Matthew 7:10 (GNV)

Passage

Or if he aske fish, wil he giue him a serpent?

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:8 For whosoeuer asketh, receiueth: and he, that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:9 For what man is there among you, which if his sonne aske him bread, woulde giue him a stone?

Matthew 7:10 Or if he aske fish, wil he giue him a serpent?

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, which are euill, can giue to your children good giftes, howe much more shall your Father which is in heauen, giue good thinges to them that aske him?

Matthew 7:12 Therefore whatsoeuer ye woulde that men should doe to you, euen so doe ye to them: for this is the Lawe and the Prophets.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "For what man is there among you..." into verse 11's "If ye then which are euill can...", so "aske" 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 "aske" and "fish" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.