For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,
Parallel translations
- WEB for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;
- KJV For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
- NKJV for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
- NASB for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
- NLT For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.
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
He charges that they gave him no food or drink when he was in need. Their lack of mercy exposes a heart without true faith.
Overview
The King indicts those on the left for failing to show even basic compassion. Their omission, not gross crimes, reveals the absence of living faith. As mercy marked the righteous, its absence marks the lost. The verse warns that a faith producing no love for the needy is not genuine faith at all.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Jas 2:15–24Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
- 1 Cor 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
- Matt 12:30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
- John 5:23so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
- 2 Th 1:8in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- 1 Jn 4:20If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
- 1 Jn 3:14–17We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
- John 8:42–44Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.
- Matt 10:37–38Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
- John 14:21Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
- Matt 25:35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,
- Amos 6:6You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 25:42 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.