who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
Here, I. Christ shows the people how weak and defective the scribes were in their preaching, and how unable to solve the difficulties that occurred in the scriptures of the Old Testament, which they undertook to expound. Of this he gives an instance, which is not so fully related here as it was in Matthew.
Commenting on Mark 12:35-40
And he called unto him, his disciples,.... Who were at some little distance from him, he having finished his discourses: and saith unto them, verily I say unto you: a way of speaking he often used, when he was about to deliver something of importance, and not so easy of belief, and which required attention, and what he solemnly affirmed: that this poor widow, pointing...
Verse 40. Which devour widows' houses. Which devour the families of widows, or the means of supporting their families. This they did under pretence of counselling them in the knowledge of the law, and in the management of their estates. They took advantage of their ignorance and unprotected state, and either extorted large sums for their counsel, or perverted the property to their own use.