Charles Ellicott Commentary Mark 12:38-40

"And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and [to have] salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts: they that devour widows` houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation." — Mark 12:38-40 (ASV)

In his doctrine.—Better, in His teaching. See Notes on Matthew 23:1-7. St. Mark’s report is characteristically brief as compared with St. Matthew, and would seem to have been drawn from the same source as St. Luke’s (Luke 20:45–47).

Which devour widow’s houses.—Here the word has a special force as coming after the mention of the feasts. They seek the highest places at such banquets, our Lord seems to say, and when there, this is what they feast on.

The special charge is not reported by St. Matthew in this connection but occurs in Matthew 23:14 (see the note there). The better manuscripts, indeed, omit it even there.

The relative pronoun gives a wrong idea of the construction. We really have a new sentence: They that devour... these shall receive....