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:
- BSB If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is 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;
- 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 12:20–21Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
- Matt 5:44But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
- Exod 23:4–5“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
- Prov 24:17Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;
- Luke 10:33–36But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
- 2 Chr 28:15The men who have been mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the plunder clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them, gave them sandals, and gave them something to eat and to drink, anointed them, carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.
- 2 Kgs 6:22He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.