Mark 12:40 Meaning and Explanation
“Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →They devour widows' houses while making long prayers for show; these shall receive the greater condemnation.
What Does Mark 12:40 Mean?
The charge turns from vanity to predation: these scribes consume the very households of widows -- the people the law most insistently protects (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18) -- while cloaking themselves in long public prayers.
To exploit the vulnerable is grievous; to do it behind a screen of piety is worse, and Jesus says the judgment will be weightier for it. Religion used as cover for greed does not soften the sin but compounds it. God hears the long prayers and sees the widow's emptied house, and he is the defender of the one and not the other. The next scene, a widow at the treasury, will press the point home.
Mark 12:40 in the Original Language
katesthio (κατεσθίω), 'devour' -- to eat up, to consume utterly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 12:40
What does Mark 12:40 mean?
They devour widows' houses while making long prayers for show; these shall receive the greater condemnation.