Luke 12:59

59 I tell you, 1you will never get out until you have paid the very last 2penny."[a]

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 do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.
59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny."

Cross References 2

  • 1. [Matthew 18:34, 35]
  • 2. Luke 21:2; Mark 12:42

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Greek lepton, a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.