Mark 12:40 (WEB)

Passage

those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Nearby Context

Mark 12:38 In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,

Mark 12:39 and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts:

Mark 12:40 those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.

Mark 12:42 A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "condemn", "devour", "widows", "houses", "pretense", "make", "long", and "prayers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "condemn" and "devour", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "and the best seats in the synagogues..." into verse 41's "Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and...", so "condemn" and "devour" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "condemn" and "devour" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.