Ask, Seek, Knock and the Golden Rule
Matthew 7:7-12
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
Matt.7.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Αιτειτε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- και: CONJ
- δοθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
- υμιν·ζητειτε: PRON,dat,pl,2+VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- και: CONJ
- ευρησετε·κρουετε: VERB,fut,act,ind,2,pl+VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- και: CONJ
- ανοιγησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
- υμιν: PRON,dat,pl,2
Parallels
- Luke 11:9-10 (verbal): Almost identical triple imperatives (ask/seek/knock) with the same promise that those who ask will receive and those who seek will find.
- Mark 11:24 (verbal): Echoes the promise that prayer results in receiving: 'whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'
- Matt.21:22 (verbal): Within Matthew's Gospel a related saying: 'And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith'—ties asking to answered prayer and faith.
- John 14:13-14 (thematic): Jesus promises that requests made in his name will be granted—theological reinforcement of the efficacy of asking in relation to Jesus' authority.
- James 4:2-3 (thematic): Contrasts Jesus' promise by explaining why some requests go unanswered (wrong motives), adding an ethical/intentional qualification to the teaching on asking.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
- Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matt.7.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- πας: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- γαρ: PART
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αιτων: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- λαμβανει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ζητων: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- ευρισκει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- κρουοντι: PART,pres,act,dat,sg,m
- ανοιγησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Luke 11:9-10 (verbal): Nearly identical triadic saying (ask/seek/knock) in Luke's version of Jesus' teaching on prayer; the wording and promise of reception/opening closely parallel Matthew's text.
- Matthew 21:22 (verbal): Matthew elsewhere records Jesus: 'Whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive,' reinforcing the link between asking in prayer and receiving found in 7:8.
- John 14:13-14 (thematic): John records Jesus promising that requests made 'in my name' will be granted—a related assurance about the efficacy of prayer and God's granting of petitions.
- Luke 18:1-8 (thematic): The parable of the persistent widow emphasizes persistent asking and not losing heart; thematically it undergirds the call to keep asking/seeking/knocking until God responds.
- Jeremiah 29:12-13 (allusion): Old Testament antecedent: 'You will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me,' providing an earlier scriptural promise of seeking and finding God that Jesus echoes.
Alternative generated candidates
- For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
- For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matt.7.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,3
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- εξ: PREP
- υμων: PRON,gen,pl,2
- ανθρωπος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ον: PRON,acc,sg,m,rel
- αιτησει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- υιος: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- αρτον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- μη: PART
- λιθον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- επιδωσει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 11:11 (verbal): Nearly identical saying: if a son asks for bread, will a father give him a stone? (Direct parallel wording and rhetorical question.)
- Matt.7:10 (structural): Immediate continuation in the same teaching contrasting requests (bread/fish) with improper responses (stone/serpent), forming a paired rhetorical structure.
- Luke 11:13 (thematic): Develops the same theme: if earthly fathers give good gifts, how much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask—emphasizing God's generous response to prayer.
- James 1:5 (thematic): Encourages asking God for what one lacks, asserting God gives generously to all without reproach—echoing the motif of God as a benevolent giver to those who ask.
Alternative generated candidates
- Or which of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
- Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Matt.7.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- ιχθυν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αιτησει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- μη: PART
- οφιν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- επιδωσει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 11:11-12 (verbal): Direct Lukan double tradition parallel of the same illustrative questions (bread for a son, fish vs. snake); nearly identical wording and intent about what a father gives.
- Luke 11:13 (verbal): Lukan conclusion to the same pericope: 'how much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him'—the same argument from lesser to greater about God's good gifts.
- Matthew 7:9-11 (structural): Immediate context of 7:10 (the fuller Matthean pericope) containing the bread/fish illustrations and the conclusion about the Father giving good gifts to those who ask.
- James 1:17 (thematic): 'Every good and perfect gift is from above'—theological parallel asserting that God is the source of good gifts, reinforcing Matthew's point that God gives good things, not harmful ones.
- Romans 8:32 (thematic): Uses the same rhetorical logic ('he who did not spare his own Son...will he not also give us all things?')—a 'how much more' argument about God's generosity that parallels Matthew's appeal to the Father's goodness.
Alternative generated candidates
- Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
- Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
Matt.7.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- ουν: PART
- υμεις: PRON,nom,pl,2
- πονηροι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- οντες: PART,pres,act,nom,pl,m
- οιδατε: VERB,perf,act,ind,2,pl
- δοματα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- αγαθα: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- διδοναι: VERB,pres,act,inf
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- τεκνοις: NOUN,dat,pl,n
- υμων: PRON,gen,pl,2
- ποσω: ADV
- μαλλον: ADV
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- πατηρ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- υμων: PRON,gen,pl,2
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- ουρανοις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- δωσει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- αγαθα: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- αιτουσιν: PART,pres,act,dat,pl,m
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 11:13 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel in Luke’s teaching on prayer: the Father in heaven gives when asked (Luke specifies the Holy Spirit as the gift).
- Matt.7:7-8 (structural): Immediate context: the call to Ask, Seek, Knock and the promise that those who ask receive—Matt.7:11 functions as the culminating assurance.
- Matt.6:30 (verbal): Uses the same 'how much more' argument about the heavenly Father's care (Will he not much more clothe you?), linking God’s provision to trust in prayer.
- James 1:17 (thematic): Affirms that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, echoing Matthew’s claim that God gives good gifts to those who ask.
- Rom.8:32 (thematic): Employs similar logic of divine generosity—if God gave his Son, he will surely give us all things—paralleling Matthew’s argument from lesser to greater.
Alternative generated candidates
- If then you, being 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!
- If you then, being 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?
Matt.7.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Παντα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- ουν: PART
- οσα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- εαν: CONJ
- θελητε: VERB,pres,act,subj,2,pl
- ινα: CONJ
- ποιωσιν: VERB,pres,act,subj,3,pl
- υμιν: PRON,dat,pl,2
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- ανθρωποι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- ουτως: ADV
- και: CONJ
- υμεις: PRON,nom,pl,2
- ποιειτε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,pl
- αυτοις·ουτος: PRON,dat,pl,3;PRON,nom,sg,m
- γαρ: PART
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- νομος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- προφηται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
Parallels
- Luke 6:31 (verbal): Direct parallel wording of the 'golden rule'—'Do to others as you would have them do to you' is essentially the same teaching in Luke's Sermon on the Plain.
- Leviticus 19:18 (quotation): Earliest biblical formulation of neighbor-love: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' which Matthew evokes by calling the teaching 'the law and the prophets.'
- Romans 13:8-10 (thematic): Paul argues that loving one's neighbor fulfills the law ('Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law'), echoing Matthew's identification of the rule with the Law and Prophets.
- James 2:8 (quotation): James calls 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' the 'royal law,' explicitly linking neighbor-love to the right observance of the law, paralleling Matthew's claim about the law and prophets.
- Galatians 5:14 (structural): Paul summarizes the law's instructive force—'For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”'—serving the same structural function as Matthew's summary of Torah/Prophetic teaching.
Alternative generated candidates
- So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.
- So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
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 the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Which of you, then, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
If you then, being 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? So whatever you would have others do to you, do also to them; for this is the law and the prophets.