Luke 11:13
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
The conclusion of Jesus' teaching on prayer, arguing from the goodness of imperfect human parents to the far greater generosity of the heavenly Father.
What Does Luke 11:13 Mean?
Jesus crowns His teaching on prayer with a powerful argument from the lesser to the greater. Even flawed human parents, He says, know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more, then, will the perfect heavenly Father give good gifts -- here named as the Holy Spirit -- to those who ask Him? The reasoning moves from what we know of imperfect human love to the far greater love of God.
The phrase "being evil" is not meant to call all parents wicked, but to acknowledge human imperfection in contrast to God's pure goodness. Even with our flaws, we naturally want to give our children what is good. If that is true of us, the goodness of the heavenly Father is beyond comparison. The crowning gift Jesus names is the Holy Spirit -- the greatest of all gifts, God giving His very presence and power to His children. This shows that the highest answer to prayer is not merely things we want, but God Himself drawing near to help, guide, and strengthen us. The whole passage on prayer culminates here: we are invited to ask, and we are assured that the One we ask is a Father whose generosity far exceeds the best of human love. We can pray boldly because of who God is.
In the Original Language
The phrase poso mallon -- "how much more" -- drives the argument from lesser to greater. The good gifts (domata agatha) culminate in the gift of the Holy Spirit (Pneuma Hagion).
Cross References
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
- Matthew 7:11
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
- James 1:17
“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”
- Psalms 103:13
Application
Pray boldly to a Father whose generosity far surpasses the best human love, and seek above all the gift of His Spirit.