Luke 12:59

59 I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till even the last mite thou mayest give back.'

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 `And why, also, of yourselves, judge ye not what is righteous?

58 for, as thou art going away with thy opponent to the ruler, in the way give diligence to be released from him, lest he may drag thee unto the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and the officer may cast thee into prison;

59 I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till even the last mite thou mayest give back.'