Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 12:42
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
42. a certain poor widow ] One of the helpless class which He had just described as devoured by the extortion of the Scribes and Pharisees. In three words St Mark presents to us a picture of her desolation: she was alone, she was a widow, and she was poor.
two mites ] “Sche sente tweye mynutis, pat is, a ferping, “Wyclif. Mite is a contraction of minute, from Lat. minutum, though Fr. mite. Thus Becon says, “let us with the poor widow of the gospel at the least give two minutes, and God will surely approve and accept our good will.” The Lepton, here mentioned, was the very smallest copper coin. Two made one Roman quadrans, which was th of an as. The as in Cicero’s time = nearly a halfpenny, and the quadrans = one-eighth of a penny. This poor widow gave two, though, as Bengel remarks, she might have kept back one. She gave her “all.” “If we have regard to the origin of the expression, it argues more of presumption than humility to call any gift, as many do, however liberal, unless it were our all, a ‘mite,’ while the frequent use of the term to excuse some shabby offering which costs the donor nothing, is a remarkable example of the serene unconsciousness with which persons will sometimes pass the most bitter sarcasms upon themselves.” Davies, Bible English, p. 251.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Two mites – The word translated mite denotes a small coin made of brass – the smallest in use among the Jews. The precise value cannot now be easily estimated. It was much less than any coin we have, as the farthing was less than an English farthing. It was in value about three mills and a half, or one-third of a cent.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
And there came a certain poor widow,…. Among the many that came to offer their gifts freely, there came one that was particularly taken notice of by Christ; and she was a “widow”, had no husband to provide for her, and was a “poor” one; had no substance left her by her husband to support her with; very likely she was an inhabitant of Jerusalem:
and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing; a “quadrant”, which was the fourth part of the Roman assis, or farthing; which seems to be much the same with the of the Greeks, which is said g to be,
“the fourth part of an obolus (the least Athenian coin), that is, two brass pieces.”
These mites seem to be the same with the “prutas”, the Jews often speak of; who say h, that a “pruta” is the eighth part of an Italian farthing; though some make it to be the sixth: hence the Syriac version here renders it, “two menin, that is, eighths”; and the Jerusalem Talmud expressly says i, that, , “two prutas make a quadrant”, the very word here used: and that the Jews took the freewill offerings of the poor as well as the rich, though ever so little, is clear from this canon of theirs k;
“a poor man that gives a “pruta”, or mite, into the alms dish, or a “pruta” into the poor’s chest, they take it of him; but if he does not give, they do not oblige him to give.”
Nor were they obliged to cast into the treasury; but if they did, they received it, be it less or more: and indeed, the rich might throw in as little as they pleased: as for instance; into the chest for gold, they might throw in as little as the weight of a barley corn of gold; and into the chest for frankincense, as little as the weight of a barley corn of frankincense l. The Persic version here, different from all others, instead of “two mites”, renders it, “two bottoms of thread”, or “yarn”.
g Harpocratian. Lexic. p. 281. h Misn. Kiddushin, c. 1. sect. 1. T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 58. 4. T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 12. 1. Bava Metzin, fol. 44. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Shekalim, c. 1. sect. 3. i Kiddushi, fol. 58. 4. k Maimon. Hilch. Mattanot Anayim, c. 9. sect. 19. l Maimon. & Battenora in. Misn. Shekalim, c. 6. sect. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
One poor widow ( ). Luke has , a poetical late form of . In the N.T. the is the pauper rather than the mere peasant, the extreme opposite of the rich (). The money given by most was copper ().
Two mites ( ). means peeled or stripped and so very thin. Two were about two-fifths of a cent.
Farthing (, Latin quadrans, a quarter of an as).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
A certain [] . Not a good translation. Lit., one as distinguished from the many rich. Better, simply the indefinite article, as Rev. Poor [] . See on Mt 5:3.
Mites [] . From leptov, peeled, husked; and thence thin or fine. Therefore of a very small or thin coin.
Farthing [] . A Latin word, quadrans, or a quarter of a Roman as; quadrans meaning a forth, as farthing is fourthing.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And there came a certain poor widow,” (kai elthousa mia chera ptoche) “And there came of her own volition, her own choice, one certain impoverished (very poor) widow,” who had perhaps had her house devoured or confiscated by scribes. Our Lord beheld her too, and commended what He saw coming from her soul, as she made her offering.
2) “And she threw in two mites,” (ebalen lepta duo) “Who threw in two coppers,” or two mites, two of the smallest of copper coins, of Gk. coins now used in Athens, Luk 21:2. A mighty little, yet all that she had! Had she been held by avarice and greed she might have held back one of them, but she did not, Luk 21:4.
3) “Which make a farthing.” (ho estin kodrantes) “Which is a farthing,” a quadrans, or about one fourth of one cent. Yet, she gave, cast in, with a “willing heart,” which counts, 2Co 8:12; 2Co 9:7.
She was alone, She was a widow. And she was poor, perhaps the kind of widow whose estate one of the scribes had already devoured, Mar 12:40. She gave out a) love for God, b) obedience to His commands, and c) faith in His future provisions for her, Mat 6:33; Php_4:19.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(42) And there came a certain poor widow.The position of the narrative gives to the description all the vividness of contrast. Among the many who cast in much must have been some at least of the Pharisees who devoured widows houses. Here was a widow whose house had been devoured, and who yet showed by her act that she kept the two great commandments, which the scribes themselves declared to be above all burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Two mites, which make a farthing.The farthing is one of the Latin words which characterise this Gospel, and represents the quadrans, or fourth-part of a Roman as. The primary meaning of the word rendered mite is thin or tiny.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
42. A certain poor widow Our Lord had just been launching reproofs against the proud who devoured widows’ houses. As if from the dim distance one of these widows seems to have appeared, whose house, perhaps, had been devoured, and in whose behalf our Lord had denounced the judgments of God.
She threw in two mites A mite was the smallest of Jewish coins; it was the fifth part of a cent. Less than a mite the widow could not contribute. To give a mite was a fair donation, but she will be munificent to God’s house and double the sum! The rabbins, however, seem to have had a rule forbidding the contribution of less than two mites.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And there came a poor widow, and she dropped in two mites which make a fraction of a penny (a cent or two).’
And lastly there was a poor widow. No one apart from Jesus noticed the poor woman who crept unobtrusively up to the trumpets and dropped in her two mites, with no display at all (Mark uses a Roman term for the coins (‘quadrans’) which was commonly in use in Palestine). The ‘two should be noted. She could so easily have kept one. But she did not feel that she could withhold it from God. She knew, of course, that her gift was hardly worth noticing and would buy little, especially as compared with the magnificence of the Temple. Did I say no one would notice? Jesus noticed, and God noticed as well. Only two among so many. But what a two! And the trumpets of heaven blared, and the angels stopped what they were doing and looked at each other (even though the woman never knew). For here was a gift that was almost worthy of God. And no one else on earth ever knew, but she had laid up a rich treasure in Heaven. It is probable that there would be no food on the table for her next meal, but she would one day feed sumptuously at Messiah’s table (Mar 10:41). Note that in the section chiasmus this parallels the self-seeking of the disciples (Mar 10:33-35). No wonder Jesus now draws attention to it.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mar 12:42-44. She threw in two mites, which make a farthing, &c. . This coin in value was no more than three-fourths of our farthing: wherefore the offering given by this poor widow was very small in itself, though in another respect it was a great gift, being all that she had, even all her living. We can hardly suppose, that at each of the chests there were officers placed to receive and count the money which the people offered, and to name the sum aloud before they put it in; it is more reasonable to believe, that each person put his own offering privately into the chest, through aslit in its top. Wherefore, by mentioning the particular sum which the poor widow put in, as well as by declaring that it was all her living, our Lord shewed that nothing was hidden from his knowledge; and at the same time, to encourage charity, and to shew that it is the disposition of the mind, not the magnificence of the offering, which God regards, our Lord applauded this poor widow, as having given more in proportion than they all. They did cast in of their abundance, out of their superfluoussubstance, ; their offerings, though great in respect to her’s, bare but a small proportion to their estates; whereas she cast in of her want, . Her offering was the whole of her income for that day, and perhaps the whole of the money in her possession at that time ,the whole of her substance. See the Inferences. Some render the last verse,For all they did cast in out of their abundance; but she, out of what she wanted for herself, did cast in all that she had, even all that she had to live upon.
Inferences drawn from the widow’s mites.The sacred wealth of the temple consisted either in stuff, or in coin; for the one the Jews had a house, for the other chests. At the concourse of all the males thrice a year, upon occasion of the solemn feasts, the oblations of all kinds were liberal; our Saviour, as taking pleasure in the prospect, sets himself to view those offerings whether for holy or charitable uses.
Those things which we delight in, we love to behold: the eye and the heart will go together: and can we think, O Saviour, that thy glory has diminished aught of thy gracious respects to our beneficence? or that thine acceptance of our charity was confined to the earth? Even now, that thou sittest on the right hand of thy Father’s glory, thou seest every hand that is stretched out to the relief of thy poor saints here below; and if vanity have power to stir up the liberality of some out of a conceit to be seen of men, how should faith encourage our bounty in knowing that we are seen of thee, and accepted by thee? Alas! what are we the better for the notice of those perishing impotent eyes, which can only view the outside of our actions, or for that kind of applause which vanishes in the lips of the speaker? Thine eye, O Lord, is piercing and retributive; as to see thee is perfect happiness, so to be seen of thee in favour is true contentment and glory.
And dost thou, O God, see what we give thee, and not see what we take away from thee? Are our offerings more noted than our sacrileges? Surely thy mercy is not more quick-sighted than thy justice! In both kinds our actions are reviewed, our account is kept. With thine eye of knowledge thou seest all that we do; but what we do well, thou seest with thine eye of approbation. Thus didst thou probably now behold these pious and charitable oblations.How well wert thou pleased with this variety? Thou sawest many rich men give much, and one poor widow give more than they, in lesser room.
The Jews were now under the Roman pressure. They were all tributaries, yet many of them rich, and many of those rich men were liberal to the common chest. Hadst thou seen those many rich give little, we probably had heard of thy censure; thou expectest a proportion between the giver and the gift, between the gift and the receipt: where that fails, the blame is just. But Jesus saw a poor widow casting in two mites.
It was misery enough that she was a widow; the married woman is under the careful provision of a husband; but poverty was here added to the sorrow of her widowhood; she was not more desolate than needy.
Yet this poor widow gives!and what?An offering like herself;two mites. Alas! poor woman! who was poorer than thyself?Wherefore was that Corban, but for the relief of such as thou?Who should receive, if such are the givers! Thy mites were something to thee, nothing to the treasury!
Some thrifty neighbour might, perhaps, have suggested this probable discouragement; Jesus publishes and applauds her bounty; He called to him his disciples, &c. Mar 12:43. While the rich put in their offerings, we see no disciples called; it was enough that Christ noted their gifts only:but, when the widow comes, with her two mites, the domestics of Christ are immediately summoned to assemble, and taught to admire this munificence. A solemn preface makes way for her praise, and her mites are rendered more precious than the talents; she gave more than they all; more, not only in respect of the mind of the giver, but also of the proportion of the gift, as hers, a mite, was more to her than pounds to them. Pounds were little to them, two mites were all to her. They gave out of their abundance, she out of her necessity. That which they gave, left the heap less, yet a heap still; she gives all at once, and leaves herself nothing. Thus did the give, not merely more than any, but more than they all.
O Father of Mercies, who dost not so much regard what is taken out, as what is left behind; thou lookest at once into the bottom of her heart, and the bottom of her purse, and esteemest her gift according to both. Thou neither seest as man, nor valuest as man: man judges by the worth of the gift, thou judgest by the mind of the giver, and the proportion of the remainder. Alas! what have we but mites, and those of thine own lending? It is the comfort of our meanness, that our affections are valued, and not our presents. If I had more, O God, thou shouldst have it; had I less, thou wouldst not despise it who acceptest the gift according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
Yea, Lord, what have I but two mites,a soul and a body? Mere mites, yea, not so much, compared to thine infinity? O that I could perfectly offer them up unto thee, according to thine own right in them, and not according to mine! How graciously wouldst thou be sure to accept them! How happy shall I be in thine acceptance!
REFLECTIONS.1st, Since the Jews had wickedly rejected their Messiah, he sets forth before them in parables the guilt and ruin coming upon them in consequence thereof. The parable of the vineyard we had before; Mat 21:33. The scope and design of it is, to charge them with their continual rejection and persecution of God’s prophets from the days of their forefathers to that hour, the measure of whose guilt they were now about to fill up in the murder of the Son of God; and thus they would bring down the temporal and eternal wrath of God upon their devoted heads; who, instead of the Jewish people, would admit the Gentiles into his visible communion in their stead, and, in spite of all their envy and enmity, erect his glorious church on that one foundation and chief corner-stone the Messiah, whom they rejected; and hereby make his marvellous power and grace evident to all. The parable was too plain for them to mistake the meaning: the chief priests and elders perceived that it was levelled at them; and, enraged beyond measure at his boldness, though they dared not apprehend him publicly, they consulted how they could privately get him into their power, and cut him off. Note; (1.) God expects from those who are placed in his vineyard, the church, that they should render him that tribute of love and duty, for which they stand so highly indebted. (2.) In all ages the true ministers of Christ have met with the cruellest usage; and usually their bitterest persecutors have been those who pretended a divine commission, and to be labourers in God’s vineyard. (3.) God will have a church and people in the world, whatever opposition may be formed against them. (4.) They who refuse to be convinced by the truth of God’s word, are generally exasperated both against the minister and his message; and thus what was sent as a savour of life unto life, to them becomes a savour of death unto death.
2nd, We have a new attempt made by the Pharisees and Herodians, bitter enemies to each other, but closely leagued against Christ. They wanted to catch up something which might serve to accuse him, and they thought they had a question which would not fail, either to render him obnoxious to the civil powers, or blast his reputation with the people, should he enforce subjection to the Roman yoke, which they so abhorred. Pretending therefore great respect to Christ, as a person of unspotted integrity, and above the fear of men, they bring to him a case of conscience, as if they wished to be guided by his superior judgment. The question was, whether it was lawful to pay tribute to Cesar or not? He sees their hypocrisy, and confounds their devices; bidding them produce the tribute money, and tell him whose image and superscription it bore. On their saying Cesar’s, he bids them render to Cesar his own. By admitting the currency of his coin, they owned their subjection to him, and were bound to pay the tribute required in return for the protection they enjoyed; while God’s right over them remained unalienably the same: in all religious concerns he alone was the Lord of their conscience, and to all his commands unreserved submission must he paid,an answer so wise, so convincing and unexceptionable, as even astonished his very enemies. Note; (1.) The professions of false friends are usually most specious, when their designs are most malignant. (2.) It is a dangerous thing for ministers to interfere about civil rights: their business is to teach subjection to the powers that are. (3.) Hypocrisy, however artful the vail, cannot be concealed from the knowledge of him who trieth the reins and the heart.
3rdly, The Sadducees, the freethinkers of the age, came next, fraught with wisdom and sophistry, and thought that, though others had been unequal to the talk, they were able to propose a question which the wisdom of Jesus would find it hard to answer. But they were deceived to their cost, their ignorance exposed, their errors detected, and that resurrection which they denied proved by the clearest evidence of Moses, whose authority they admitted; see Mat 22:23; Mat 22:46. Note; (1.) Many infidels pretend a reverence for the Scriptures, in order the more artfully to introduce their suggestions, to shake our faith, and destroy the credit of the word of God. (2.) It is impossible but they should err, not knowing the Scriptures, who, instead of submitting their fallen reason to God’s word, insist that even the doctrines of revelation shall be first cited to this fallacious tribunal, and be admitted only so far as they are pleased to stamp them as rational; and, if found incomprehensible, rejected as absurd.
4thly, Struck with the force of our Lord’s reasoning, one of the scribes, who were of the sect of the Pharisees, acknowledged that he had answered well; yet, willing to try his judgment farther, he proposes,
1. An important question for our Lord’s solution: which is the first commandment of all? the greatest, most necessary to be observed, and most influential over the whole tenor of our conduct?
2. Christ fully answers him. The first and great commandment is the love of God. He, who is God alone, demands and deserves the whole heart and mind, and soul and strength: and in this one word is comprehended the principle of all holy obedience, and that which necessarily engages in his worship and service the whole body, soul, and spirit; and, without his love, nothing acceptable to him can be performed. The second commandment is of a like comprehensive nature, enjoining us to love our neighbour as ourselves, fervently and unfeignedly, behaving to him with such justice and mercy, as we, if our circumstances were reversed, might justly desire and expect from him. These two comprehend every supposable duty towards God and man; and there can be no greater commandment, since in these the whole law is fulfilled.
3. The scribe confesses the justness of our Lord’s answer, convinced of its admirable propriety, and wisdom; and adds his testimony to the truth of his observations, that there is one only living and true God; and that to love, worship, and serve him with the most active powers of our souls, and to exercise this divine charity to our neighbour, is in God’s account far more acceptable than the most expensive services, or all the ritual observances.
4. Christ approves of the judicious remarks that he made: he shewed himself a man of understanding, unbiassed by the generally-received traditions, and, as his mind appeared ingenuous and open to conviction, he was not far from the kingdom of God. In such a spirit, if he had examined the prophets, and weighed, under the divine benediction, the evidence of Christ’s mission and miracles, he would be led into the truth, and become a member of the Messiah’s kingdom.
5. From that time all the captious cavillers were silenced; such consummate wisdom appeared in him, that none durst any more encounter him. Note; (1.) They who improve the light which God has given them, will receive an increase of it, and be led into all truth. (2.) Many a man goes to the borders of the truth, not far from the kingdom of God, and yet never enters into italmost, but not altogether, a Christian.
5thly, They had frequently endeavoured to puzzle him with questions captious and difficult. Our Lord now poses them with a question, which, as expositors of the Scriptures, the scribes should have thoroughly understood.
1. The question was, how the Messiah, whom they all admitted to be David’s son, could at the same time be David’s Lord, as he expressly calls him, Psa 110:1. This was a mystery to the scribes: not understanding the two-fold nature of the Messiah, as God and man, they could not possibly answer the question. Hereupon the common people, convinced how far Jesus in wisdom surpassed all their teachers, hearkened with delight to his divine discourses. Note; (1.) A babe in Christ understands more of the mysteries of godliness, than the wisest unenlightened scribe. (2.) Popularity, and the approbation of the people at large, is often cast as a reproach on the ministers of the Gospel by those who envy them, as the scribes of old did their Master.
2. He takes occasion to caution the people from being deceived by the sanctified appearance of their false teachers, whilst in fact they were slaves to pride and worldly-mindedness. They wore particular garments, long and trailing on the ground, or with fringes of extraordinary breadth, as a token of superior piety; and made long prayers, that to men they might appear of extraordinary devotion; but all that they did was hypocritical and designing, in order to gain the seat of pre-eminence and public salutations of high respect, and as a cloke under which to worm themselves into the confidence of widows, whom they plundered to enrich themselves: for which abominations they would bring down the heaviest wrath of God upon their souls. Note; (1.) Inordinate desire of human respect and honour is the sure symptom of a proud, worldly, and unmortified heart. (2.) Hypocrisy is among the most common and most crying sins. Beware of it.
6thly, For the maintenance of the temple-worship and sacrifices, there were coffers placed in the court for the reception of the free-will offerings of the people. Our Lord being seated near the treasury, where these stood, observed the people who cast in their money. Many of the rich gave much, as became them; but, among the rest, a poor widow came and cast in two mites. Highly applauding the deed, our Lord pointed her out to his disciples, as having presented a richer and more acceptable offering, than those who, out of their abundance, had given more liberally. They had enough left still to supply their wants; but she, out of love to the service, threw in her little all, trusting in divine Providence for her future sustenance. Note; (1.) Almsgiving is a most needful duty; and our Lord expects, according to our abilities, that we should be ready to distribute, willing to communicate: but he looks not merely at the gift, but the spirit and temper of the giver; for that stamps the offering with its value in his account. (2.) None can be supposed poorer than this widow; yet she gave. If we have but little, that must be no excuse; we must give our diligence to give of that little: and then it is accepted, according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. (3.) A truly gracious and charitable person will sometimes straiten himself to supply the more urgent wants of others, willing not only to his power, but above his power, to assist them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
Ver. 42. Two mites ] A mite is valued of our money to be three parts of one cent. (Godw. Ant.) Her mite could weigh but little, but her heart weighed heavy; and so her heart, being put to her mite, gave it weight above the greater (but far more heartless) largesses of the Pharisees.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
42. ] = the smallest Jewish coin: see Lightfoot. Mark adds . for his Roman readers: the = of an as.
. , Bengel remarks, are noticed: she might have kept back one .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 12:42 . . ., one poverty-stricken widow. With what intense interest Jesus would watch her movements, after His eye fell on her! How much will she give? , “two mites”; minute, of course, but two : she might have kept one of them (Bengel). , so called from its smallness; smallest of brass coins significant of deep poverty; two given, of a willing mind.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
a certain poor widow = one poor widow.
threw = cast, as above,
mites. Pl, of lepton = the small thin Jewish copper coin (from leptos = peeled, or pared down). Occ only here, and Luk 12:59; Luk 21:2. See App-51.
a farthing. Greek. kodrantes. A [Roman] quadrans; i.e. a fourth, being a fourth of the Roman “as”. Hence a fourthing = our farthing. Occurs only here, and Mat 5:26. See App-51.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
42.] = the smallest Jewish coin: see Lightfoot. Mark adds . for his Roman readers:-the = of an as.
. , Bengel remarks, are noticed: she might have kept back one.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 12:42. , having come) Jesus had His eye chiefly on her.-, two) one of which the widow might have retained. [This had been enacted by no commandment: but the intention in her mind, by which she was moved was good.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
two mites: “It is the seventh part of one piece of that brass money.” Mar 12:42
Reciprocal: 2Ki 22:4 – sum the silver Son 8:1 – yea Mat 10:42 – a cup Luk 12:59 – mite Luk 21:2 – mites 2Co 8:2 – their deep 2Co 8:12 – if
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
This widow cast in two mites instead of “one” as generally stated.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
[Two mites, which make a farthing.] Two prutahs are a farthing. “A prutah is the eighth part of an Italian assarius. An assarius is the twenty-fourth part of a silver penny.” We rendered before, “The people cast money, brass;” by they were casting in small money; one would think it should rather be rendered, They were casting in brass. But consider well this passage: “He that changeth the ‘selaa’ of the second tenth; the school of Shammai saith, Let him change the whole ‘selaa’ into brass.” You would perhaps render it, into moneys; or into meahs; but it is properly to be rendered into brass; as appears by what follows: “The school of Hillel saith, into a shekel of silver, and a shekel of brass.” So also the Glossers; and the Aruch moreover, “He that changeth a selaa; and receives for it brass money, that is, prutahs.”
None might, by the canon even now mentioned, enter into the Temple, no, nor indeed into the Court of the Gentiles, with his purse, therefore much less into the Court of the Women; and yet scarce any entered who carried no money with him to be offered to the Corban, whether in his hand, or in his bosom, or elsewhere, we do not define: so did this very poor woman, who for two mites purchased herself an eternal fame, our Saviour himself setting a value upon the thing above all the gifts of them that offered.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mar 12:42. And one poor widow. One in contrast with the many just spoken of, not without a suggestion of her loneliness. Possibly this widow was poor, because her house had been devoured (Mar 12:40).
Two mites. The mite (lepton) was the smallest Jewish copper coin. The Greek name means fish-scale, suggesting its diminutive size. Its value was about one tenth of an English penny, one fifth of a cent. She had two and gave both.
A farthing. Mark (not Luke) adds for his Roman readers an explanation, using a Greek word (taken from the Latin) meaning the fourth part, as our word farthing does.