English Standard Version
Matthew 5:42
42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
Context of Matthew 5:42
40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 43"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 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 25:35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
- Deuteronomy 15:7"If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,
- Job 31:16"If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
- Psalms 37:21The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
- Psalms 112:5It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.
- Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
- Proverbs 11:24One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
- Proverbs 19:17Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
- Ecclesiastes 11:1Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
- Isaiah 58:6"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
- Daniel 4:27Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."
- Luke 6:30Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
- Luke 11:41But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
- Luke 14:12He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.
- Romans 12:20To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."
- 2 Corinthians 9:6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries