Luke 12:59

59 I say unto thee, Thou shalt in no wise come out thence until thou hast paid the very last mite.

Luke 12:59 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:59

I tell thee
The Syriac version before these words, prefixes an "Amen", or "verily", for the sake of the stronger affirmation, which seems to be taken from ( Matthew 5:26 )

thou shalt not depart thence;
get out of prison:

till thou hast paid the very last mite:
of the sum in debate, which was what the Jews call a "prutah", and that was the eighth part of an Italian farthing, and half a common farthing; (See Gill on Mark 12:42): with this agrees what Mainonides says F25, that

``when he that lends, requires what he has lent, though he is rich, and the borrower is distressed, and straitened for food, there is no mercy showed him in judgment, but his debt is, demanded of him, (hnwrxa hjwrp de) , "unto the last prutah, or mite".''


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Hilchot M. vah. c. 1. sect. 4.

Luke 12:59 In-Context

57 And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
58 For as thou goest with thine adverse party before a magistrate, strive in the way to be reconciled with him, lest he drag thee away to the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
59 I say unto thee, Thou shalt in no wise come out thence until thou hast paid the very last mite.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. * The smallest current coin of that day.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.