Luke 12:59

59 And if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny. ”

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".''

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Luke 12:59 In-Context

57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?

58 When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison.

59 And if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny. ”

Footnotes

• [a]. Greek last lepton [the smallest Jewish coin].