Pittance
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Definition and Origin
The term "pittance" generally refers to a small or meager amount of money or provisions given to someone, often as a form of charity or allowance. The word itself is derived from the Latin "pietas," meaning "piety" or "devotion," reflecting its historical use in religious contexts where small amounts were given to monks or the poor as acts of piety.

Biblical Context
While the specific term "pittance" does not appear in the Bible, the concept of giving small amounts or the idea of meager provisions is present throughout Scripture. The Bible often addresses the themes of charity, provision, and the heart behind giving, which can be related to the notion of a pittance.

Old Testament References
In the Old Testament, the law given to Israel included provisions for the poor and needy. For example, Leviticus 19:9-10 instructs, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." This command ensured that even the smallest portions of the harvest were left for those in need, reflecting a spirit of generosity and care for the less fortunate.

New Testament Insights
In the New Testament, Jesus highlights the value of giving, regardless of the amount, by commending the widow who gave two small coins. In Mark 12:41-44 , Jesus observes, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on." This passage underscores the principle that the heart and sacrifice behind the giving are more significant than the monetary value.

Spiritual Implications
The concept of a pittance can also be seen in the spiritual realm, where believers are encouraged to offer their lives, however small or seemingly insignificant, to God. Romans 12:1 urges, "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." This call to sacrificial living reflects the idea that even the smallest offerings, when given with a sincere heart, are valuable in the eyes of God.

Practical Application
In practical terms, the idea of a pittance challenges believers to consider their own giving and generosity. It serves as a reminder that God values the heart behind the gift more than the size of the gift itself. Christians are encouraged to give cheerfully and sacrificially, trusting that God can multiply even the smallest offerings for His purposes.

Conclusion
While the term "pittance" may not be explicitly found in Scripture, its underlying principles are woven throughout the biblical narrative. The Bible consistently calls for a heart of generosity, compassion, and sacrificial giving, reflecting God's own nature and His care for all people, regardless of their means.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) A small allowance or wage; an allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole.

2. (n.) A meager portion, quantity, or allowance; an inconsiderable salary or compensation.

Library

Address on Easter Eve
... More, ours has been the guilt, not of Peter only, but of Judas. Too often we have
betrayed Him for the veriest pittance of this world's good. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/beibitz/gloria crucis/x address on easter eve.htm

First Day. Compassion.
... the tattered garb of poverty, mourns, unsolaced and unpitied, its "loved and lost."
Are there none such within your reach, to whom a trifling pittance would be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/the mind of jesus/first day compassion.htm

With the Entry of Angela's Great Picture "The Coming of Christ" ...
... dreary out-lying district of the metropolis, where none but the poorest of the poor
dwell, working from dawn till night for the merest pittance which scarcely ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxviii with the entry of.htm

Chap. xxxvii. While Occupied in this Plan, He Received Letters ...
... By gorging his soldiers with the flesh of sacrifices, he so corrupted them, that
they disdained their wonted pittance in corn, and wantonly threw it away. ...
/.../of the manner in which the persecutors died/chap xxxvii while occupied in.htm

The Life of Mr. Andrew Duncan.
... Better be pined to death by hunger, than for a little pittance of the earth, to
perish for ever, and never be recovered, so long as the days of heaven shall ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the life of mr andrew 2.htm

The Widow's Mite
... What He saw was the last pittance, cast to a service which in reality was no longer
God's, yet given with a noble earnestness, a sacrifice pure from the heart. ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 12 41-44 the widows mite.htm

Life at C??sarea; Baptism; and Adoption of Monastic Life.
... named Syncletius came to Basil to be admitted to his monastery, with the statement
that he had renounced his property, excepting only a pittance to save him ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/iii life at caesarea baptism and.htm

The Feast at Simon's House
... was treasurer for the disciples, and from their little store he had secretly drawn
for his own use, thus narrowing down their resources to a meager pittance. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 62 the feast at.htm

Dwight -- the Sovereignty of God
... He is nursed, if he can be said to be nursed at all, on a coarse, scanty and precarious
pittance; holds life only as a tenant at will; combats from the first ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/dwight the sovereignty of.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1808, to the ...
... expenses. Yet this is the fact, and from this pittance they had to supply
themselves with clothes and traveling apparatus. Hence ...
/.../chapter 8 from the close.htm

Thesaurus
Pittance (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pittance (1 Occurrence). Psalms 44:12 You sell your people
for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale. (See NIV). ...
/p/pittance.htm - 6k

Pit's (1 Occurrence)

/p/pit's.htm - 6k

Pity (165 Occurrences)

/p/pity.htm - 39k

Resources
What were the key events in the life of Jesus Christ? (Part 2) | GotQuestions.org

Pittance: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Pittance (1 Occurrence)

Psalms 44:12
You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Pittance

Related Terms

Pitiful (5 Occurrences)

Sir (90 Occurrences)

Merciful (53 Occurrences)

Louder (10 Occurrences)

Compassionate (22 Occurrences)

Shouting (83 Occurrences)

Frequently (28 Occurrences)

Pities (2 Occurrences)

Spare (80 Occurrences)

Compassion (145 Occurrences)

Feeling (59 Occurrences)

Keeper (72 Occurrences)

Overlooking (11 Occurrences)

Ought (130 Occurrences)

Treasured (20 Occurrences)

Troubled (244 Occurrences)

Tried (96 Occurrences)

Ruth (19 Occurrences)

Moved (316 Occurrences)

Pitying (4 Occurrences)

Bemoan (9 Occurrences)

Crucifixion (4 Occurrences)

Angrily (8 Occurrences)

Appointing (7 Occurrences)

Stricken (32 Occurrences)

Silence (80 Occurrences)

Aloud (141 Occurrences)

Repay (79 Occurrences)

Devoted (72 Occurrences)

Loud (222 Occurrences)

Abominations (81 Occurrences)

Caring (23 Occurrences)

Changing (31 Occurrences)

Mercy (467 Occurrences)

Chaldaeans (65 Occurrences)

Practices (80 Occurrences)

Worshippers (45 Occurrences)

Neighbor's (31 Occurrences)

Ill (137 Occurrences)

Recompense (79 Occurrences)

Rabbi (51 Occurrences)

Waiting (274 Occurrences)

Eye (145 Occurrences)

Pitied (19 Occurrences)

Dash (30 Occurrences)

Change (109 Occurrences)

Got (764 Occurrences)

Children

Touched (96 Occurrences)

Poor (276 Occurrences)

Conduct (93 Occurrences)

God (45911 Occurrences)

Prisoners (170 Occurrences)

Detestable (121 Occurrences)

Lad (66 Occurrences)

Needy (83 Occurrences)

Joel (22 Occurrences)

Forgiven (61 Occurrences)

Putting (278 Occurrences)

Afflicted (171 Occurrences)

Violently (92 Occurrences)

Distressed (70 Occurrences)

Able (730 Occurrences)

Punish (84 Occurrences)

Full (1047 Occurrences)

Serving (85 Occurrences)

Veiled (23 Occurrences)

Vast (54 Occurrences)

Zedeki'ah (62 Occurrences)

Nebuchadrez'zar (31 Occurrences)

Nin'eveh (18 Occurrences)

Unchecked (1 Occurrence)

Uniting (5 Occurrences)

Useless (47 Occurrences)

United (44 Occurrences)

Unclean (393 Occurrences)

Uprooted (29 Occurrences)

Upraised (6 Occurrences)

Pit's
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