Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 21:1

"And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury." — Luke 21:1 (ASV)

The comment on how teachers of the law victimized widows (20:47) leads to a story on how a poor widow set an example of acceptable giving. The “temple treasury” was either a room in the temple or a “contribution box.” The widow’s “two very small copper coins” were each worth only a small fraction of a day’s wage. Proportionate to her total financial worth, however, the woman’s gift was far more valuable than the gifts of the wealthy.