Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, November 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Read the Bible

International Standard Version

Luke 11:6

A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don't have anything to serve him.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ask;   Care;   Christ;   Church;   Family;   Human;   Importunity;   Limitations, Human;   Limited Resources;   Prayer;   Secret Prayer;   United Prayer;   Unwise Prayers;   Wicked, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prayer;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Friend, Friendship;   Prayer;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Lord's Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Banquet;   Lord's Prayer, the;   Luke, Gospel of;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Parable;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Bed;   Character;   Claim;   Discourse;   Friendship;   Intercession ;   Laughter;   Luke, Gospel According to;   Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   Parable;   Prayer (2);   Property (2);   Reality;   Winter ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bed;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   Prayer;   Prayers of Jesus;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Christianity in Its Relation to Judaism;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 15;   My Utmost for His Highest - Devotion for September 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’
King James Version (1611)
For a friend of mine in his iourney is come to me, and I haue nothing to set before him,
King James Version
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
English Standard Version
for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
New American Standard Bible
because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him';
New Century Version
A friend of mine has come into town to visit me, but I have nothing for him to eat.'
Amplified Bible
for a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come to visit me, and I have nothing to serve him';
New American Standard Bible (1995)
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
Legacy Standard Bible
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
Berean Standard Bible
because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.'
Contemporary English Version
A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat."
Complete Jewish Bible
because a friend of mine who has been travelling has just arrived at my house, and I have nothing for him to eat.'
Darby Translation
since a friend of mine on a journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him;
Geneva Bible (1587)
For a friende of mine is come out of the way to me, & I haue nothing to set before him:
George Lamsa Translation
For a friend has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.
Good News Translation
A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don't have any food for him!'
Lexham English Bible
because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I do not have anything to set before him.'
Literal Translation
For a friend of mine arrived to me from a journey, and I do not have what I may set before him.
American Standard Version
for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;
Bible in Basic English
Because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to put before him;
Hebrew Names Version
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,'
Etheridge Translation
because a friend has come to me from the way, and I have nothing to set to him ?
Murdock Translation
for a friend hath come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For a friende of mine is come out of the way to me, and I haue nothyng to set before hym:
English Revised Version
for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;
World English Bible
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,'
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For a friend of mine on his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him:
Weymouth's New Testament
for a friend of mine has just come to my house from a distance, and I have nothing for him to eat'?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for my freend cometh to me fro the weie, and Y haue not what Y schal sette bifor hym.
Update Bible Version
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;
Webster's Bible Translation
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
New English Translation
because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.'
New King James Version
for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
New Living Translation
‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.'
New Life Bible
for a friend of mine is on a trip and has stopped at my house. I have no food to give him.'
New Revised Standard
for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
forasmuch as, a friend of mine, hath come off a journey unto me, and I have not what I can set before him;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me and I have not what to set before him.
Revised Standard Version
for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
for a frende of myne is come out of the waye to me and I have nothinge to set before him:
Young's Literal Translation
seeing a friend of mine came out of the way unto me, and I have not what I shall set before him,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for a frende of myne is come to me out of the waye, and I haue nothinge to set before him:
Mace New Testament (1729)
for a friend of mine, a traveller, is come to my house, and I have nothing to entertain him with.
Simplified Cowboy Version

Contextual Overview

1 Once Jesushe">[fn] was praying in a certain place. After he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 So he told them, "Whenever you pray you are to say,Matthew 6:9;">[xr] 'Father,Our Father in heaven">[fn] may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come.kingdom come. May your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven">[fn] 3 Keep giving us every day our daily bread,our bread from above">[fn] 4 and forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us.is indebted to us">[fn] And never bring us into temptation.'"into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one">[fn] 5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don't have anything to serve him.' 7 Suppose he answers from inside, 'Stop bothering me! The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything!' 8 I tell you, even though he doesn't want to get up and give him anything because he is his friend, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.Luke 18:1;">[xr] 9 So I say to you: Keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the doorit">[fn] will be opened for you.Matthew 7:7; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 15:7; James 1:6; 1 John 3:22;">[xr] 10 For everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the doorit">[fn] opened.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in his journey: or, out of his way, Luke 11:6

Cross-References

Luke 1:51
He displayed his mighty power with his arm.Psalm 33:10; 98:1; 118:15; Isaiah 40:10; 51:9; 52:10; 1 Peter 5:5;">[xr] He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.in the mind of their heart">[fn]
Acts 17:26
From one manFrom one blood">[fn] he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the boundaries they live in,Deuteronomy 32:8;">[xr]

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For a friend of mine in his journey,.... Or "out of the way"; having lost his way, being benighted; and has rambled about for some time, and at length,

is come to me; for lodging and entertainment:

and I have nothing to set before him; to refresh him with, after such a fatigue, before he goes to bed, which was very requisite and proper.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he said unto them ... - Jesus proceeds to show that, in order to obtain the blessing, it was necessary to “persevere” in asking for it. For this purpose he introduces the case of a friend’s asking bread of another for one who had come to him unexpectedly. His design is solely to show the necessity of being “importunate” or persevering in prayer to God.

At midnight - A time when it would be most inconvenient for his friend to help him; an hour when he would naturally be in bed and his house shut.

Three loaves - There is nothing particularly denoted by the number “three” in this place. Jesus often threw in such particulars merely to fill up the story, or to preserve the consistency of it.

My children are with me in bed - This does not necessarily mean that they were in the “same bed” with him, but that they were “all” in bed, the house was still, the door was shut, and it was troublesome for him to rise at that time of night to accommodate him. It should be observed, however, that the customs of Orientals differ in this respect from our own. Among them it is not uncommon indeed it is the common practice for a whole family - parents, children, and servants - to sleep in the same room. See “The Land and the Book,” vol. i. p. 180. This is “not” to be applied to God, as if it were troublesome to him to be sought unto, or as if “he” would ever reply to a sinner in that manner. All that is to be applied to God in this parable is simply that it is proper to “persevere” in prayer. As a “man” often gives because the request is “repeated,” and as one is not discouraged because the favor that he asks of his neighbor is “delayed,” so God often answers us after long and importunate requests.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 11:6. In his journey is come — Or, perhaps more literally, A friend of mine is come to me out of his way, εξ οδου, which renders the case more urgent-a friend of mine, benighted, belated, and who has lost his way, is come unto me. This was a strong reason why he should have prompt relief.


 
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