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Read the Bible

King James Version

Matthew 7:11

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?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   God;   Penitent;   Prayer;   Religion;   Seekers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Father;   Fatherhood of God;   Gifts;   God;   Heavenly;   Home;   Our Father;   Parental;   The Topic Concordance - Prayer;   Seeking;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Adoption;   Gifts of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Anger;   Prayer;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Goodness;   Prayer;   Sermon on the mount;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Evil;   Heaven, Heavens, Heavenlies;   Holy Spirit;   Jesus Christ;   Prayer;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gift;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - James, the General Epistle of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judge (Office);   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kindness;   Mss;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Benevolence;   Character;   Children;   Claim;   Consciousness;   Evil (2);   Fall (2);   Father, Fatherhood;   Gift;   Heaven ;   Holy Spirit (2);   Ideas (Leading);   Illustrations;   Lord's Prayer (I);   Love (2);   Luke, Gospel According to;   Man (2);   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Omnipresence;   Personality;   Prayer (2);   Providence;   Redemption (2);   Repentance (2);   Salvation;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Sermon on the Mount;   Simple, Simplicity ;   Social Life;   Trinity (2);   Vain;   Wicked (2);   Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Children of God;   Good;   Grace;   How;   Intercession;   Person;   Prayer;   Sermon on the Mount, the;  

Devotionals:

- My Utmost for His Highest - Devotion for July 16;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If you then, who are evil,
King James Version (1611)
If ye then being euill, know how to giue good giftes vnto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heauen, giue good things to them that aske him?
English Standard Version
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
New American Standard Bible
"So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
New Century Version
Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!
Amplified Bible
"If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If ye then, which are euill, can giue to your children good giftes, howe much more shall your Father which is in heauen, giue good thinges to them that aske him?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Legacy Standard Bible
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Berean Standard Bible
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!
Contemporary English Version
As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.
Complete Jewish Bible
So if you, even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are good, how much more will your Father in heaven keep giving good things to those who keep asking him!
Darby Translation
If therefore *ye*, being wicked, know [how] to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall your Father who is in the heavens give good things to them that ask of him?
Easy-to-Read Version
You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.
George Lamsa Translation
If therefore you who err, know how to give good gifts to your sons, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
Good News Translation
As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Lexham English Bible
Therefore if you, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
Literal Translation
Therefore, if you, being evil, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those that ask Him?
American Standard Version
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Bible in Basic English
If you, then, being evil, are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who make requests to him?
Hebrew Names Version
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
International Standard Version
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 keep on asking him!Genesis 6:5; 8:21;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
If, therefore, you who are evil know to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
Murdock Translation
If ye then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If ye then, beyng euyll, knowe to geue your chyldren good gyftes: howe much more shall your father, which is in heauen, geue good thynges, to them that aske hym?
English Revised Version
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?
World English Bible
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?
Weymouth's New Testament
If you then, imperfect as you are, 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!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor if ye, whanne ye ben yuele men, kunnen yyue good yiftis to youre sones, hou myche more youre fadir that is in heuenes schal yyue good thingis to men that axen hym?
Update Bible Version
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to those that ask him?
Webster's Bible Translation
If ye then being evil know [how] to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
New English Translation
If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
New King James Version
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
New Living Translation
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
New Life Bible
You are bad and you know how to give good things to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?
New Revised Standard
If you then, 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!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If then, ye, being, evil, know how, good gifts, to be giving unto your children, how much more, will, your Father who is in the heavens, give good things to them that ask, him?
Douay-Rheims Bible
If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?
Revised Standard Version
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Yf ye then which are evyll cane geve to youre chyldren good gyftes: how moche moore shall youre father which is in heve geve good thynges to them yt axe hym?
Young's Literal Translation
if, therefore, ye being evil, have known good gifts to give to your children, how much more shall your Father who [is] in the heavens give good things to those asking him?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
yf ye then which are euell, can geue youre chyldren good gyftes: how moche more shall youre father which is in heauen, geue good thynges to them that axe hym?
Mace New Testament (1729)
if ye then, as wicked as ye are, know how to bestow proper gifts upon your children; how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that ask him?
Simplified Cowboy Version
So if you sinners know how to take care of your kids, how much more will the Boss be able to take care of those he thinks of as his own children?

Contextual Overview

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 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?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

being: Genesis 6:5, Genesis 8:21, Job 15:16, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:9, Romans 3:19, Galatians 3:22, Ephesians 2:1-3, Titus 3:3

how: Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7, 2 Samuel 7:19, Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:11-13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 55:8, Isaiah 55:9, Hosea 11:8, Hosea 11:9, Micah 7:18, Malachi 1:6, Luke 11:11-13, John 3:16, Romans 5:8-10, Romans 8:32, Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:5, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 4:10

good: Psalms 84:11, Psalms 85:12, Jeremiah 33:14, Hosea 14:2, *marg. Luke 2:10, Luke 2:11, Luke 11:13, 2 Corinthians 9:8-15, Titus 3:4-7

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:31 - General 1 Samuel 17:17 - Take now 2 Chronicles 6:18 - how much Isaiah 66:19 - that have Matthew 6:9 - Our Matthew 7:7 - and it Matthew 21:22 - General Luke 15:18 - Father Luke 18:7 - shall 1 Timothy 5:8 - and specially Hebrews 9:14 - How James 1:17 - good

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
Genesis 7:5
And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.
Genesis 7:6
And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
Genesis 7:8
Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Genesis 7:23
And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
Genesis 7:24
And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
2 Kings 7:2
Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
2 Kings 7:19
And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If ye then being evil,.... As all mankind in general are, both by nature and practice: they are conceived in sin, shapen in iniquity; are evil from their youth, and transgressors from the womb; are corrupt, and do abominable things; and such these Jews were Christ speaks unto; and who, very likely, has respect chiefly to the evil of covetousness they were addicted to. The argument is taken from the lesser to the greater, and runs thus; that if ye, who are but men, men on earth, yea evil men, not over liberal and beneficent, nay covetous and niggardly,

know how to give good gifts unto your children; can find in your hearts, having it in the power of your hands, to give suitable provisions for the support and sustenance of your children;

how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven; who is omniscient and omnipotent; who knows the persons and wants of his children, and what is proper for them, and is able to relieve them, being Lord of heaven and earth,

give good things to them that ask him? Not only temporal good things, as meat, drink, and clothing; but all spiritual good things; every supply of grace; all things pertaining to life and godliness. In Luke 11:13 "the Holy Spirit" is mentioned, and so seems to design his gifts and graces, everything that is necessary for the spiritual and eternal good of his people: but for these things he must be inquired of, and sought after; and it is the least saints can do to ask for them; and they have encouragement enough to ask; for it is but ask and have.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ask, and it shall be given you ... - There are here three different forms presented of seeking the things which we need from God - asking, ‘seeking, and knocking. The latter is taken from the act of knocking at a door for admittance. See Luke 13:25; Revelation 3:20. The phrases signify to seek with earnestness, diligence, and perseverance. The promise is, that what we seek shall be given us. It is of course implied that we seek with a proper spirit, with humility, sincerity, and perseverance. It is implied, also, that we ask the things which it may be consistent for God to give - that is, things which he has promised to give, and which would be best for us, and most for his own honor, 1 John 5:14. Of that God is to be the judge. And here there is the utmost latitude which a creature can ask. God is willing to provide for us, to forgive our sins, to save our souls, to befriend us in trial, to comfort us in death, to extend the gospel through the world. Man “can” ask no higher things of God; and these he may ask, assured that he is willing to grant them.

Christ encourages us to do this by the conduct of parents. No parent turns away his child with that which would be injurious. He would not give him a stone instead of bread, or a serpent instead of a fish. God is better and kinder than the most tender earthly parents; and with what confidence, therefore, may we come as his children, and ask what we need! Parents, he says, are evil; that is, are imperfect, often partial, and not unfrequently passionate; but God is free from all this, and therefore is ready and willing to aid us.

Every one that asketh receiveth - That is, every one that asks aright; that prays in faith, and in submission to the will of God. He does not always give the very thing which we ask, but he gives what would be better. A parent will not always confer the “very thing” which a child asks, but he will seek the welfare of the child, and give what he thinks will be most for its good. Paul asked that the thorn from his flesh might be removed. God did not “literally” grant the request, but told him that his “grace” should be “sufficient” for him. See the notes at 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

A fish - A fish has some resemblance to a serpent; yet no parent would attempt to deceive his child in this. So God will not give to us that which might appear to be of use, but which would be injurious.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 7:11. If ye, then, being evil — πονηροι οντες, who are radically and diabolically depraved, yet feel yourselves led, by natural affection, to give those things to your children which are necessary to support their lives, how much more will your Father who is in heaven, whose nature is infinite goodness, mercy, and grace, give good things - his grace and Spirit (πνευμα αγτον, the Holy Ghost, Luke 11:13,) to them who ask him? What a picture is here given of the goodness of God! Reader, ask thy soul, could this heavenly Father reprobate to unconditional eternal damnation any creature he has made? He who can believe that he has, may believe any thing: but still GOD IS LOVE.


 
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