7Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. [7:8] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. [7:9] Or what man among you is there who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? [7:10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [7:11] If therefore you, being actively wicked, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to those who ask him? [7:12] Therefore all things — whatever you want men to do to you — do likewise also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
MAT 7:7-12
Ask, Seek, Knock
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, reciprocity and persistence were central to social and religious interactions. Asking, seeking, and knocking were not isolated actions but part of a broader cultural expectation of persistence in relationships, especially in contexts of patronage and divine favor. The use of present imperatives (',' ',' '') underscores continuous action, reflecting the honor-shame economy where repeated requests demonstrated sincerity and dependence. The analogy of a father giving good gifts to his children aligns with household norms, where fathers were expected to provide for their families responsibly. The term '' (wicked) would have been understood as describing those actively harmful, contrasting with the inherent goodness of God. This teaching assumes a worldview where divine generosity surpasses human benevolence, a common theme in Jewish wisdom literature. The listeners, familiar with the dynamics of asking and receiving in their daily lives, would have understood this as an invitation to trust in God’s provision through persistent prayer and action.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
MAT 7:7
- KJV
- Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- BSB
- Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Koinōnos
- Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.
MAT 7:8
- KJV
- For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
- BSB
- For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
- Koinōnos
- For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
MAT 7:9
- KJV
- Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
- BSB
- Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
- Koinōnos
- Or what man among you is there who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
MAT 7:10
- KJV
- Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
- BSB
- Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
- Koinōnos
- Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
MAT 7:11
- KJV
- If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
- BSB
- So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
- Koinōnos
- If therefore you, being actively wicked, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to those who ask him?
MAT 7:12
- KJV
- Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
- BSB
- In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
- Koinōnos
- Therefore all things — whatever you want men to do to you — do likewise also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 7:7
- do ask:The word translated 'do ask' implies a continuous, ongoing action of asking, not a single request. It suggests persistence in prayer.
- do seek:The word translated 'do seek' also conveys a sustained effort, indicating an active and continuous pursuit rather than a one-time search.
- do knock:The word translated 'do knock' likewise suggests a repeated, persistent knocking, emphasizing a continuous and determined effort to gain entry.
MAT 7:11
- evil:The word translated 'evil' here often describes something that is not merely bad, but actively harmful, malicious, or morally corrupt, with a sense of active wickedness.