“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
- Date
- 1611
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Reported speaker · Jesus
- English wording
- King James Version translation committees · from Biblical Hebrew / Aramaic / Koine Greek
What does this quote mean?
The teaching gives ordinary acts of care moral weight by identifying service to overlooked people with service to something larger than oneself.
Where does it come from?
Matthew 25:40 in the King James Version; the king explains why acts of practical care toward “the least” mattered.
Who voices the line?
Reported speaker · Jesus. Matthew 25:40 in the King James Version preserves this wording as reported speech. The biblical passage remains the textual source while Jesus is stored as the local reported speaker.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.