For unto everyone that hath shall be given,.... This seems to be a frequent saying of Christ's, or a common maxim of his, which he made use of on different occasions; See Gill on Mat 13:12, and accords with some usual sayings, and proverbial expressions of the Jews; who say (a), that "the blessed God does not give wisdom, but to him that has wisdom"; and of a man, in other respects, they use this is a common proverb (b),

"if he adds or increases, they add unto him, and if he lessens, they lessen to him:

and so here; he that has gifts; and talents, shall have an addition to them,

And he shall have abundance of spiritual gifts and knowledge,

but from him that hath not, shall be taken away, even that which he hath. The Vulgate Latin reads, "that which he seemed to have", and so reads Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and so it is read in some Greek copies; though it seems to be taken out of Luk 8:18.

(a) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 55. 1. Zohar in Exod. fol. 89. 4. (b) Vajikra Rabba, sect. 30. fol. 170. 2.