Matthew 25:40

American Standard Version (1901)

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Βασιλεὺς ἐρεῖ αὐτοῖς, Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, Ἐφʼ ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε.

Transliteration

And apokritheis the Basileus erei to them, Amēn legō to you, To the extent epoiēsate to one of these of the adelphōn of me the elachistōn, to me epoiēsate.

Grammar Details

• *apokritheis*: aorist passive participle, nominative masculine singular - having answered
• *basileus*: nominative masculine singular - king
• *erei*: future active indicative, 3rd person singular - will say
• *amēn*: Hebrew transliteration - truly/certainly
• *legō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I say
• *epoiēsate*: aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural - you did
• *adelphōn*: genitive masculine plural - of brothers
• *elachistōn*: genitive masculine plural - of least

Word Meanings

• *apokritheis*: having answered/replied/responded
• *basileus*: king/ruler/sovereign
• *erei*: will say/tell/speak
• *amēn*: truly/certainly/verily
• *legō*: I say/tell/speak
• *epoiēsate*: you did/performed/accomplished
• *adelphōn*: brothers/siblings/fellow believers
• *elachistōn*: least/smallest/most insignificant

Referenced Verses

• Prov 19:17 : 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto Jehovah, And his good deed will he pay him again.
• Matt 10:42 : 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward.
• Prov 14:31 : 31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; But he that hath mercy on the needy honoreth him.
• Mark 9:41 : 41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ's, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
• Gal 5:6 : 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.
• 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:
• 1 John 4:7-9 : 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:
• 1 John 4:20-5:2 : 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. 21 And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments.
• Heb 6:10 : 10 for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.
• 1 John 3:14-19 : 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him? 18 [ My] Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth. 19 Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him:
• Gal 5:22 : 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• John 21:15-17 : 15 So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again a second time, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
• Acts 9:4-5 : 4 and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he [said], I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
• Matt 18:5-6 : 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: 6 But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and [that] he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
• Matt 25:34 : 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
• Matt 10:40 : 40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
• Prov 25:6-7 : 6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen.
• 2 Sam 9:1 : 1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
• 2 Sam 9:7 : 7 And David said unto him, Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
• Matt 28:10 : 10 Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not: go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
• John 19:26-27 : 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold, thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own [home] .
• John 20:17 : 17 Jesus saith to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.
• Eph 5:30 : 30 because we are members of his body.
• 1 Thess 4:9-9 : 9 But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; 10 for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;
• 1 Cor 16:21-22 : 21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. 22 If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema. Maranatha.
• 2 Cor 4:5 : 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
• 2 Cor 5:14-15 : 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.
• Gal 5:13 : 13 For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only [use] not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.
• 2 Cor 8:7-9 : 7 But as ye abound in everything, [in] faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and [in] all earnestness, and [in] your love to us, [see] that ye abound in this grace also. [ 8 I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.
• Heb 2:11-15 : 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, In the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me. 14 Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
• Rom 8:29 : 29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
• Mark 3:34-35 : 34 And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
• Matt 18:10 : 10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
• Matt 12:49-50 : 49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.