If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Parallel translations
- WEB If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:
- KJV If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
- NKJV If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
- NASB If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
- NLT If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to 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
If your enemy is hungry or thirsty, feed and give him drink. Repay hostility with kindness.
Overview
This remarkable command to do good to one's enemy is quoted by Paul in Romans 12:20 as the believer's response to evil. It overturns the instinct of revenge with active love. It anticipates Jesus' fuller teaching to love enemies and reflects God's own kindness toward sinners (Matt 5:44; Rom 5:8).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Rom 12:20–21On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
- Matt 5:44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- Exod 23:4–5If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.
- Prov 24:17Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
- Luke 10:33–36But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion.
- 2 Chr 28:15Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.
- 2 Kgs 6:22“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 25:21 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 Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.