Matthew 25:43 Meaning and Explanation
“I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The omissions continue: the stranger not taken in, the naked not clothed, the sick and imprisoned not visited.
What Does Matthew 25:43 Mean?
The indictment completes the six needs — shelter, clothing, presence — each followed by not. The symmetry with verses 35 and 36 is exact and deliberate. The condemned had every opportunity the blessed had: the same world of need standing at the same door.
Nothing in the charge required wealth or heroism; the poorest person alive can visit a prisoner. That is what makes the verse so searching, and, read in time, so hopeful. The standard of the King is within reach of everyone today: someone nearby is the stranger, the sick, the confined. For the reader, the list is not yet a verdict. It is an invitation still open.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 25:43
What does Matthew 25:43 mean?
The omissions continue: the stranger not taken in, the naked not clothed, the sick and imprisoned not visited.