Luke 11:11
◄  Luke 11:11  ►
New International Version (©2011)
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

New Living Translation (©2007)
"You fathers--if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?

English Standard Version (©2001)
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?

International Standard Version (©2012)
What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish?

NET Bible (©2006)
What father among you, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
Which of you is a father whose son will ask him for bread and would hand him a stone, and if he asks him for a fish will, instead of a fish, hand him a snake,”

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"If your child asks you, his father, for a fish, would you give him a snake instead?

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

American King James Version
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

American Standard Version
And of which of you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf, and he give him a stone? or a fish, and he for a fish give him a serpent?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Darby Bible Translation
But of whom of you that is a father shall a son ask bread, and the father shall give him a stone? or also a fish, and instead of a fish shall give him a serpent?

English Revised Version
And of which of you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf, and he give him a stone? or a fish, and he for a fish give him a serpent?

Webster's Bible Translation
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he shall ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Weymouth New Testament
And what father is there among you, who, if his son asks for a slice of bread, will offer him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish offer him a snake?

World English Bible
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won't give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

Young's Literal Translation
'And of which of you -- the father -- if the son shall ask a loaf, a stone will he present to him? and if a fish, will he instead of a fish, a serpent present to him?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:5-13 Christ encourages fervency and constancy in prayer. We must come for what we need, as a man does to his neighbour or friend, who is kind to him. We must come for bread; for that which is needful. If God does not answer our prayers speedily, yet he will in due time, if we continue to pray. Observe what to pray for; we must ask for the Holy Spirit, not only as necessary in order to our praying well, but as all spiritual blessings are included in that one. For by the influences of the Holy Spirit we are brought to know God and ourselves, to repent, believe in, and love Christ, and so are made comfortable in this world, and meet for happiness in the next. All these blessings our heavenly Father is more ready to bestow on every one that asks for them, than an indulgent parent is to give food to a hungry child. And this is the advantage of the prayer of faith, that it quiets and establishes the heart in God.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? The Master keeps on adducing instances of the loving Fatherhood of God. All the while men were thinking hard things of him and his sovereignty. "Children," urged the Savior, "such things, such a cruel part as you would in your dark sad thoughts ascribe to the loving heavenly Father, is simply unthinkable in the case of earthly parents. They never really turn a deaf ear to their children's pleading; think you that your Father which is in heaven will refuse to listen to you when you indeed call on him?"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father,.... Our Lord illustrates and confirms what he had said before by an instance common among men: the relation between a father and a son is natural, and it is very near; and it is usual for a son, when hungry, and at the proper times of meals, to ask bread of his father: and when he does,

will he give him a stone? should he do so, he would show that his heart was as hard, or harder than the stone he gives:

or if he ask a fish, will he, for a fish, give him a serpent? And endeavour to deceive him by the likeness of the one to the other, especially some sort of fish, which would poison or sting him, but not refresh and nourish him: such inhuman brutish parents are not surely to be found; See Gill on Matthew 7:9, Matthew 7:10.

Luke 11:11 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Ask, Seek, Knock
…10For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

Matthew 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
Luke 11:10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?