Matthew 6:25–34
Jesus points to the birds and the lilies: the Father knows what they need
Study it word by word25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the sky: they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27And which of you, by worrying, can add a single cubit to his span of life?
28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not labor nor spin;
29yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into an oven, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For all these things the nations seek after; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
In its context
23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold on to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
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Its words in the original
- λέγωlegō· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- μεριμνᾶτεmerimnate· be anxious, care for
Be anxious, worry, be troubled; also care for, be concerned about someone or something.
- ψυχῇpsychēi· soul, life
Soul: a person's life, the person himself.
- φάγητεphagēte· eat
Eat.
- σώματιsōmati· body
Body.
- ἐνδύσησθεendysēsthe· put on, clothe
Dress, put on clothing; be clothed.
- οὐχὶouchi· not
Not (in questions that expect "yes").
- πλεῖόνpleion· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- ἐστιesti· be
Be, exist.
- τροφῆςtrophēs· food
Food, nourishment.
- ἐνδύματοςendymatos· clothing, garment
Clothing, garment, what one wears.
- ἐμβλέψατεemblepsate· look at intently
Look straight at, fix one's eyes on.
- πετεινὰpeteina· bird
Bird.
- οὐρανοῦouranou· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- σπείρουσινspeirousin· sow
Sow.
- θερίζουσινtherizousin· reap, harvest
Reap, harvest.
- συνάγουσινsynagousin· gather
Gather, bring together.
- ἀποθήκαςapothēkas· barn, storehouse
Barn, granary, storehouse.
- πατὴρpatēr· father, Father
Father; also ancestor.
- οὐράνιοςouranios· heavenly
Heavenly, of heaven, belonging to heaven.
- τρέφειtrephei· feed, bring up
Feed, nourish; bring up, raise a child.
- μᾶλλονmallon· more, rather
More, rather.
- διαφέρετεdiapherete· be worth more, carry
Be worth more, be superior; also carry through, or carry about.
- δύναταιdynatai· can, be able
Can, be able.
- προσθεῖναιprostheinai· add
Add, add to; do again.
- ἡλικίανhēlikian· age, stature
Stature; also age, length of life.
- πῆχυνpēchyn· cubit
Cubit, a measure of about 45 centimeters (about 18 inches).
- ἕναhena· one
One.
- καταμάθετεkatamathete· observe, consider
Observe closely, consider, learn by looking.
- κρίναkrina· lily
Lily, wildflower.
- ἀγροῦagrou· field, countryside
Field, farmland; in the plural, the countryside and its farms.
- αὐξάνουσινauxanousin· grow, increase
Grow, increase; make grow.
- κοπιῶσινkopiōsin· labor, toil
Grow weary, work hard.
- νήθουσινnēthousin· spin
Spin thread.
- ΣολομὼνSolomōn· Solomon
Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba, the king of Israel who built the temple.
- δόξῃdoxēi· glory
Glory: splendor, honor, the weight of God's presence.
- περιεβάλετοperiebaleto· clothe, put around
Clothe, put a garment around; dress oneself.
- χόρτονchorton· grass
Grass, pasture.
- σήμερονsēmeron· today
Today.
- αὔριονaurion· tomorrow
Tomorrow, the next day.
- κλίβανονklibanon· oven
Oven.
- βαλλόμενονballomenon· throw, put
Throw, cast; also put.
- θεὸςtheos· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἀμφιέννυσινamphiennysin· clothe
Clothe, dress.
- ὀλιγόπιστοιoligopistoi· of little faith
Of little faith: trusting God only a little.
- πίωμενpiōmen· drink
Drink.
- ἔθνηethnē· nation
Nation, people; in the plural, often the peoples who are not Israel.
- ἐπιζητοῦσινepizētousin· seek, strive for
Seek, search for, strive after; also wish for.
- οἶδενoiden· know
Know, understand; also see.
- χρῄζετεchrēizete· need
Need, have need of something.
- ἁπάντωνhapantōn· all
All, every one without exception.
- ζητεῖτεzēteite· seek
Look for, seek; try to.
- πρῶτονprōton· first
First, foremost.
- βασιλείανbasileian· kingdom
Kingdom: the reign of a king and the place where he reigns. "The kingdom of heaven" is the reign of God.
- δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosynēn· righteousness
Righteousness: what is right before God, and living by it.
- ἀρκετὸνarketon· enough, sufficient
Enough, sufficient.
- ἡμέρᾳhēmerai· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- κακίαkakia· evil, malice
Badness, malice, wickedness; also trouble, the hardship of each day.