Matthew 7:9 (KJV)

Passage

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

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, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Matthew 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he 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 which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "For every one that asketh receiveth and..." into verse 10's "Or if he ask a fish will...", so "bread" and "give" 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 "bread" and "give" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.