Mark 12:40 (YLT)

Passage

who are devouring the widows' houses, and for a pretence are making long prayers; these shall receive more abundant judgment.'

Nearby Context

Mark 12:38 and he was saying to them in his teaching, `Beware of the scribes, who will in long robes to walk, and love salutations in the market-places,

Mark 12:39 and first seats in the synagogues, and first couches in suppers,

Mark 12:40 who are devouring the widows' houses, and for a pretence are making long prayers; these shall receive more abundant judgment.'

Mark 12:41 And Jesus having sat down over-against the treasury, was beholding how the multitude do put brass into the treasury, and many rich were putting in much,

Mark 12:42 and having come, a poor widow did put in two mites, which are a farthing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "devouring", "widows'", "houses", "pretence", "making", "long", "prayers", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "devouring" and "widows'", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "and first seats in the synagogues and..." into verse 41's "And Jesus having sat down over-against the...", so "devouring" and "widows'" 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 "devouring" and "widows'" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.