Matthew 25:40

World English Bible (2000)

"The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to 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 who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him.
• Matt 10:42 : 42 Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward."
• Prov 14:31 : 31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
• Mark 9:41 : 41 For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.
• Gal 5:6 : 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
• 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, 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 everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. 8 He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love. 9 By this God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
• 1 John 4:20-5:2 : 20 If a man says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn't love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother. 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
• Heb 6:10 : 10 For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.
• 1 John 3:14-19 : 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn't love his brother remains in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? 18 My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,
• Gal 5:22 : 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
• John 21:15-17 : 15 So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?" Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, "Do you have affection for me?" He said to him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
• Acts 9:4-5 : 4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He said, "Who are you, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
• Matt 18:5-6 : 5 Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.
• Matt 25:34 : 34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
• Matt 10:40 : 40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
• Prov 25:6-7 : 6 Don't exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men; 7 for it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.
• 2 Sam 9:1 : 1 David said, "Is there yet any who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
• 2 Sam 9:7 : 7 David said to him, "Don't be afraid of him; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You shall eat bread at my table continually."
• Matt 28:10 : 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."
• John 19:26-27 : 26 Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
• John 20:17 : 17 Jesus said to her, "Don't hold me, for I haven't yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
• Eph 5:30 : 30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
• 1 Thess 4:9-9 : 9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 10 for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;
• 1 Cor 16:21-22 : 21 This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand. 22 If any man doesn't love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Come, Lord!
• 2 Cor 4:5 : 5 For we don't preach 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 constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died. 15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.
• Gal 5:13 : 13 For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don't use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.
• 2 Cor 8:7-9 : 7 But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace. 8 I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.
• Heb 2:11-15 : 11 For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, "I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." 13 Again, "I will put my trust in him." Again, "Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me." 14 Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
• Rom 8:29 : 29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
• Mark 3:34-35 : 34 Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
• Matt 18:10 : 10 See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
• Matt 12:49-50 : 49 He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."