Ask and you will be given

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The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 7 - 12

Another mostly simple section with no unusual words but note the contrast to imperatives to future passive and the syntax in verses 9 and 10 and the parallelism too! Also note how Matthew uses accusative where other writers might use dative !

Verse 7 note the parallelism
a kind of rhyme prose influenced by Hebrew literature

Ask and to you will be given
Seek and you will find
Knock and it will be opened

verse 8

all for the person who aks he receives
and the seeker finds
and to for the knocker (on a door)  it will be opened

verse 9
or who is of you a man  /  or is there any man of you or even amongst you
whom asks the son of him (for implied by accusative) bread arton
not he a stone gives to him = he does not give him a stone
do not be confused by mee the negative being at the beginning

Parallelism again ! Altered syntax for Rhetorical effect!
You can do this in Greek and still be "grammatical" !

verse 10
or and / also a fish  accusative as object he will ask (for)
not a snake he will give to him ?

rhetorical question and next some irony ?

also note here how asking is linked to giving giving to others
 not just asking for your self?

(by the way folks I'm breaking up the sentences
for the benefit of anyone reading on a small screen
less scrolling across)

verse 11

if therefore you wretched beings know gifts good to give to the children of you
how much more the father of you in the heavens will give good (things) to those who ask him

But this isnt just an invitation to ask for miracles for ourselves or trust in god

the section ends with a reminder we should take action ourselves!

verse 12

all therefore so what/ when / ever you wish
that they would do to you the people
so and you (should) this is a contract verb so this may not be a conditional subjunctive ? or if conditional a condition to be fulfilled)  should do to them

this for is the law and the prophets

do good things for others of you want good things for yourself

Ask and Give !

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