible
They devour widows' property, and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment."

New Revised Standard Version
They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

New Heart English Bible
those who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

Webster's Bible Translation
Who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Weymouth New Testament
and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive far heavier punishment."

World English Bible
those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Young's Literal Translation
who are devouring the widows' houses, and for a pretence are making long prayers; these shall receive more abundant judgment.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warning against the Scribes
39and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.” 41As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.…

Cross References
Matthew 23:13
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Matthew 23:14
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mark 12:39
and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

Luke 20:47
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation."

2 Corinthians 11:20
In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.


Treasury of Scripture

Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

devour.

Ezekiel 22:25
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

Micah 2:2
And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Micah 3:1-4
And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment? …

long.

Matthew 6:7
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 11:22-24
But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you…

Matthew 23:33
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jump to Previous
Abundant Appearance's Condemnation Damnation Devour Far Greater Hardly Heavier Houses Judged Judgment Lengthy Making Mask Offer Prayers Pretence Pretense Pretext Property Punished Punishment Receive Sake Severer Show Swallow Wickedness Widows
Jump to Next
Abundant Appearance's Condemnation Damnation Devour Far Greater Hardly Heavier Houses Judged Judgment Lengthy Making Mask Offer Prayers Pretence Pretense Pretext Property Punished Punishment Receive Sake Severer Show Swallow Wickedness Widows
Mark 12
1. Jesus tells the parable of the tenants
13. He avoids the snare of the Pharisees and Herodians about paying tribute to Caesar;
18. convicts the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection;
28. resolves the scribe, who questioned of the first commandment;
35. refutes the opinion that the scribes held of the Christ;
38. bidding the people to beware of their ambition and hypocrisy;
41. and commends the poor widow for her two mites, above all.














(40) Which devour widow's houses.--Here the word has a special force as coming after the mention of the feasts. They seek the highest places at such banquets, our Lord seems to say, and when there, this is what they feast on. The special charge is not reported by St. Matthew in this connection, but occurs in Matthew 23:14, where see Note. The better MSS., indeed, omit it even there. The relative pronoun gives a wrong idea of the construction. We have really a new sentence. "They that devour . . . these shall receive . . ."

Verse 40. - There is a change in the construction here, which is not marked in the Authorized Version. The sentence in this fortieth verse should stand alone, and be read thus: They which devour (οἱ κατεσθίοντες) widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation. The sentence thus read is far more graphic. The statement thus becomes indeed more general, but the reference is still to the scribes who through their avarice swallowed up the property of helpless widows, and through their hypocrisy, in the hope of thus more effectually imposing upon their victims, lengthened out their prayers. Greater condemnation. The word in the Greek is κρίμα, that is, "judgment." A severer sentence would fall upon them in the day of judgment and a heavier condemnation, because, under the semblance of piety, they practiced iniquity, and indulged their avarice under the mask of religion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
They
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

defraud
κατεσθίοντες (katesthiontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2719: To eat up, eat till it is finished, devour, squander, annoy, injure. From kata and esthio; to eat down, i.e. Devour.

widows
χηρῶν (chērōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 5503: Feminine of a presumed derivative apparently from the base of chasma through the idea of deficiency; a widow, literally or figuratively.

[of their]
τὰς (tas)
Article - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

houses,
οἰκίας (oikias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3614: From oikos; properly, residence, but usually an abode; by implication, a family.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

for a show
προφάσει (prophasei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4392: A pretext, an excuse. From a compound of pro and phaino; an outward showing, i.e. Pretext.

make lengthy prayers.
προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4336: To pray, pray for, offer prayer. From pros and euchomai; to pray to God, i.e. Supplicate, worship.

These [men]
οὗτοι (houtoi)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

will receive
λήμψονται (lēmpsontai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

greater
περισσότερον (perissoteron)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 4053: From peri; superabundant or superior; by implication, excessive; adverbially violently; neuter preeminence.

condemnation.”
κρίμα (krima)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2917: From krino; a decision ('crime').


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NT Gospels: Mark 12:40 Those who devour widows' houses and (Mar Mk Mr)
Mark 12:39
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