Sermon on Mount, law and fulfillment, visible and hidden, trust and doubt, action and response
Matthew 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Matthew 7:9 Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Surely, Which from among you is a man? This child of his might beg this, a loaf.
We want to give those we love what they need not what is hard.
This statement is clearly humorous but made less so in translation. There is a negative here that is ignored in the KJV and all other translations. Obviously, if you take the negative out of a statement, it reverses it meaning but here it makes it less extreme and eliminates the idea of "wanting" because the negative is one of desire.
The idea anyone being begged for bread secretly wants to give his child a stone as a joke. The word "give" is not the common word but a more formal one with the sense of "bestow upon" which makes the joke funnier. The word "bread" is Jesus's symbol for what our lives depend upon, which isn't just bread. Stone is Jesus's symbol for something hard in a dangerous way but solid in a good way.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "or" does not seem to fit the context. A "surely" would fit better.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "there" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "if" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "son" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "ask" is not in the form of a statement but something that "should" or "might" be done.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "give" has more the sense of "deliver."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "no" in the sense of "not want" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "or" before "which" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "there" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "if" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "son" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "your" should be "of his."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "ask" is not in the form of a statement but something that "should" or "might" be done.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "give" has more the sense of "deliver."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "no" in the sense of "not want" is not shown in the English translation.
Or - (CW) The Greek word translated as "or" could be the conjunction, but it could also be the adverb that means "surely" or "doubtless". The adverbial meaning seems to fit better here. The "or" would indicate that this is an alternative to the previous verse, which it surely isn't.
what - The word translated as "what" means "anything" or "anyone." In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what. Since it begins the phrase, it looks like a question. This is clearer in the Luke version (Luke 11:11) because the form of the Luke version doesn't fit anything but a question in response to a question.
man - The Greek word for "man" in the plural means "person" and "humanity" in the singular when not referring to a single person and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
is - There is no Greek verb "is" here, but it can be assumed because the two words :what" and "man" are both in the form of subjects without a verb.
there -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "there" in the Greek source.
of -- The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases with usually use with "of."
you, - The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners. This makes sense because Christ is asking a question of the crowd.
whom - The word translated as "whom" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this", "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun, especially a connective pronoun introducing a dependent clause.
if - (IW) There is no Greek word for "if" in the Greek source used today. However, the form of the verb indicates something that might happen.
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. " This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
son - The word translated as "son" more generally means "child." This word appears after the "ask" below.
ask - (WF) The verb "ask" is not the simple verb "ask" but a compound form that literally means "ask on". It has shades of meaning from "demand" to "claim." Our words "request" and "beg" work here because it takes a direct object. The word is in a form of possibility so it requires a "might."
bread, - The word translated as "bread" means "small loaf or cake of bread". It is more like a bun today.
will -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
he - -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
give - (CW) The word translated as "give" is not from the normal verb translated as "give" that we saw in Matthew 7:7, but a more complicated word or fancier word meaning "give besides," "deliver," or "bestow." It is in the future tense.
him -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
missing "no"-- (MW) The untranslated word here is the Greek negative, "not," of subjective opinion. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done. If it wasn't done, the objective negative of fact would be used. More about the Greek negative in this article.
stone? - -- The Greek word translated as "stone" means "a stone", "stone as a substance," and various specific types of stones, such as touchstones and altar stones.
missing "surely"-- (MW) The untranslated word "surely" could be the conjunction, "or," but it could also be the adverb that means "surely" or "doubtless". The adverbial meaning seems to fit better here. The "or" would indicate that this is an alternative to the previous verse, which it surely isn't.
Which - The word translated as "which" means "anything" or "anyone." In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what. Since it begins the phrase, it looks like a question. This is clearer in the Luke version (Luke 11:11) because the form of the Luke version doesn't fit anything but a question in response to a question.
missing "man" -- (MW) The intranslated Greek word for "man" in the plural means "person" and "humanity" in the singular when not referring to a single person and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
of -- The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases with usually use with "of."
you, - The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners. This makes sense because Christ is asking a question of the crowd.
missing "that"-- (MW) The untranslated word "that" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this", "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun, especially a connective pronoun introducing a dependent clause.
if - (IW) There is no Greek word for "if" in the Greek source used today. However, the form of the verb indicates something that might happen.
your -- (WW) The word translated as "your" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English, "his." This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
son - The word translated as "son" more generally means "child." This word appears after the "ask" below.
asks - (WF) The verb "ask" is not the simple verb "ask" but a compound form that literally means "ask on". It has shades of meaning from "demand" to "claim." Our words "request" and "beg" work here because it takes a direct object. The word is in a form of possibility so it requires a "might."
for-- This word doesn't exist in the source, but our word "ask" takes a person as a direct object, so this word has to be added.
bread, - The word translated as "bread" means "small loaf or cake of bread". It is more like a bun today.
will -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
he - -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
give - (CW) The word translated as "give" is not from the normal verb translated as "give" that we saw in Matthew 7:7, but a more complicated word or fancier word meaning "give besides," "deliver," or "bestow." It is in the future tense.
him -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
missing "no"-- (MW) The untranslated word here is the Greek negative, "not," of subjective opinion. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done. If it wasn't done, the objective negative of fact would be used. More about the Greek negative in this article.
stone? - -- The Greek word translated as "stone" means "a stone", "stone as a substance," and various specific types of stones, such as touchstones and altar stones.
ἢ (conj) "Or" is e which is a particle meaning "either", "or," or "than." OR (adv) "Or" is from e which means "surely, "doubtless".
τίς (irreg sg masc nom) "What" is from tis which can mean "someone", "any one", "everyone", "they [indefinite]", "many a one", "whoever", "anyone", "anything", "some sort", "some sort of", "each", "any", "the individual", "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what."
ἐξ (prep) "There of" is from ek, which means 1) [of motion] "out of", "from", "by", "away from;" 2) [of place] "beyond", "outside of", "beyond;" 3) [of succession] "after", "from;" 4) [of rest] "on", "in," 5) [of time] "since", "from", "at", "in;" 5) [of materials] "out of", "made from."
ὑμῶν (pron 2nd pl gen ) "You" is from humon, a plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."
ἄνθρωπος, (noun sg masc nom ) "Man" is from anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.
ὃν (pron sg mask acc) "Whom" is from hos, which means "this", "that", "he", "she", "which", "what", "who", "whosoever", "where", "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
αἰτήσει (3rd sg aor subj act) "Ask" is from aiteo, which means "to ask", "to demand", "to beg", "to claim," and "to ask for one's own use."
ὁ (article sg masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). --
υἱὸς (noun sg masc nom) "Son" is from huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child."
αὐτοῦ (adj sg masc gen) "His" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."
ἄρτον (noun sg masc acc) "Bread" is from artos, which means specifically a "cake of whole wheat bread," and generally "loaf," and "bread."
—μὴ (partic) Untranslated is me, which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no."
λίθον (noun sg masc acc) "The stone" is lithos which means "a stone", "stone as a substance," and various specific types of stones, such as touchstones, and altar stones.
ἐπιδώσει (3rd sg fut ind act) "Will he give" is from epididōmi which means to "give besides", "give afterwards", "contribute as a `benevolence'", "give freely", "bestow", "give oneself up", "devote oneself", "give into another's hands", "deliver", "take as one's witness", "increase", "advance", "improve", "give in," and "give way."
αὐτῷ; (adj sg masc dat) "Him" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."
The word "bread" is Jesus's symbol for what our lives depend upon, which isn't just bread. Stone is Jesus's symbol for something hard in a dangerous way but solid in a good way.
The Master signaled for them both to come to him in front of the crowd.
“You want be to bring up the boy to?” the father asked uncertainly.
“Certainly!” the Teacher responded warmly.
As they stood, we saw that the man was dressed as a typical Galilean fisherman, like many of the Master’s own students. As part of the fisher community, it was inevitable that we witnesses would eventually learn their names. The father’s name was Seelos, and the boy was named Fentos.
The Nazarene greeted them as they joined him. Then he stood the father to his left and the boy to his right and addressed the crowd. \
“From him,” the Teacher said, putting one hand on Seelos’s shoulder. “Might this child of his,” he asked, putting his other hand on Fentos’s shoulder, “request this bread?”
The Master pulled out a palm-sized loaf from his robe and held it up, . waiting for our answer.
“Sure he would!”
“Of course!”
“That’s what growing boys do!”
Then the Master bent over and picked up something from the ground. Then he addressed the crowd again.
“No stone,” the Teacher said, lifting up a stone to show us. Then he indicated Seelos and asked us seriously, “Will he want to bestow upon him?”
He made a show of presenting the rock ceremonially to the boy as he used the more formal “bestow” rather than the simple “give.”
Seelos, Fentos, and the rest of us looked at the stone and laughed at his formality.