Mark 12:40

They ◄swindle/take for themselves► the houses and property of widows by cheating them. Then they pretend that they are good by praying long prayers publicly. God will certainly punish them severely!”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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

In Context

39They like to sit in the most important seats in our ◄synagogue/Jewish meeting place►. At festivals, they like to sit in the seats where the most honored people sit.

41Later, Jesus sat down in the Temple courtyard opposite the boxes in which people put offerings. As he was sitting there, he watched as all the people put money in the box. Many rich people put in large amounts of money.

Read all of Mark 12

Cross References

Micah 2:2You want fields that belong to other people, so you seize them; you also take their houses. You cheat people to get their homes, taking away the property that belongs to their families.

Matthew 6:7When you pray, do not repeat words many times as the people who do not know God do when they pray. They repeat meaningless words because they think that if they use many words, their gods will listen to them and give them what they ask for.

Matthew 23:13Then Jesus said to the religious leaders, “You men who teach the Jewish laws and you Pharisees are hypocrites! There will be terrible punishment for you, because by teaching what is false, you prevent people [MTY/HYP] who are thinking about letting God rule their lives from doing that [MET]. What you are doing is like closing a gate [MET] so that people who are wanting to enter a city cannot go in. As for you, you do not let God rule your lives. Neither do you allow other people to let God rule their lives. What you do is like not going into a house yourselves, and not allowing others to enter it either [MET].”

Matthew 23:33You people are so wicked You are as dangerous as poisonous snakes [DOU, MET]! ◄You foolishly think that you will escape being punished in hell!/Do you foolishly think that you will escape when God punishes wicked people in hell?► [RHQ]

Luke 20:47They swindle [MET] the houses and property of widows. Then they pretend they are good, as they pray long prayers publicly. God will certainly punish them very severely.”

Matthew Henry on Mark 12:36-41

Christ the Son and Lord of David. 35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? 36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. 38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love… Read the whole commentary →

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