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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Matthew 7:7–11. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Our Saviour, in the foregoing chapter, had spoken of prayer as a commanded duty, by which God is honoured, and which, if done aright, shall be rewarded; here he speaks of it as the appointed means of obtaining what we need, especially grace to obey the precepts he had given, some of which are so displeasing to flesh and blood.
I.Here is a precept in three words to the same purport, Ask, Seek, Knock (Mat 7:7); that is, in one word, "Pray; pray often; pray with sincerity and seriousness; pray, and pray again; make conscience of prayer, and be constant in it; make a business of prayer, and be earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms." Those that would be rich in grace, must betake themselves to the poor trade of begging, and they shall find it a thriving trade. "Ask; represent your wants and burthens to God, and refer yourselves to him for support and supply, according to his promise. Ask as a traveller asks the way; to pray is to enquire of God, Eze 36:37. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost, or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Seek by prayer, Dan 9:3. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door." We would be admitted to converse with God, would be taken into his love, and favour, and kingdom; sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer, we knock; Lord, Lord, open to us. Christ knocks at our door (Rev 3:20; Sol 5:2); and allows us to knock at his, which is a favour we do not allow to common beggars. Seeking and knocking imply something more than asking and praying.
1.We must not only ask but seek; we must second our prayers with our endeavors; we must, in the use of the appointed means, seek for that which we ask for, else we tempt God. When the dresser of the vineyard asked for a year's respite for the barren fig-tree, he added, I will dig about it, Luk 13:7, Luk 13:8. God gives knowledge and grace to those that search the scriptures, and wait at Wisdom's gates; and power against sin to those that avoid the occasions of it.
2.We must not only ask, but knock; we must come to God's door, must ask importunately; not only pray, but plead and wrestle with God; we must seek diligently; we must continue knocking; must persevere in prayer, and in the use of means; must endure to the end in the duty.
II.Here is a promised annexed:
our labour in prayer, if indeed we do labour in it, shall not be in vain: where God finds a praying heart, he will be found a prayer-hearing God; he shall give thee an answer of peace. The precept is threefold, ask, seek, knock; there is precept upon precept; but the promise is sixfold, line upon line, for our encouragement; because a firm belief of the promise would make us cheerful and constant in our obedience. Now here,
1.The promise is made, and made so as exactly to answer the precept, Mat 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; not lent you, not sold you, but given you; and what is more free than gift? Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, whatever you ask, shall be given you, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? It is but ask and have; ye have not, because ye ask not, or ask not aright: what is not worth asking, is not worth having, and then it is worth nothing. Seek, and ye shall find, and then you do not lose your labour; God is himself found of those that seek him, and if we find him we have enough. "Knock, and it shall be opened; the door of mercy and grace shall no longer be shut against you as enemies and intruders, but opened to you as friends and children. It will be asked, who is at the door? If you be able to say, a friend, and have the ticket of promise ready to produce in the hand of faith, doubt not of admission. If the door be not opened at the first knock, continue instant in prayer; it is an affront to a friend to knock at his door, and then go away; though he tarry, yet wait."
2.It is repeated, Mat 7:8. It is to the same purport, yet with some addition. (1.) It is made to extend to all that pray aright; "Not only you my disciples shall receive what you pray for, but every one that asketh, receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or unlearned, they are all alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith: for God is no respecter of persons." (2.) It is made so as to amount to a grant, in words of the present tense, which is more than a promise for the future. Every one that asketh, not only shall receive, but receiveth; by faith, applying and appropriating the promise, we are actually interested and invested in the good promised: so sure and inviolable are the promises of God, that they do, in effect, give present possession: an active believer enters immediately, and makes the blessings promised his own. What have we in hope, according to the promise, is as sure, and should be as sweet, as what we have in hand. God hath spoken in his holiness, and then Gilead is mine, Manasseh mine (Psa 108:7, Psa 108:8); it is all mine own, if I can but make it so by believing it so. Conditional grants become absolute upon the performance of the condition; so here, he that asketh, receiveth. Christ hereby puts his fiat to the petition; and he having all power, that is enough.
3.It is illustrated, by a similitude taken from earthly parents, and their innate readiness to give their children what they ask. Christ appeals to his hearers, What man is there of you, though never so morose and ill-humoured, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Mat 7:9, Mat 7:10. Whence he infers (Mat 7:11), If ye then, being evil, yet grant your children's requests, much more will your heavenly Father give you the good things you ask. Now this is of use,
(1.)To direct our prayers and expectations.
[1.]We must come to God, as children to a Father in heaven, with reverence and confidence. How naturally does a child in want or distress run to the father with its complaints; My head, my head; thus should the new nature send us to God for supports and supplies.
[2.]We must come to him for good things, for those he gives to them that ask him; which teaches us to refer ourselves to him; we know not what is good for ourselves (Ecc 6:12), but he knows what is good for us, we must therefore leave it with him; Father, thy will be done. The child is here supposed to ask bread, that is necessary, and a fish, that is wholesome; but if the child should foolishly ask for a stone, or a serpent, for unripe fruit to eat, or a sharp knife to play with, the father, though kind, is so wise as to deny him. We often ask that of God which would do us harm if we had it; he knows this, and therefore does not give it to us. Denials in love are better than grants in anger; we should have been undone ere this if we had had all we desired; this is admirably well expressed by a heathen, Juvenal, Sat. 10.
Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus, quid
Conveniat nobis, rebusque sit utile nostris,
Nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt dii.
Carior est illis homo, quam sibi: nos animorum
Impulsu, et caeca, magnaque cupidine ducti,
Conjugium petimus, partumque uxoris; at illis
Notum est, qui pueri, qualisque futura sit uxor.
Entrust thy fortune to the powers above.
Leave them to manage for thee, and to grant
What their unerring wisdom sees thee want:
In goodness, as in greatness, they excel;
Ah, that we lov'd ourselves but half so well!
We, blindly by our headstrong passions led,
Seek a companion, and desire to wed;
Then wish for heirs: but to the gods alone
Our future offspring and our wives are known.
(2.)To encourage our prayers and expectations. We may hope that we shall not be denied and disappointed: we shall not have a stone for bread, to break our teeth (though we have a hard crust to employ our teeth), nor a serpent for a fish, to sting us; we have reason indeed to fear it, because we deserve it, but God will be better to us than the desert of our sins. The world often gives stones for bread, and serpents for fish, but God never does; nay, we shall be heard and answered, for children are by their parents.
[1.]God has put into the hearts of parents a compassionate inclination to succour and supply their children, according to their need. Even those that have had little conscience of duty, yet have done it, as it were by instinct. No law was ever thought necessary to oblige parents to maintain their legitimate children, nor, in Solomon's time, their illegitimate ones.
[2.]He has assumed the relation of a Father to us, and owns us for his children; that from the readiness we find in ourselves to relieve our children, we may be encouraged to apply ourselves to him for relief. What love and tenderness fathers have are from him; not from nature but from the God of nature; and therefore they must needs be infinitely greater in himself. He compares his concern for his people to that of a father for his children (Psa 103:13), nay, to that of a mother, which is usually more tender, Isa 66:13; Isa 49:14, Isa 49:15. But here it is supposed, that his love, and tenderness, and goodness, far excel that of any earthly parent; and therefore it is argued with a much more, and it is grounded upon this undoubted truth, that God is a better Father, infinitely better than any earthly parents are; his thoughts are above theirs. Our earthly fathers have taken care of us; we have taken care of our children; much more will God take care of his; for they are evil, originally so; the degenerate seed of fallen Adam; they have lost much of the good nature that belonged to humanity, and among other corruptions, have that of crossness and unkindness in them; yet they give good things to their children, and they know how to give, suitably and seasonably; much more will God, for he takes up when they forsake, Psa 27:10. And, First, God is more knowing; parents are often foolishly fond, but God is wise, infinitely so; he knows what we need, what we desire, and what is fit for us. Secondly, God is more kind. If all the compassions of all the tender fathers in the world were crowded into the bowels of one, yet compared with the tender mercies of our God, they would be but as a candle to the sun, or a drop to the ocean. God is more rich, and more ready to give to his children than the fathers of our flesh can be; for he is the Father of our spirits, an ever-loving, ever-living Father. The bowels of Fathers yearn even towards undutiful children, towards prodigals, as David's toward Absalom, and will not all this serve to silence disbelief?
Historical interpretation
Nine Centuries of Reception
9 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
There are two things behoveful for one that prays; that he ask earnestly; and that he ask such things as he ought to ask. And those are spiritual things; as Solomon, because he asked such things as were right, received speedily.
This He said not detracting from human nature, nor confessing the whole human race to be evil; but He calls paternal love evil when compared with His own goodness. Such is the superabundance of His love towards men.
And if thou doubt my affirmation, at any rate believe His example.
"For what man is there of you," saith He, "whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?"
Because, as among men, if thou keep on doing so, thou art even accounted troublesome, and disgusting: so with God, when thou doest not so, then thou dost more entirely provoke Him. And if thou continue asking, though thou receive not at once, thou surely wilt receive. For to this end was the door shut, that He may induce thee to knock: to this end He doth not straightway assent, that thou mayest ask. Continue then to do these things, and thou wilt surely receive. For that thou mightest not say, "What then if I should ask and not receive?" He hath blocked up thy approach with that similitude, again framing arguments, and by those human things urging us to be confident on these matters; implying by them that we must not only ask, but ask what we ought.
"For which of you is there, a father, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he give him a stone?" So that if thou receive not, thy asking a stone is the cause of thy not receiving. For though thou be a son, this suffices not for thy receiving: rather this very thing even hinders thy receiving, that being a son, thou askest what is not profitable.
Do thou also therefore ask nothing worldly, but all things spiritual, and thou wilt surely receive. For so Solomon, because he asked what he ought, behold how quickly he received. Two things now, you see, should be in him that prays, asking earnestly, and asking what he ought: "since ye too," saith He, "though ye be fathers, wait for your sons to ask: and if they should ask of you anything inexpedient, ye refuse the gifts; just as, if it be expedient, ye consent and bestow it." Do thou too, considering these things, not withdraw until thou receive; until thou have found, retire not; relax not thy diligence, until the door be opened. For if thou approach with this mind, and say, "Except I receive, I depart not;" thou wilt surely receive, provided thou ask such things, as are both suitable for Him of whom thou askest to give, and expedient for thee the petitioner. But what are these? To seek the things spiritual, all of them; to forgive them that have trespassed, and so to draw nigh asking forgiveness; "to lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting." If we thus ask, we shall receive. As it is, surely our asking is a mockery, and the act of drunken rather than of sober men.
"What then," saith one, "if I ask even spiritual things, and do not receive?" Thou didst not surely knock with earnestness; or thou madest thyself unworthy to receive; or didst quickly leave off.
"And wherefore," it may be inquired, "did He not say, what things we ought to ask"? Nay verily, He hath mentioned them all in what precedes, and hath signified for what things we ought to draw nigh. Say not then, "I drew nigh, and did not receive." For in no case is it owing to God that we receive not, God who loves us so much as to surpass even fathers, to surpass them as far as goodness doth this evil nature.
"For if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more your heavenly Father."
Now this He said, not to bring an evil name on man's nature, nor to condemn our race as bad; but in contrast to His own goodness He calls paternal tenderness evil, so great is the excess of His love to man.
Seest thou an argument unspeakable, of power to arouse to good hopes even him that hath become utterly desperate?
Or perhaps he called the Apostles evil, in their person condemning the whole human race, whose heart is set to evil from his infancy, as we read in Genesis. Nor is it any wonder that He should call this generation evil, (Gen. 8:22.) as the Apostle also speaks, Seeing the days are evil.
(Verse 7 and following) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? He shows what we should seek, who had forbidden earthly things to be asked for. If it is given to the one who asks, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it is opened, then it is clear that the one who has not been given, and the one who has not found, and the one to whom it has not been opened, has not asked, sought, and knocked properly. Let us therefore knock at the door of Christ, of which it is said: This is the gate of the Lord, the just shall enter into it (Ps. CXVII, 20); so that when we have entered, the hidden and dark treasures may be revealed to us in Christ Jesus, in whom is all knowledge (Coloss. II).
Lest perchance any one considering how great is the difference between God and man, and weighing his own sins should despair of obtaining, and so never take in hand to ask; therefore He proposes a comparison of the relation between father and son; that should we despair because of our sins, we may hope because of God's fatherly goodness.
And what are the things that we ought to ask, he shows under the likeness of a loaf, and a fish. The loaf is the word concerning the knowledge of God the Father. The stone is all falsehood that has a stumbling-block of offence to the soul.
Because in comparison of God who is preeminently good, all men seem to be evil, as all light shows dark when compared with the sun.
He says good things, because God does not give all things to them that ask Him, but only good things.
By the fish we may understand the word concerning Christ, by the serpent the Devil himself. Or by the loaf may be understood spiritual doctrine; by the stone ignorance; by the fish the water of Holy Baptism; by the serpent the wiles of the Devil, or unbelief.
The sense therefore is; we need not fear that should we ask of God our Father bread, that is doctrine or love, He will give us a stone; that is, that He will suffer our heart to be contracted either by the frost of hatred or by hardness of soul; or that when we ask for faith, He will suffer us to die of the poison of unbelief. Thence it follows, If then ye being evil.
And be it known that where Matthew says, He shall give good things, Luke has, shall give his Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:13.) But this ought not to seem contrary, because all the good things which man receives from God, are given by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Or; bread which is the common food signifies charity, without which the other virtues are of no avail. The fish signifies faith, which is born of the water of baptism, is tossed in the midst of the waves of this life and yet lives. Luke adds a third thing, an egg, (Luke 11:12.) which signifies hope; for an egg is the hope of the animal. To charity, He opposes a stone, that is, the hardness of hatred; to faith, a serpent, that is, the venom of treachery; to hope, a scorpion, that is, despair, which stings backward, as the scorpion.
Here He teaches us that we must not only ask in a fervent manner, but we must also ask for things that are profitable for us. For, He says, when your children ask for things that are good for them, such as bread and fish, you give them what they are seeking. So too must you seek from God what is profitable for you, that is, spiritual things and not things of the flesh.
(ord.) For from God we receive only such things as are good, of what kind soever they may seem to us when we receive them; for all things work together for good to His beloved.
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Summary
Matthew 7:10, a rhetorical question posed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, powerfully illustrates God's perfect fatherly goodness and unwavering commitment to providing for His children. Through the absurd scenario of an earthly father giving a harmful serpent instead of a requested fish, Jesus highlights the infinitely superior benevolence of the Heavenly Father, assuring His disciples that God will always give good gifts to those who ask.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is an integral part of Jesus' teaching on prayer and divine provision found in Matthew 7:7-11. Following the exhortation to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7), Jesus provides two vivid analogies to underscore the certainty of God's benevolent response. First, He asks if a father would give a stone instead of bread (Matthew 7:9), and then, in this verse, if a father would give a serpent instead of a fish. These rhetorical questions build to the climactic statement in Matthew 7:11, affirming that if imperfect human fathers know how to give good gifts, "how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" The immediate literary context thus emphasizes God's character as a loving, giving Father and provides a foundation for confident prayer.
Historical & Cultural Context
In first-century Galilee, fish was a staple of the diet, particularly in the region around the Sea of Galilee, where fishing was a primary industry. It was a common, nutritious, and desirable food source. Conversely, serpents (snakes) were widely recognized as dangerous, venomous creatures, often associated with evil and deception in Jewish thought, harkening back to the serpent in Genesis 3. The contrast between a life-sustaining fish and a life-threatening serpent would have been immediately understood and viscerally impactful to Jesus' audience. The imagery draws on the universal human experience of parental love and the natural instinct of a father to protect and provide for his child, making the idea of giving something harmful instead of beneficial utterly unthinkable within their cultural framework.
Key Themes
Matthew 7:10 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the Sermon on the Mount and the broader Gospel of Matthew. It reinforces the theme of God's Fatherly Goodness and Benevolence, portraying God not as a distant or capricious deity, but as a loving parent who cares deeply for His children and delights in providing for them. This directly counters any notion that God might withhold good or give harm. Secondly, it strengthens the theme of Confidence in Prayer, assuring believers that their prayers are heard and answered by a God who desires their well-being. This teaching builds upon the earlier emphasis on seeking God's kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33) and encourages persistent, trusting supplication. Finally, the stark contrast between the fish and the serpent subtly highlights the theme of Discernment and True Provision, implying that God's gifts are always truly good and beneficial, even if they differ from human expectations, in contrast to the deceptive or harmful offerings of the world.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb signifies a general request or petition, often implying a need or desire. In the context of prayer, it denotes a direct appeal to a higher authority or a person from whom one expects a favor or gift. Here, it emphasizes the child's simple, direct request for a basic necessity from their father.
Referring to any fish, this word denotes a common and essential food source in the ancient world, particularly in Galilee. Its inclusion here represents a wholesome, beneficial, and expected provision, contrasting sharply with the harmful alternative.
This term specifically refers to a snake or serpent. Figuratively, it often carries connotations of sly cunning, danger, and malice, notably associated with Satan in biblical narratives. In this verse, it represents something inherently dangerous, deceptive, and antithetical to a good gift.
Verse Breakdown
"Or if he ask a fish,"
This clause sets up the second scenario in Jesus' two-part analogy concerning a father's provision for his child. It posits a common, reasonable request from a child for a nutritious and desirable food item, a "fish." The "Or if" (Greek: kai ean) connects this example to the previous one about bread and a stone, indicating a parallel argument. The implied expectation is that a loving father would readily grant such a request.
"will he give him a serpent?"
This is the rhetorical question that forms the core of the verse's teaching. It presents an absurd and unthinkable alternative to the child's reasonable request. The question expects a resounding "No!" from the audience. The "serpent" represents not just something useless, but something actively harmful, dangerous, and potentially deadly. By contrasting a life-sustaining fish with a life-threatening serpent, Jesus underscores the inherent goodness and protective nature of even imperfect human fathers, thereby setting the stage for the greater truth about God's perfect fatherly character.
Literary Devices
Jesus employs several potent literary devices in Matthew 7:10. The primary device is Rhetorical Question, where a question is asked not to elicit an answer, but to make a point or create a strong effect. The implied answer to "will he give him a serpent?" is an emphatic "No," which serves to highlight the absurdity of the alternative and the certainty of a father's good intentions. This rhetorical question also functions as a form of A fortiori Argument (Latin for "from the stronger"), which is explicitly stated in the subsequent verse (Matthew 7:11). The argument is: if imperfect human fathers, who are inherently flawed, know how to give good gifts, how much more will the perfect Heavenly Father give good things. The verse also uses powerful Juxtaposition and Symbolism by contrasting "fish" (symbolizing sustenance, life, and good provision) with "serpent" (symbolizing danger, poison, and evil). This stark contrast vividly illustrates the absolute difference between God's nature and anything harmful, reinforcing His pure benevolence.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Matthew 7:10 profoundly shapes our understanding of God's character, revealing Him as a perfectly good, loving, and trustworthy Father. This verse assures believers that God's provision is not only certain but also always good and never harmful, directly refuting any fear that God might mock our needs or provide something detrimental. It establishes a foundational truth about divine benevolence that undergirds all confident prayer and trust in God's sovereignty. The imagery underscores that God's nature is intrinsically generous and protective, desiring the ultimate well-being of His children.
Reflection and Application
Matthew 7:10 offers profound encouragement for our daily lives, particularly in our prayer life and trust in God. It calls us to abandon any lingering doubts about God's intentions and to approach Him with the full assurance of a beloved child approaching a perfectly loving parent. When we face needs, challenges, or uncertainties, this verse reminds us that our Heavenly Father is not only capable but also eager to provide what is truly good for us. It challenges us to align our understanding of "good gifts" with God's perfect wisdom, trusting that His provision, even if it looks different from our expectations, is always for our ultimate benefit and never for harm. This truth should cultivate a deep sense of security, gratitude, and boldness in our relationship with God, freeing us from anxiety and empowering us to live in reliance on His unfailing care.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Matthew 7:10 mean God will always give me exactly what I ask for?
No, Matthew 7:10 does not guarantee that God will give you exactly what you ask for, but it assures you that He will always give you what is good for you. The emphasis is on God's character as a loving Father who would never give His child something harmful or useless in place of a beneficial request. Just as an earthly father might not give a child candy when they ask for it, but instead provides nutritious food, God's "good gifts" are aligned with His perfect wisdom and love, which may differ from our immediate desires. The parallel passage in Luke 11:13 clarifies that the ultimate "good gift" God desires to give His children is the Holy Spirit, implying that His provision is often spiritual and for our eternal well-being, not just material.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Matthew 7:10 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in Jesus Christ. As the perfect Son, Jesus perfectly reveals the nature of the Heavenly Father, demonstrating God's boundless love and benevolent provision through His life, ministry, and sacrifice. He is the embodiment of God's "good gift" to humanity, the "bread of life" (John 6:35) and the one who gives "living water" (John 4:10), contrasting sharply with anything harmful or deceptive. Through Christ, we gain access to the Father and receive the ultimate good gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), who empowers us to live as God's children and to pray with confidence. Jesus' own life was an example of perfect trust in the Father's provision, even unto death on the cross, knowing that the Father would raise Him up (John 10:18). Thus, Matthew 7:10 is not merely a general statement about God's goodness, but a promise realized and made accessible through our union with Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) to the Father's abundant and perfect provision.