Luke 21:4for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on."
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel ~30 AD. Temple treasury courtyard. Jesus watches people drop coins into trumpet-shaped collection boxes while religious leaders parade their wealth...
The emotion here: moved to tears by radical sacrifice
The original word
bios (βίος) — her very livelihood, not just money but life-sustenance
Why it matters
The temple treasury had 13 trumpet-shaped bronze receptacles for different offerings
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 21:4
She gave two lepta — the smallest coins in existence, together worth 1/64 of a day's wage
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about giving money to church. Jesus is actually teaching that God measures the heart behind the gift, not the size of the donation.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 21:4
Bible Genome reading
Luke 21:4 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 21:4 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is growing, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include sacrifice, generosity. Notable phrases: from their abundance; out of her poverty; all that she had.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same growing
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
— Proverbs 22:6
“So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— Romans 10:17
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
— John 3:30
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
— Galatians 6:2
“He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.”
— Genesis 15:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 21:4 mean to you, today?
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