Matthew 5:42

Matthew 5:42 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
• New International Version (NIV)Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Context of Matthew 5:42

40Maybe somebody wants to take you to the judge. He says that you should give him your shirt. Give the man your shirt, and give him your coat too. 41Or a soldier may tell you, “Carry my luggage for one kilometre.” You should do that. Even agree to carry it for two kilometres. When people ask you for something, you should give it to them. If they ask you to lend them something, then you should not refuse. 43You have heard people say, “Love the people who are your friends. But hate those who want to hurt you.” 44What I tell you is this: You should love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to give you pain, pray for them. Pray that God would help them.

Matthew 5:42 word by word

τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δός, καὶ τὸν θέλοντα ἀπὸ σοῦ δανίσασθαι μὴ ἀποστραφῇς.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• to him that askethαἰτέωaiteō · to askG154
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• him that wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• borrowδανείζωdaneizō · to lend/borrowG1155
• turnἀποστρέφωapostrephō · to turn awayG654
• notμήmē · notG3361

Cross-references for Matthew 5:42

• Matthew 25:35I was hungry and you gave me some food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me some water to drink. I was visiting your town and you asked me to stay in your home.
• Deuteronomy 15:7The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving to you. But perhaps there will be a poor person among the Israelites in one of your towns. Then do not refuse to help him. Do not think only about yourself.
• Job 31:16I have never refused to help people who are poor. I have always helped widows to hope for good things.
• Psalms 37:21If you lend money to a wicked person, he will not give it back to you. But righteous people are kind to others and they give things freely.
• Psalms 112:5People who are kind and lend money to others, and who work in an honest way, will enjoy a good life.
• Proverbs 3:27Do not refuse to help those people who need help. If you are able to help them, do it!
• Proverbs 11:24Somebody may share his things with other people, but he still becomes richer. Somebody else may keep the things that he should give to others, but he still becomes poor.
• Proverbs 19:17If you are kind to poor people, you are lending money to the Lord. He will pay back the debt to you.
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Freely give your things to other people. If you do that, one day you will receive your things back again.
• Isaiah 58:6This is the way that I want you to fast: You must remove the chains from prisoners who should not be in prison. You must stop being cruel to the people who work for you. You must let people who are in pain go free. You must break the yoke of work that is too hard for weak people.
• Daniel 4:27So King Nebuchadnezzar, please do as I suggest. Stop doing bad things. Start to do things that are right. Turn away from your sins. Instead, be kind to poor people. Then, perhaps, you will continue to be comfortable and happy.’
• Luke 6:30When anyone asks you for something, give it to him. Someone may take something that belongs to you. If he does, let him keep it. Do not ask to have it back again.
• Luke 11:41So be ready to give things to poor people. Then you will be really clean, on the inside as well as the outside.
• Luke 14:12Then Jesus said to the man who had asked him to the meal, ‘When you give a meal at midday or in the evening, do not ask your friends to come. Do not ask your brothers or your family. And do not ask the rich people that live near you to come. If you do, they will later ask you to eat at their house. This will pay you for the meal that you gave to them.
• Romans 12:20But the Bible also says this: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. If you help your enemy, he will become ashamed. He will be sorry because of what he did to you.’
• 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this: If a farmer plants only a few seeds, he will not get much as a result. But if he plants plenty of seeds, he will get a big harvest.

Commentaries on Matthew 5:42

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow - To give and lend freely to all who are in need, is a general precept from which we are only excused by our inability to perform it. Men are more or less obliged to it as they are more or less able, as the want is more or less pressing, as they are more or less burthened with common poor, or with necessitous relatives. In all these matters, both prudence and charity must be consulted. That God…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 42Give to him that asketh thee - This is the general rule. It is better to give sometimes to an undeserving person than to turn away one who is really in need. It is good to be in the habit of giving. At the same time, the rule must be interpreted so as to be consistent with our duty to our families 1 Timothy 5:8 and with other objects of justice and charity. It is seldom, perhaps never, good to give to a person who is able to work, 2 Thessalonians 3:10. To…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 38-42Verses 38-42 The plain instruction is, Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord's keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 42See Deuteronomy 15:7–11.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4242. Give to him that asketh thee--The sense of unreasonable asking is here implied (compare Lu 6:30). and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away--Though the word signifies classically "to have money lent to one on security," or "with interest," yet as this was not the original sense of the word, and as usury was forbidden among the Jews (Ex 22:25, &c.), it is doubtless simple borrowing which our Lord here means, as indeed the whole strain…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:42

• Alms
• Beneficence
• Borrowing
• Commandments
• Creditor
• Instruction
• Judaism
• Kindness
• Law
• Lending
• Liberality
• Love
• Meekness
• Poor
• Religion
• Retaliation

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Communication
• Debt
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit

Commentaries on Matthew 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings