Luke · Chapter 11 · Prayer
Luke 11:9 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
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Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you."
KJV · King James Version
"And2504 I say3004 unto you5213, Ask154, and2532 it shall be given1325 you5213; seek2212, and2532 ye shall find2147; knock2925, and2532 it shall be opened455 unto you5213."
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses say, unto, ask, shall, while the WEB renders these as tell, keep, asking, will. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
Luke 11:9 in Luke 11
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Luke 11:9 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Luke 11. Read the full chapter →
- v.7 and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’?
- v.8 I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.
- v.9 “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.
- v.10 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
- v.11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
Book background
About the Book of Luke
- Testament
- New Testament
- Genre
- Gospel
- Author
- Luke, the physician and travelling companion of Paul
- Date written
- c. 60–62 AD
- Audience
- Theophilus and Gentile Christians broadly
- Chapters
- 24
Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. He uniquely records the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the rich man and Lazarus; the Magnificat and Benedictus; and Jesus' special concern for women, the poor, and the marginalised.
Setting: A careful historical investigation (1:1-4); paired with Acts.
Key themes: saviour for all · compassion · prayer · Holy Spirit · reversal
Memorisation aid
How to memorise Luke 11:9
Luke 11:9 contains 26 words in 7 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
“I tell you
ITY
- 2
keep asking
KA
- 3
and it will be given you
AIWBGY
- 4
Keep seeking
KS
- 5
and you will find
AYWF
- 6
Keep knocking
KK
- 7
and it will be opened to you.
AIWBOT
Frequently asked
FAQ about Luke 11:9
What does Luke 11:9 say?
Luke 11:9 reads: "“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you." — from the New Testament, Luke (Gospel). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is Luke 11:9 in?
Luke 11:9 is in the book of Luke, traditionally attributed to Luke, the physician and travelling companion of Paul and written around c. 60–62 AD. Luke is gospel in the New Testament, originally addressed to Theophilus and Gentile Christians broadly. Best known for the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
What is Luke 11:9 about?
Luke 11:9 is primarily a Bible verse about Prayer. Within Luke, Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between Luke 11:9 in WEB and KJV?
Luke 11:9 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And2504 I say3004 unto you5213, Ask154, and2532 it shall be given1325 you5213; seek2212, and2532 ye shall find2147; knock2925, and2532 it shall be opened455 unto you5213.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is Luke 11:9?
Luke 11:9 is 26 words in the WEB translation (129 characters), broken into 7 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 8 seconds.
How can I memorise Luke 11:9?
To memorise Luke 11:9, split it into its 7 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does Luke 11:9 matter in Luke?
Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. He uniquely records the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the rich man and Lazarus; the Magnificat and Benedictus; and Jesus' special concern for women, the poor, and the marginalised. Luke 11:9 sits within this larger story — Luke as a whole emphasises saviour for all, compassion, prayer.
How can I apply Luke 11:9 today?
Many readers use Luke 11:9 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Luke 11:9 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
More designs
10 verses to read next
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Philippians 4:6-7
“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which sur…”
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Matthew 7:7
““Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.”
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2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will fo…”
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Matthew 6:9
“Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”
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James 5:16
“Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.”
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James 5:14-15
“Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the pra…”
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Psalms 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.”
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Psalms 34:4
“I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
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Psalms 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.”
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Jeremiah 33:3
“‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don’t know.’”
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