Matthew 7:7-12

Ask, Seek, Knock

7:7 “Ask ¹  and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door ²  will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks ³  receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is ⁴  there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ⁵  7:11 If you then, although you are evil, ⁶  know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts ⁷  to those who ask him! 7:12 In ⁸  everything, treat others as you would want them ⁹  to treat you, ¹⁰  for this fulfills ¹¹  the law and the prophets.

[7:7]  ¹ sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.

[7:7]  ² tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.

[7:8]  ³ sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.

[7:9]  ⁴ tn Grk “Or is there.”

[7:10]  ⁵ sn The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”

[7:11]  ⁶ tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.

[7:11]  ⁷ sn The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.

[7:12]  ⁸ tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[7:12]  ⁹ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.

[7:12]  ¹⁰ sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.

[7:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “is.”