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Matthew 7:7Sermon on the Mount
Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
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Interpretation

Jesus teaches a seeking that is embodied in solitude and community. Matthew 7:7: trace "ask" and "given". Align seeking in small choices no one sees—season power with mercy.

Context

In Matthew (Gospel Narrative), highlighting seeking. Within ch. 7, a small unit frames the emphasis. Watch the terms “ask” and “given”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Matthew to Matthew the disciple (a former tax collector). Critical study of Matthew often concludes: Anonymous in earliest copies; attributed to Matthew in later tradition; reflects Mark and a sayings source.. Scholars commonly date Matthew AD 80–90. Matthew seems aimed at Jewish‑Christian community.. It sits within the Sermon on the Mount (gospel narrative). Catechetical structure appears in the discourse blocks.

More details
Traditional:Matthew the tax collector
Modern scholarship:Anonymous; attributed to Matthew; uses Mark + Q source.
Date:AD 80–90
Audience:Jewish‑Christian community.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
Preserved in all major manuscripts without variation. The triple command (ask, seek, knock) with triple promise appears identically across all witnesses. Papyrus 1 is fragmentary here, but Codex Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and all others agree. The present tense imperatives in Greek, suggesting continuous action, are consistent. The Diatessaron and early fathers confirm this text.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanus