Matthew 7:10 (ASV)

Passage

or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;

Matthew 7:10 or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 7:12 All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "fish", "give", and "serpent". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "fish", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "Or what man is there of you..." into verse 11's "If ye then being evil know how...", so "shall" and "fish" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "fish" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.