Proverbs 25:21

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אִם־רָעֵ֣ב שֹׂ֭נַאֲךָ הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּ לָ֑חֶם וְאִם־צָ֝מֵ֗א הַשְׁקֵ֥הוּ מָֽיִם׃

Transliteration

If-rāʿēb śōnaʾăkā haʾăkîlēhû lāḥem and-if-ṣāmēʾ hašqēhû māyim

Grammar Details

*ʾim*: conjunction - if
*rāʿēb*: adjective, masculine singular - hungry
*śōnaʾăkā*: qal participle, masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - one hating you
*haʾăkîlēhû*: hiphil imperative, masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - cause him to eat
*lāḥem*: noun, masculine singular - bread
*wĕ*: conjunction - and
*ṣāmēʾ*: adjective, masculine singular - thirsty
*hašqēhû*: hiphil imperative, masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - cause him to drink
*māyim*: noun, masculine plural - water

Word Meanings

*rāʿēb*: hungry/famished
*śōnaʾăkā*: one hating you/your enemy/your foe
*haʾăkîlēhû*: cause him to eat/feed him
*lāḥem*: bread/food
*ṣāmēʾ*: thirsty
*hašqēhû*: cause him to drink/give him drink
*māyim*: water

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Exod 23:4-5 : 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt forbear to leave him, thou shalt surely release [it] with him.
Matt 5:44 : 44 but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
Rom 12:20-21 : 20 But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Prov 24:17 : 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;
2 Chr 28:15 : 15 And the men that have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
Luke 10:33-36 : 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34 and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on [them] oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, {G846} Take care of him; and whatsoever {G302} thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. 36 Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?
2 Kgs 6:22 : 22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Rom 12:19-21
3 verses
88%
19Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.
20But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.
21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Prov 25:22
81%
22For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, And Jehovah will reward thee.
Job 22:7
75%
7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Matt 5:42-44
3 verses
73%
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy:
44but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
Matt 25:35
72%
35for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
Matt 25:42
72%
42for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink;
Exod 23:4-5
2 verses
71%
4If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
5If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt forbear to leave him, thou shalt surely release [it] with him.
Isa 58:10
71%
10and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday;
Prov 11:25
71%
25The liberal soul shall be made fat; And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Ps 80:5
71%
5Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in large measure.
Matt 25:37
71%
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
Prov 22:9
71%
9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Luke 6:35
70%
35But love your enemies, and do [them] good, and lend, never despairing; {G560} and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
Prov 24:17
70%
17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;
Luke 6:27
70%
27But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,
Deut 28:48
69%
48therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies that Jehovah shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Prov 25:17
69%
17Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor's house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.
2 Kgs 6:22
69%
22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
1 Sam 24:19
69%
19For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.
Isa 58:7
69%
7Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Prov 25:20
69%
20[ As] one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, [and as] vinegar upon soda, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
Luke 6:29-31
3 verses
69%
29To him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also.
30Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Prov 23:6-7
2 verses
69%
6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties:
7For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
Ps 7:4
68%
4If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary;)
Prov 3:30
68%
30Strive not with a man without cause, If he have done thee no harm.
Matt 5:40
68%
40And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
Prov 24:29
68%
29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.
Prov 23:2
68%
2And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite.
Isa 21:14
68%
14Unto him that was thirsty they brought water; the inhabitants of the land of Tema did meet the fugitives with their bread.
Prov 6:30
68%
30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry:
Job 20:23
68%
23When he is about to fill his belly, [God] will cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, And will rain it upon him while he is eating.
Mark 9:41
68%
41For 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.
Prov 16:7
68%
7When a man's ways please Jehovah, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Ezek 18:16
68%
16neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
Ezek 18:7
68%
7and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken nought by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
Exod 22:5
67%
5If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
Ps 55:12
67%
12For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have borne it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him:
2 Thess 3:15
67%
15And [yet] count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
1 Kgs 22:27
67%
27and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
Isa 1:19
67%
19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Matt 10:42
67%
42And 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.