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

40If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. 43“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

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 25:35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
• Deuteronomy 15:7“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.
• Job 31:16“Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows?
• Psalms 37:21The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.
• Psalms 112:5Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.
• Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.
• Proverbs 11:24Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
• Proverbs 19:17If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.
• Isaiah 58:6“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.
• Daniel 4:27“‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
• Luke 6:30Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.
• Luke 11:41So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
• Luke 14:12Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.
• Romans 12:20Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

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