Matthew 7:9
New International Version
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

New Living Translation
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?

English Standard Version
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Berean Standard Bible
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

Berean Literal Bible
Or which man is among you who, if his son will ask for bread, will give him a stone?

King James Bible
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

New King James Version
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

New American Standard Bible
Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone?

NASB 1995
“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?

NASB 1977
“Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?

Legacy Standard Bible
Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?

Amplified Bible
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will [instead] give him a stone?

Christian Standard Bible
Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

American Standard Version
Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;

Contemporary English Version
Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread?

English Revised Version
Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"If your child asks you for bread, would any of you give him a stone?

Good News Translation
Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread?

International Standard Version
"There isn't a person among you who would give his son a stone if he asked for bread, is there?

Majority Standard Bible
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

NET Bible
Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

New Heart English Bible
Or who is there among you, who, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone?

Webster's Bible Translation
Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask bread, will give him a stone?

Weymouth New Testament
What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone?

World English Bible
Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Or what man is of you, of whom, if his son may ask [for] a loaf—a stone will he present to him?

Berean Literal Bible
Or which man is among you who, if his son will ask for bread, will give him a stone?

Young's Literal Translation
'Or what man is of you, of whom, if his son may ask a loaf -- a stone will he present to him?

Smith's Literal Translation
Or what man is of you, which, if his son ask bread, he will not give him a stone?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Or what man is there among you, who, if his son were to ask him for bread, would offer him a stone;

New American Bible
Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,

New Revised Standard Version
Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Or who is the man among you, who when his son asks him for bread, why, will he hand him a stone?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And who is the man among you whose son will ask him for bread and will hand him a stone?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
What man is there of you, of whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Godbey New Testament
What man is there of you, whom, if his son shall ask bread, he will give him a stone?

Haweis New Testament
What man is there of you, of whom if his son ask a loaf, will he give him a stone?

Mace New Testament
is there any of you that would offer his son a stone when he ask'd for bread?

Weymouth New Testament
What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone?

Worrell New Testament
Or what man is there of you who, if his son shall ask him for bread, will give him a stone?

Worsley New Testament
Is there any man among you, who, if his son ask him for bread, will give him a stone?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ask, Seek, Knock
8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?…

Cross References
Luke 11:11-13
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? / Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? / So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

Psalm 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Proverbs 3:27
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.

Isaiah 49:15
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

Hebrews 12:9-10
Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live? / Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.

1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.

Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:8-10
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. / As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” / Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Psalm 34:10
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.


Treasury of Scripture

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Luke 11:11-13
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? …

Jump to Previous
Bread Loaf Makes Offer Present Request Stone
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Bread Loaf Makes Offer Present Request Stone
Matthew 7
1. Do Not Judge
7. Ask, Seek, Knock
13. Enter through the Narrow Gate
15. A Tree and Its Fruit
24. The Wise and the Foolish Builders
28. Jesus ends his sermon, and the people are astonished.














Which of you
This phrase invites personal reflection and introspection. In the original Greek, "τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν" (tis ex hymōn) directly addresses the audience, making the question personal and immediate. It challenges the listener to consider their own actions and character. Historically, this rhetorical question would have resonated deeply with Jesus' audience, who were familiar with the responsibilities and expectations of parenthood within their cultural context.

if his son
The mention of "his son" emphasizes the familial relationship and the natural love and care expected between a parent and child. The Greek word "υἱός" (huios) signifies not just a biological relationship but also a position of privilege and affection. In the Jewish tradition, sons were seen as heirs and continuations of the family line, underscoring the importance of providing for them.

asks for bread
Bread, or "ἄρτον" (arton) in Greek, is a staple of life, symbolizing basic sustenance and provision. In the historical context of first-century Judea, bread was a daily necessity, and its provision was a fundamental duty of a parent. This request for bread represents a legitimate and essential need, highlighting the natural expectation of a positive response from a loving parent.

will give him a stone?
The contrast between bread and a stone is stark and intentional. The Greek word for stone, "λίθον" (lithon), represents something inedible and useless in the context of nourishment. This rhetorical question underscores the absurdity of a parent responding to a child's need with something harmful or inadequate. In the broader scriptural context, this analogy illustrates God's goodness and reliability in providing for His children, contrasting human fallibility with divine perfection.

(9) Or what man is there of you.--The meaning of the illustrations is obvious enough, yet their homeliness is noticeable as addressed to the peasants of Galilee, who found in fish and bread, as in the miracles of the Five thousand and the Four thousand, the staple of their daily food.

Verses 9, 10. - Or what man is there of you, etc.? Or. Is not what I say true? or - if you think not - what man of you yourselves would act otherwise towards his own son? Our Lord appeals to the experience and natural feelings of his hearers themselves to emphasize the readiness of the Father - "your Father," whose nature you share, and from whom you derive your feelings of fatherhood (Ephesians 3:15) - to grant the prayers of his children. Observe:

(1) Our Lord assumes that our natural feelings are of the same kind as God's.

(2) Our Lord speaks of God's children asking him for gifts (cf. Matthew 5:16, note).

(3) Our Lord does not suggest, "Will he absolutely refuse him?" but "Will he give him something which is an answer in appearance only (a stone for bread, a serpent for a fish)?" i.e. our Lord implies that God's gifts, like an earthly father's to his son, are such as really and completely to satisfy the need which is expressing itself. A blessed encouragement, for he will thus answer the underlying desire, though not necessarily the verbal expression of the prayer. So when Monica prayed that her son might not sail to Rome, God did not grant this, but gave her "the hinge of her desire," for it was Augustine's journey to Italy that was the means of his conversion (Aug., 'Conf.,' 5:15). Bread... fish. The most usual food on the Lake of Galilee (cf. Matthew 14:17; John 6:9; cf. Matthew 4:3, note).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Which
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

of
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

you,
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

if his
ὃν (hon)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

son
υἱὸς (huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

asks for
αἰτήσει (aitēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 154: To ask, request, petition, demand. Of uncertain derivation; to ask.

bread,
ἄρτον (arton)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 740: Bread, a loaf, food. From airo; bread or a loaf.

will give
ἐπιδώσει (epidōsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1929: (a) trans: I hand in, give up, (b) intrans: I give way (to the wind). From epi and didomi; to give over.

him
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

a stone?
λίθον (lithon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3037: A stone; met: of Jesus as the chief stone in a building. Apparently a primary word; a stone.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 7:9 Or who is there among you who (Matt. Mat Mt)
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