Matthew 25:44
in Matthew 25And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
KJV
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
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This verse in Matthew 25
Commentary
10 notes on this verseMark how the righteous dwell upon each word, while the unrighteous answer summarily, and not going through the particular instances; for so it becomes the righteous out of humility to disclaim each individual generous action, when imputed to them publicly; whereas bad men excuse their sins, and endeavour to prove them few and venial. And Christ's answer conveys this. And to the righteous He says, In that ye did it to my brethren, to show the greatness of their good deeds; to the sinners He says only, to one of the least of these, not aggravating their sin.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
He could have said to the unrighteous, "I was sick, and you did not visit me; I was in prison, and you did not come to me." Instead he abbreviated his discourse and compressed both phrases into one, saying, "I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit me," for it was proper for a merciful judge to embellish the good deeds of people but to skim over their evil deeds. The righteous, however, dwell on each word, saying, "When did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you drink?" And "when did we see you a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?" Or "when did we see you sick or in prison, and come to you?" For it is characteristic of the righteous, out of humility, studiously to make light of each of their good deeds held up to them. It is as though to the Lord's words, "This, that and the other good thing you did to me," they disavowingly reply, "Neither this, that nor the other thing did we do to you." The unrighteous do not treat each item individually but are quick to say, "When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you, for we ministered the word to you." They refer to everything they did and tend to play down their evil actions, which might appear worse if enumerated one by one, for it is characteristic of wicked people to mention their faults, by way of excuse, as being either nonexistent or few and far between.
Thus convicted by the words of the Judge, they make answer submissively, Lord, when saw we thee &c.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then they also shall answer him. And note that just as the good abbreviate their good deeds, so the wicked abbreviate their faults; hence they say: Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty? etc. They say everything together; in which it is given …
Tremble, then, O man, and understand from this that these men were not punished as fornicators, or robbers, or perpetrators of any other vice, but for not having done good. For indeed, if you consider things well, the robber is he who has much and …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then shall they also answer him,.... As well as the righteous, being likewise astonished at what he had said, but on a different account, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee?
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. That in general which is to be illustrated is, the kingdom of heaven, the state of things under the gospel, the external kingdom of Christ, and the administration and success of it. Some of Christ's parables had shown us what it is like now in the present reception of it, as ch. xiii.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, etc. - It is want of faith which in general produces hard-heartedness to the poor. The man who only sees with eyes of flesh is never likely to discover Christ in the person of a man destitute of the necessaries of life. Some pretend not to know the distressed; because they have no desire to relieve them; but we find that this ignorance will not avail them at the bar of God.
In these verses our Lord Jesus Christ describes the judgment day, and some of its leading circumstances. There are few passages in the whole Bible more solemn and heart-seaching than this. May we read it with the deep and serious attention which it deserves. Let us mark in the first place who will be the judge in the last day. We read that it will be “the Son of Man” Jesus Christ himself.
In these verses our Lord Jesus Christ describes the judgment day, and some of its leading circumstances. There are few passages in the whole Bible more solemn and heart-seaching than this. May we read it with the deep and serious attention which it deserves. Let us mark in the first place who will be the judge in the last day. We read that it will be “the Son of Man” Jesus Christ himself. That same Jesus who was born in the manger of Bethlehem and took upon him the very form of a servant; who was despised and rejected of men and often had not where to lay his head; who was condemned by the princes of this world, beaten, scourged and nailed to the cross—that same Jesus shall himself judge the world when he comes in his glory. To him The Father hath commited all judgment. ( John 5:22 ). To him at last every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord ( Philippians 2:10–11 ). Let believers think of this and take comfort. He that sits upon the throne in that great and dreadful day will be their Saviour, their Shepherd, their High Priest, their elder Brother, their Friend. When they see him they will have no cause to be alarmed. Let unconverted people think of this and be afraid. Their judge will be that very Christ whose Gospel they now despise, and whose gracious invitations they refuse to hear. How great will be their confusion at last if they go on in unbelief and die in their sins! To be condemned in the day of judgment by anyone would be awful; but to be condemned by him who would have saved them will be awful indeed. Well may the psalmist say, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry” ( Psalm 2:12 ). Let us mark in the second place who will be judged on the last day. We read that before Christ “shall be gathered all the nations.”
The words behind it
25 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Τότε | tote | Then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| ἀποκριθήσονται | apokrithesontai | will answer | G611 → | 231 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| αὐτοὶ | autoi | themselves | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λέγοντες· | legontes | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| κύριε, | kurie | Lord, | G2962 → | 711 times |
| πότε | pote | when | G4219 → | 19 times |
| σε | se | You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| εἴδομεν | eidomen | saw we | G1492 → | 374 times |
| πεινῶντα | peinonta | hungering | G3983 → | 23 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| διψῶντα | dipsonta | thirsting | G1372 → | 16 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ξένον | xenon | a stranger | G3581 → | 14 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| γυμνὸν | gumnon | naked | G1131 → | 15 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ἀσθενῆ | asthene | sick | G772 → | 26 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| φυλακῇ | phulakea | prison | G5438 → | 47 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| διηκονήσαμέν | diekonesamen | did minister | G1247 → | 37 times |
| σοι;¶ | soi | to You? | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ΤότεThen
toteG5119 →160 times
ἀποκριθήσονταιwill answer
apokrithesontaiG611 →231 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
αὐτοὶthemselves
autoiG846 →5565 times
λέγοντες·saying;
legontesG3004 →1325 times
κύριε,Lord,
kurieG2962 →711 times
πότεwhen
poteG4219 →19 times
σεYou
seG4771 →2973 times
εἴδομενsaw we
eidomenG1492 →374 times
πεινῶνταhungering
peinontaG3983 →23 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
διψῶνταthirsting
dipsontaG1372 →16 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ξένονa stranger
xenonG3581 →14 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
γυμνὸνnaked
gumnonG1131 →15 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ἀσθενῆsick
astheneG772 →26 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
φυλακῇprison
phulakeaG5438 →47 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
διηκονήσαμένdid minister
diekonesamenG1247 →37 times
σοι;¶to You?
soiG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Malachi 1:6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the…
it leads to
- Luke 6:46
Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I say?
- Isaiah 1:2
Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
- John 13:13–17
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.
- Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- 1 Peter 2:17–19
Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Luke 6:46
Through
Matthew 7:22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
it leads to
- Luke 13:25–27
After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where…
- 1 Corinthians 13:1–2
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
- Malachi 3:17–18
“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
- Luke 13:25–27
Where this verse is studied
About Matthew
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 73; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.