Matthew 13 · Verse 12

Matthew 13:12

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Matthew 13:12, King James Version

Matthew 13:12 in other translations

BSBWhoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
WEBFor whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.
ASVFor whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
YLTfor whoever hath, it shall be given to him, and he shall have overabundance, and whoever hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken from him.
DARBYfor whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall be caused to be in abundance; but he who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
BBEBecause whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have more; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
WebsterFor whoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.

What does Matthew 13:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. For whosoever hath--that is, keeps; as a thing which he values. to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance--He will be rewarded by an increase of what he so much prizes. but whosoever hath not--who lets this go or lie unused, as a thing on which he sets no value. from him shall be taken away even that he hath--or as it is in Luke (Lu 8:18), "what he seemeth to have," or, thinketh he hath. This is a principle of immense importance, and, like other weighty sayings, appears to have been uttered by our Lord on more than one occasion, and in different connections. (See on Mt 25:9). As a great ethical principle, we see it in operation everywhere, under the general law of habit; in virtue of which moral principles become stronger by exercise, while by disuse, or the exercise of their contraries, they wax weaker, and at length expire. The same principle reigns in the intellectual world, and even in the animal--if not in the vegetable also--as the facts of physiology sufficiently prove. Here, however, it is viewed as a divine ordination, as a judicial retribution in continual operation under the divine administration.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 12. Whosoever hath, etc. This is a proverbial mode of speaking. It means that a man who improves what light, grace, and opportunities he has, shall have them increased. From him that improves them not, it is proper that they should be taken away. The Jews had many opportunities of learning the truth, and some light still lingered among them. But they were gross and sensual, and misimproved them, and it was a just judgment that they should be deprived of them. Superior knowledge was given to the disciples of Christ; they improved it, however slowly, and the promise was that it should be greatly increased.

(b) "For whosoever" Mt 25:29, Lk 9:26

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Whosoever hath, to him shall be given - This is an allusion to a common custom in all countries: he who possesses much or is rich, to such a person, presents are ordinarily given. Whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath - That is, the poor man: he that has little may be easily made a prey of, and so lose his little. This is a proper sense of the word εχειν in sacred and profane writers. In 1Cor 11:22, τους μη εχοντας, those who have not, means simply The Poor: and Aristophanes uses τους εχοντας, those that have, for the Rich or Opulent. See a variety of pertinent examples in Kypke on Luk 8:18. There is one example in Juvenal, Sat. iii. l. 208, 209, that expresses the whole of our Lords meaning, and is a beautiful illustration of this apparently difficult passage. Nil habuit Codrus: quis enim negat? et tamen illud Perdidit infelix Totum Nil. "'Tis true, poor Codrus Nothing had to boast, And yet poor Codrus All that Nothing lost." Dryden Now what was this Nothing which, the poet said, Codrus had and lost? The five preceding lines tell you. Lectus erat Codro Procula minor, urceoli sex, Ornamentum abaci; necnon et parvulus infra Cantharus, et recubans sub eodem marmore Chiron; Jamque vetus Graecos servabat cista libellos, Et divina Opici rodebant carmina mures He had one small bed, six little pitchers, the ornament of a side-board; a small jug or tankard, the image of a centaur, and an old chest with some Greek books in it, on which the mice had already begun to make depredations. And all this he lost; probably by continuing, in spite of his destiny, to be a poet. So those who devote not the light and power which God has given them to the purposes for which he has granted these gifts, from them shall be taken away these unemployed or prostituted blessings. This seems to have been a proverbial mode of speech, which our Lord here uses to inform his disciples, that he who does not improve the first operations of grace, howsoever small, is in danger of losing not only all the possible product, but even the principal; for God delights to heap benefits on those who properly improve them. See the note on Luk 8:18.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 13:1-23

The parable of the tares. (24-30; 36-43) The parables of the mustard-seed and the leaven. (31-35) The parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the net cast into the sea, and the householder. (44-52) Jesus is again rejected at Nazareth. (53-58) Verses 1-23 Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward…

Read the full comment on Matthew 13:1-23 →

Matthew 13:12 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὅστιςhostisWhoeverG3748
γὰρgarforG1063
ἔχει,echeihas,G2192
δοθήσεταιdothēsetaiwill be givenG1325
αὐτῷautōto himG846
καὶkaiandG2532
περισσευθήσεται·perisseuthēsetaiwill be abundant [to him]G4052
ὅστιςhostiswhoeverG3748
δὲdenowG1161
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔχει,echeihas,G2192
καὶkaievenG2532
ὃhowhatG3739
ἔχειecheihe hasG2192
ἀρθήσεταιarthēsetaiwill be taken awayG142
ἀπ᾽ap᾽fromG575
αὐτοῦ.autouhim.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 13:12

  • Matthew 25:29

    For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

  • Mark 4:24-25

    And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

  • Luke 8:18

    Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

  • Luke 19:24-26

    And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

  • John 15:2-5

    Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

  • Revelation 2:5

    Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

  • Matthew 21:43

    Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

  • Isaiah 5:4-7

    What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

  • Luke 16:25

    But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

  • Luke 10:42

    But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

  • Luke 9:26

    For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

  • Revelation 3:15-16

    I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
For whosoever.
25:29; Mr 4:24,25; Lu 8:18; 9:26; 19:24-26; Joh 15:2-5
from.
21:43; Isa 5:4-7; Mr 12:9; Lu 10:42; 12:20,21; 16:2,25; Re 2:5
Re 3:15,16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 13:11

    He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

  • Matthew 13:12

    For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

  • Matthew 13:13

    Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Read all of Matthew 13

Matthew 13:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque á cualquiera que tiene, se le dará, y tendrá más; pero al que no tiene, aun lo que tiene le será quitado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car à quiconque a, il sera donné, et il sera dans l’abondance; mais à quiconque n’a pas, cela même qu’il a sera ôté.
German
Elberfelder 1871		denn wer da hat, dem wird gegeben werden, und er wird Überfluß haben; wer aber nicht hat, von dem wird selbst, was er hat, genommen werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui enim habet, dabitur ei, et abundabit: qui autem non habet, et quod habet auferetur ab eo.