Matthew 7:10 (WEB)
Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
Catechism · 1
“He can ask us to "seek" and to "knock," since he himself is the door and the way.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 7:7-11, 13-14.
Fathers and councils · 18
Cyprian of Carthage
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him?”” — editor's note: Matt. vii. 9–11.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Or if he ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” — editor's note: Matt. vii. 7–10.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
As above He had cited the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, that our hopes may rise from the less to the greater; so also does He in this place, when He says, “Or what man among you?”
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Lest perchance any one considering how great is the difference between God and man, and weighing his own sins should despair of obtaining, and so never take in hand to ask; therefore He proposes a comparison of the…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
There are two things behoveful for one that prays; that he ask earnestly; and that he ask such things as he ought to ask. And those are spiritual things; as Solomon, because he asked such things as were right,…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
And what are the things that we ought to ask, he shews under the likeness of a loaf, and a fish. The loaf is the word concerning the knowledge of God the Father. The stone is all falsehood that has a stumbling-block…
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
By the fish we may understand the word concerning Christ, by the serpent the Devil himself. Or by the loaf may be understood spiritual doctrine; by the stone ignorance; by the fish the water of Holy Baptism; by the…
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or; bread which is the common food signifies charity, without which the other virtues are of no avail. The fish signifies faith, which is born of the water of baptism, is tossed in the midst of the waves of this life…
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
The sense therefore is: we need not fear that should we ask of God our Father bread, that is doctrine or love, He will give us a stone; that is, that He will suffer our heart to be contracted either by the frost of…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
This He said not detracting from human nature, nor confessing the whole human race to be evil; but He calls paternal love “evil” when compared with His own goodness. Such is the superabundance of His love towards men.
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Because in comparison of God who is preeminently good, all men seem to be evil, as all light shews dark when compared with the sun.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or perhaps he called the Apostles evil, in their person condemning the whole human race, whose heart is set to evil from his infancy, as we read in Genesis. Nor is it any wonder that He should call this generation,…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or He calls “evil” those who are lovers of this age; [margin note: Eph 5:16] whence also the good things which they give are to be called good according to their sense who esteem them as good; nay, even in the nature…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
For that good thing which makes men good is God. Gold and silver are good things not as making you good, but as with them you may do good. If then we be evil, yet as having a Father who is good let us not remain ever…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
If then we being evil, know how to give that which is asked of us, how much more is it to be hoped that God will give us good things when we ask Him?
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
He says “good things,” because God does not give all things to them that ask Him, but only good things.
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
For from God we receive only such things as are good, of what kind soever they may seem to us when we receive them; for all things work together for good to His beloved.
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
And be it known that where Matthew says, “He shall give good things,” Luke has, “shall give his Holy Spirit.” [Luke 11:13] But this ought not to seem contrary, because all the good things which man receives from God,…
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Cross-references · 4
Parallel passages
Matthew 7:10 and Luke 11:11 share the same wording (11 words).
Cited together with
Cited together in Rabanus Maurus on Matthew 7:9–11 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Remigius of Auxerre on Matthew 7:9–11 (3) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 7:9–11 (2) (Catena Aurea).