Matthew 7:10 (DRB)

Passage

Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach 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 among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone?

Matthew 7:10 Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?

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

Matthew 7:12 All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "fish", "reach", 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 among you..." into verse 11's "If you 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.