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Monday, April 28th, 2025
the Second Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Mark 12:40

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Hypocrisy;   Jesus, the Christ;   Prayer;   Satire;   Temple;   Wicked (People);   Widow;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Judgment;   Justice;   Mission;   Prayer;   Widow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hell;   Widow;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Scribes;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Justice;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Salutation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mss;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Condemnation (2);   Day of Judgment;   Discourse;   Ethics (2);   Family;   Hypocrisy;   Prayer (2);   Property (2);   Punishment (2);   Scorn;   Trade and Commerce;   Widow ;   Widows;   Winter ;   Woe;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Damn;   Scribes;   Trade;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They devour
King James Version (1611)
Which deuoure widowes houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: These shall receiue greater damnation.
English Standard Version
who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the 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."
New Century Version
But they cheat widows and steal their houses and then try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. They will receive a greater punishment."
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."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
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."
Berean Standard Bible
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation."
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
who like to swallow up widows' houses while making a show of davvening at great length. Their punishment will be all the worse!"
Darby Translation
who devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext make long prayers. These shall receive a severer judgment.
Easy-to-Read Version
But they cheat widows and take their homes. Then they try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. God will punish them very much."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Which deuoure widowes houses, euen vnder a colour of long prayers. These shall receiue the greater damnation.
George Lamsa Translation
Those who embezzle the property of widows, with the pretense of making long prayers. They shall receive greater judgment.
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!"
Lexham English Bible
who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy prayers for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!"
Literal Translation
those devouring the houses of widows, and for a pretense praying at length. These will receive more abundant judgment.
American Standard Version
they that devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.
Bible in Basic English
Who take away the property of widows, and before the eyes of men make long prayers; these will be judged more hardly.
Hebrew Names Version
those who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
International Standard Version
They devour widows' houses[fn] and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!"Matthew 23:14;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
they who devour the houses of widows, and for the occasion prolong their prayers: they shall receive the greater judgment.
Murdock Translation
They devour the houses of widows, under pretence that they prolong their prayers. These shall receive a greater condemnation.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Which deuoure widdowes houses, & vnder a pretence, make long prayers: These shal receaue greater dampnatio.
English Revised Version
they which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.
World English Bible
those who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
these shall receive the greater damnation.
Weymouth's 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."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
whiche deuouren the housis of widewis vndur colour of long preier; thei schulen take the longer doom.
Update Bible Version
those that devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.
Webster's Bible Translation
Who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
New English Translation
They devour widows' property, and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment."
New King James Version
who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
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."
New Life Bible
They take houses from poor women whose husbands have died. They cover up the bad they do by saying long prayers. They will be punished all the more."
New Revised Standard
They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who devour widows' houses, and, for a pretence, are long in prayer: these, shall receive a more surpassing judgment.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who devour the houses of widows under the pretence of long prayer. These shall receive greater judgment.
Revised Standard Version
who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and devoure widowes houses and that vnder coloure of longe prayinge. These shall receave greater dampnacion.
Young's Literal Translation
who are devouring the widows' houses, and for a pretense are making long prayers; these shall receive more abundant judgment.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
they deuoure wyddowes houses, and vnder a coloure they make longe prayers. These shal receaue the more damnacion.
Mace New Testament (1729)
who yet devour widows estates under the shew of making long prayers, such shall receive greater condemnation.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But these fellows would cheat a widow out of her last piece of bread and then go and make a long, eloquent prayer at a public gathering. Because they act like this, they will be punished severely."

Contextual Overview

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 salutations in the marketplaces, 39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: 40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

devour: Ezekiel 22:25, Micah 2:2, Micah 3:1-4, Matthew 23:14, Luke 20:47, 2 Timothy 3:6

long: Matthew 6:7, Matthew 11:22-24, Matthew 23:33, Luke 12:47, Luke 12:48

Reciprocal: Micah 2:9 - cast Mark 3:29 - but is Luke 5:33 - and make Romans 13:2 - receive Philippians 1:18 - whether

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Which devour widows' houses,.... :-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Which devour widows’ houses - Which devour the families of widows, or the means of supporting their families. This they did under pretence of counseling them in the knowledge of the law and in the management of their estates. They took advantage of their ignorance and their unprotected state, and either extorted large sums for their counsel, or perverted the property to their own use.

No wonder that our Saviour denounced them! If there is any sin of special enormity, it is that of taking advantage of the circumstances of the poor, the needy, and the helpless, to wrong them out of the pittance on which they depend for the support of their families; and as God is the friend of the widow and the fatherless, it may be expected that such will be visited with heavy condemnation.

For a pretence - For show, or “pretending” great devotion.


 
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