Matthew 25:42 Meaning and Explanation
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The King gives the reason: when he was hungry and thirsty, they gave him nothing.
What Does Matthew 25:42 Mean?
The same list returns, negated. The condemned are not charged with violence or blasphemy or fraud, but with absence: no food, no drink. The needs were the very needs the righteous met; the only difference is that nothing was done.
Judgment here falls on omission, the good withheld (James 4:17). It is a searching standard, because omission requires no malice — only preoccupation. Hunger passed by each day on the way to other things becomes, at the throne, the hunger of the King. The verse does not aim to crush but to waken: the needs are still all around us, and so is the chance to answer them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 25:42
What does Matthew 25:42 mean?
The King gives the reason: when he was hungry and thirsty, they gave him nothing.