For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Parallel translations
- WEB For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.
- KJV For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
- NKJV ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
- NASB “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
- NLT To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
To everyone who has, more will be given; from the one without, even what he has is taken. Faithful use of God's gifts brings increase, neglect brings loss.
Overview
This kingdom principle explains the master's action: genuine faith and faithfulness grow and are entrusted with more. Empty profession, having nothing real to build on, loses even its appearance. The saying recurs in the Gospels as a law of God's economy. It urges believers to use diligently what God has given, lest it be forfeited.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Luke 8:18Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
- Matt 13:12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
- Mark 4:25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
- Luke 19:25–26‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’
- John 15:2He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
- Luke 10:42But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”
- Rev 2:5Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
- Luke 16:9–12I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
- Luke 16:1–3Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
- Luke 12:19–21Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
- Matt 21:41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
- Lam 2:6He has laid waste His tabernacle like a garden booth; He has destroyed His place of meeting. The LORD has made Zion forget her appointed feasts and Sabbaths. In His fierce anger He has despised both king and priest.
- Luke 16:20–25And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores
- John 11:48If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
- Hos 2:9Therefore I will take back My grain in its time and My new wine in its season; I will take away My wool and linen, which were given to cover her nakedness.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 25:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.