Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 6:34

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.

34. the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself ] The morrow shall have its own anxieties; sufficient for the day is its own distracting evil or distress. This seems to be the force of the Greek word for “evil.” See Schleusner sub voc.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Take therefore no thought … – That is, no anxiety. Commit your way to God. The evil, the trouble, the anxiety of each day as it comes, is sufficient without perplexing the mind with restless cares about another day. It is wholly uncertain whether you live to see another day. If you do, it will bring its own trouble, and it will also bring the proper supply of your needs. God will be the same Father then as today, and will make then, as he does now, proper provision for your wants.

The morrow shall take thought – The morrow will have anxieties and cares of its own, but it will also bring the proper provision for those cares. Though you will have needs, yet God will provide for them as they occur. Do not, therefore, increase the cares of today by borrowing trouble from the future. Do your duty faithfully now, and depend upon the mercy of God and his divine help for the troubles which are yet to come.

Remarks On Matthew 6

1. Christ has here forcibly taught the necessity of charity, of prayer, and of all religious duties.

2. We see the necessity of sincerity and honesty in our religious duties. They are not to be done to be seen by people. If they are, they cannot be performed acceptably. God looks upon the heart, nor is it possible to deceive Him. And of what avail is it to deceive people? How poor and pitiable is the reward of a hypocrite! How contemptible the praise of people when God is displeased! How awful will be the condition of such a one beyond the grave!

3. Christ has here, in a particular manner, urged the duty of prayer. He has given a model for prayer. Nothing can equal this composition in simplicity, beauty, and comprehensiveness. At the same time that it is so simple that it can be understood by a child, it contains the expression of all the needs of man at any age and in every rank of life.

The duty of prayer is urged by every consideration. None but God can provide for us; none but He can forgave, and guide, and support us; none but He can bring us into heaven. He is always ready to hear us. The humble He sends not empty away. Those who ask receive, and they who seek find. How natural and proper, then, is prayer! How strange that any man can live, and not pour out his desires to God! How strange that anyone is willing to go to eternity with this sad reflection: I have gone through this world, spent my probation, wasted my strength, and am dying, and have never prayed! How awful will be the reflection of the soul through all eternity: I was offered eternal life, but I never asked for it. I lived from day to day and from year to year in Gods world, breathed His air, rioted on His beneficence, forgot His goodness, and never once asked Him to save my soul! Who will be to blame if the prayerless soul is lost?

Secret and family prayer should be daily. We daily have the same necessities, are exposed to the same dangers, tread upon the borders of the same heaven or hell. How should the voice of praise and prayer go up as incense in the morning, and rise as a rich perfume in the shades of each evening! What more lovely object on earth is there than that of one in the bloom of health and the dew of youth, bending with reverence before the King of heaven, seeking forgiveness, peace, guidance, and salvation! And what a strange, misguided, and piteous object is a soul that never prays!

4. Forgiveness is essential in prayer. If we come to God harboring malice and unwilling to forgive, we have his solemn assurance that we shall not be ourselves forgiven.

5. Avarice is alike foolish and an insult to God, Mat 6:19-24. It is the parent of many foolish and hurtful lusts. It alienates the affections from God produces envy of anothers prosperity; leads to fraud, deception, and crime to obtain wealth, and degrades the soul. Man is formed for nobler pursuits than the mere desire to be rich. He lives for eternity, where silver will not be needed and where gold will be of no value. That eternity is near; and though we have wealth like Solomon, and though we be adorned as the lily, yet like Solomon we must soon die, and like the lily our beauty will soon fade. Death will lay us alike low; the rich and the poor will sleep together; and the worm will feed no more sweetly on the unfed and unclothed son of poverty, than on the man clothed in fine linen, and the daughter of beauty and pride. As avarice is moreover the parent of discontent, he only that is contented with the allotments of Providence, and is not restless for a change, is happy. After all, this is the true source of enjoyment. Anxiety and care, perplexity and disappointment, find their way more readily to the mansions of the rich than to the cottages of the poor. It is the mind, not mansions, and gold, and adorning, that gives ease; and he that is content with his situation will smile upon his stool, while Alexander weeps upon the throne of the world.

6. We see how comparatively valueless is beauty. How little it is regarded by God! He gives it to the lily, and in a day it fades and is gone. He gives it to the wings of the butterfly, and soon it dies and its beauty is forgotten. He gives it to the flowers of the spring, soon to fall; to the leaves of the forest, soon to grow yellow and decay in the autumn. How many lilies and roses does he cause to blossom in solitude where no man is, where they waste their sweetness on the desert air! How many streams ripple in the wilderness, and how many cataracts age after age, have poured their thunders on the air, unheard and unseen by mortals! So little does God think of beauty. So the human form and face divine. How soon is all that beauty marred; and, as in the lily, how soon is its last trace obliterated! In the cold grave, among the undistinguished multitudes of the dead, who can tell which of all the mouldering host was blessed with a lovely set of features or complexion? Alas, all has faded like the morning flower. How vain, then, to set the affections on so frail a treasure!

7. We see the duty and privilege of depending for our daily needs on the bounties of Providence. Satisfied with the troubles of today, let us not add to those troubles by anxieties about tomorrow. The pagan, and they who know not God, will be anxious about the future; but they who know him, and have caught the spirit of Jesus, may surely trust him for the supply of their wants. The young lions do roar, and seek their meat at the hand of God, Psa 104:21. The fowls of heaven are daily supplied. Shall man only, of all the creatures on earth, vex himself and be filled with anxious cares about the future? Rather, like the rest of the creation, let us depend on the aid of the universal Parent, and feel that he who hears the young ravens which cry will also supply our necessities.

8. Especially is the remark just made of value in reference to those in early life. Life is a stormy ocean. Over that ocean no being presides but God. He holds the winds in his hands, and can still their howlings, and calm the heaving billows. On that ocean the young have just launched their frail bark. Daily they will need protection; daily will they need supplies; daily will they be in danger, and exposed to the rolling of the billows that may ingulf them forever. Ignorant, inexperienced, and in danger, how should they look to God to guide and aid them! Instead of vexing themselves with anxious cares about the future, how should they place humble reliance on God! Safe in His hand, we shall outride the storm and come to a haven of peace. he will supply our wants if we trust him, as he does those of the songsters of the grove. He will be the guide of our youth and the strength of our manhood. If we seek Him, He will be found of us; if we forsake Him, He will cast us off forever, 1Ch 28:9.

9. From all this, how manifest is the propriety of seeking first the kingdom of God! First in our affections, first in the objects of pursuit, first in the feelings and associations of each morning, be the desire and the aim for heaven. Having this, we have assurance of all that we need. God, our Father, will then befriend us, and in life and death all will be well.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Take therefore no thought] That is, Be not therefore anxiously careful.

The eighth and last reason, against this preposterous conduct, is – that carking care is not only useless in itself, but renders us miserable beforehand. The future falls under the cognizance of God alone: we encroach, therefore, upon his rights, when we would fain foresee all that may happen to us, and secure ourselves from it by our cares. How much good is omitted, how many evils caused, how many duties neglected, how many innocent persons deserted, how many good works destroyed, how many truths suppressed, and how many acts of injustice authorized by those timorous forecasts of what may happen; and those faithless apprehensions concerning the future! Let us do now what God requires of us, and trust the consequences to him. The future time which God would have us foresee and provide for is that of judgment and eternity: and it is about this alone that we are careless!

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof] , Sufficient for each day is its own calamity. Each day has its peculiar trials: we should meet them with confidence in God. As we should live but a day at a time, so we should take care to suffer no more evils in one day than are necessarily attached to it. He who neglects the present for the future is acting opposite to the order of God, his own interest, and to every dictate of sound wisdom. Let us live for eternity, and we shall secure all that is valuable in time.

There are many valuable reflections in the Abbe Quesnel’s work, on this chapter; and from it several of the preceding have been derived.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

No such thoughts as before mentioned, for God will provide for you tomorrow when tomorrow cometh. Besides, every new day will bring forth some new cares; you know not what tomorrow will bring forth, nor what you will have need of tomorrow; and if you did, why should you torment yourselves before the time? It will be time enough when you feel the evils of a succeeding time. You need not torment yourselves with prophesying against yourselves, what it may be shall never be; or if it be, you had not need weaken yourselves for the encountering such evils, by a previous disturbance of your thoughts about them.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

34. Take therefore nothoughtanxious care.

for the morrow: for themorrow shall take thought for the things of itself(or,according to other authorities, “for itself”)shall haveits own causes of anxiety.

Sufficient unto the day isthe evil thereofAn admirable practical maxim, and betterrendered in our version than in almost any other, not excepting thepreceding English ones. Every day brings its own cares; and toanticipate is only to double them.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Take therefore no thought for the morrow,…. Reference is had to Pr 27:1. “Boast not of thyself tomorrow”: a man cannot promise or assure himself, that he shall have a morrow, and therefore it is great weakness and folly to be anxiously thoughtful about it. This is expressed in the Talmud s, nearer the sense of Christ’s words, after this manner:

“rxm tru rut la, “do not distress thyself with tomorrow’s affliction, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth”; perhaps tomorrow may not be, and thou wilt be found distressing thyself, for the time which is nothing to thee.”

And should it come, it is unnecessary to be thoughtful of it in a distressing manner before hand;

for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. The morrow is here introduced by a “prosopopeia”, as if it was a person sufficiently thoughtful and careful for the necessaries of it: every day brings along with it fresh care and thought, being attended with fresh wants and troubles; and therefore, it is very unadvisable, to bring the cares and troubles of two days upon one; as he does, who is anxiously concerned today, for the things of tomorrow;

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This proverb is thus expressed in the Talmud t, , “sufficient for distress”, or “vexation, is the present time”; which the gloss explains thus,

“sufficient for the vexation it is, that men should grieve for it, at the time that it comes upon them.”

It is very wrong to anticipate trouble, or meet it before hand; if it was for no other reason but this, that every day’s trouble is enough, and should not be needlessly added to, by an over concern what shall be done for tomorrow; or how shall the necessities of it be answered, or the trials of it be endured.

s T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 100. 2. t T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 9. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

For the morrow ( ). The last resort of the anxious soul when all other fears are allayed. The ghost of tomorrow stalks out with all its hobgoblins of doubt and distrust.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “Take therefore no thought for the morrow:” (me oun rherimnesete els ten aution) “Therefore you all do not be anxious for tomorrow or the next day,” be not in a state of worry or over anxiety.

2) “For the morrow shall take thought for the things itself.” (he gar aurion merimnesei heautes) “Because the morrow (future days) will be anxious of its own things;” Tomorrow will have its own anxieties, without your borrowing them to carry ahead of time. For “he serves tomorrow best who endures trouble one day at a time.” There is no “evil”, bad thing in outward appearance, but may be overcome for the good of a child of God and the glory of God, Rom 8:28; 1Co 10:31.

3) “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (arketon to homers, he kakia autos) “Sufficient or adequate to the day (any day) is the evil (bad) that comes in it.” Every day brings its own cares and problems. To borrow and try to carry or solve them is to try to bear two days of cares unnecessarily, in one day, see? Such is hurtful, strength-draining that obstructs one from doing his best for God, one day at a time, such as was first taught in the model prayer, Mat 6:11. Every day has its own troubles, toils, losses, temptations, etc. see? Jas 4:13. One has well said, “our worst misfortunes are those that never come,” except to our evil imaginations, to which we are inclined by carnal nature, Gen 6:5; For man is “born for”, inclined to trouble,’ by nature, “as the sparks fly upward,” Job 5:9. It is the unknown future that causes most of life’s anxieties and that leads to hoarding, anxiety for riches, and a covetous grasping after the things of the world as a “first priority” in the lives of so many, hurtfully. Let each of us grow in Christ, to that state Paul described, with contentment, Php_4:11; 1Ti 6:6; 1Ti 6:8; Heb 13:5.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow.No precept of divine wisdom has found so many echoes in the wisdom of the world. Epicurean self-indulgence, Stoic apathy, practical common-sense, have all preached the same lesson, and bidden men to cease their questionings about the future. That which was new in our Lords teaching was the ground on which the precept rested. It was not simply the carpe diemmake the most of the presentof the seeker after a maximum of enjoyment, nor the acceptance by mans will of an inevitable destiny, nor the vain struggle to rise above that inevitable fate. Men were to look forward to the future calmly, to avoid the temper

Over-exquisite

To cast the fashion of uncertain evils,

because they had a Father in heaven who cared for each one of them with a personal and individualising love.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.The word rendered evil occurs in the Gospels only in this passage, and in the Epistles has commonly the sense of wickedness. That meaning would be too strong here; but it reminds us that our Lord is speaking not of what we call the simple accidents or misfortunes of life, but of the troubling element which each day brings with it, and against which we have to contend, lest it should lead us into sin. That conflict is more than enough for the day, without anticipating a further mischief.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

34. Morrow take thought The morrow is here finely personified. Do you take care for the morrow? Do duty for to-day and the morrow will be God’s messenger, when it comes, to take care of you. Day evil thereof Do not bring to-morrow’s trials into to-day; for to-day has its own sufficient concern, as to-morrow has its.

No man is so safe as the child of God. No man is bound to be so cheerful. If he rise into the true position of the man of faith, no one can be so fearless, so brave, so generous, so patient, so manly. Buoyancy is with him a duty, and despondency is a sin. Let him toil, for that is duty; but let no care, that is, double-minded distrust, cloud his brow, for that is usurping the prerogative of God. Let him earnestly labour, lavishly do good, serenely suffer, and great are his treasures above.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

a Do not therefore be anxious for the morrow,

b For the morrow will be anxious for itself.

a Sufficient to the day is its evil.”

Jesus then finishes this passage with a pithy saying. Compare Mat 5:48; Mat 6:24 b; Mat 7:6. Their concentration is to be on each day, and not on the morrow. For there is enough evil each day to be concerned about, without worrying about tomorrow’s that may never come. Thus they may pray to be delivered from today’s evil (Mat 6:13), and may depend on Him to do it, and that ‘evil’ includes lack of food and clothing. But because He is their Heavenly Father they need not then worry about it. (He is not suggesting that they can worry about today. They are not do that either. But His point is that most people’s worries tend to be about ‘tomorrow’, hence our favourite proverb, ‘tomorrow never comes’). Note the indication here that there will be constant troubles but that their Father will watch over them day by day so that they need not be concerned. Thus they can leave the future in His hands without being concerned about it. All concentration instead is to be on seeking His Kingly Rule over men’s lives and His righteous deliverance of His people.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

v. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Each day brings its own evil, for it is an evil world, and the enemies without and within are ever busy devising schemes to beset the heart with care. These conditions must be met with patient cheerfulness, and each problem taken care of as it comes. To add to the difficulties and troubles of the present day by worrying about what the morrow might bring will not ease the situation confronting you now. To restrict all care to the moment when it begins to nag is to conquer it absolutely. It is only the future that brings anxiety. Put each successive day into the hands of God, and it will bring its own help and deliverance from the love of the heavenly Father, Lam 3:23.

Summary. The Lord gives instructions concerning the giving of alms, and on prayer and fasting, and warns against avarice, covetousness, and care, pointing out, incidentally, the seeking of the kingdom of God as the prime duty of every Christian.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Mat 6:34. Take therefore no thought; &c. “Since the extent and efficacy of Divine Providence are so great, and since you are the objects of its peculiar care, you need not vex yourselves about futurity;” for the morrowdenotes future time in general.The morrow, continues our Lord, shall take thought for the things of itself; or rather, according to the Hebrew idiom, shall make you take thought for the things of itself; namely, in a proper time, it being sufficient that you provide the necessaries of life for yourselves as they are wanted: “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Every time has abundant necessary troubles of its own; so that it is foolish to increase them by anticipating those which are to come, especially as by that anticipation it is not in your power to prevent any future evils.” Such is our Saviour’s doctrine with respect to Providence; and upon this subject it may be proper to remark, that though God can produce by an immediate act whatever he accomplishes by the intervention of second causes: for instance, can make heat without the sun, can communicate fruitfulness to the earth without heat, can furnish food to men without the fruitfulness of the earth, nay, can sustain life without food; yet he does all things by a series or concatenation of causes, in each of which there is as much wisdom and power displayed, as would have appeared had the end been effected by an immediate act. This plan is the most gracious that possibly could be; for the manifestations of the divine perfections are greatlymultiplied thereby, and a Providence formed in such a manner, as to be not only the subject ofhuman contemplation, but a grand foundation of our trust in God, and a powerful incitement by which we are engaged to seek his favour, who thus, by a variety of means, makes himself known as the chief good in every part of the universe. Covetousness, therefore, and worldly-mindedness, with all the other vices which derive their strength, whether from an absolute disbelief of the perfections of God, or from wrong notions of them, are by this constitution of things aseffectuallyguardedagainstasthenature of moral government will admit; but the whole of which would be utterly unavailable for the salvation of fallen man, were the Holy Spirit of God not to convince, convert, and sanctify the soul.

A fear of wanting necessaries is the most specious pretence for covetousness; and it is in order to repress the remotest tendencies to that base disposition, that our Lord is thus copious and emphatical in assuring us of the superintending care of Providence. Butletnoperversespiritmistake his declarations here as a dispensation from industry: he never meant to abrogate that sentence passed upon our whole race, in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread. Daily labour is imposed on mankind, and is included in the daily cross which he has commanded us to take up. If we do not take up that cross, and punctually discharge our duty in that state of life to which God has called us, we have no reason to expect his fatherly protection. We must never forget that a trust in God, and a diligence in our calling, are connected like faith and obedience, which are so far from interfering, that they are in their own nature inseparable. Duty is very extensive, consisting of many parts, which must be performed at once, yet cannot be spoken at once, but must be detailed in separate precepts. True morality consists not merely in action, but also in the motive which animates it. Our course of action is taught elsewhere; and our worldly calling, which is to us the order of Providence, prescribes the daily work we have to do. The doctrine now under consideration relates to the proper motive of our actions, directing our view towards the great end to which they all ought to be ultimately referred. Our actions are upon earth; but the right motive is in heaven, where only faith can penetrate; and therefore our Lord, expostulating with his disciples upon their want of sensibility to that motive, subjoins, at Mat 6:30, O ye of little faith! See Macknight and Heylin.

Inferences.A show of piety is all mere pretence and mockery, and does not deserve to be called religion, much less can it be evangelical and acceptable to God, unless the heart be in it with governing aims, not at our own reputation and worldly interests, but at his glory. In every thing our requests should be made known to God, as a father, according to his direction and will; not with vain repetitions, as if we were to be heard for much speaking, but with earnest addresses, under a sense of duty, and of his being able and ready to answer us. And how much need have we to look inwards and upwards, that our hearts may be right with God under the influence of his spirit; that our principles, motives, and views may be sincere and spiritual in our fastings, prayers, alms-deeds, and all religious duties and services, as being always under his eye; and that we may be approved of him, and accepted in his sight through Jesus Christ, however we may stand in the opinion of men! Alas, what a poor reward is the vanishing breath of popular fame, compared with the love and favour of God, and the honour which comes from him! And yet this is all the advantage that hypocrites will get by their religion. What is all this pitiful, perishing, and uncertain world, compared with the great, solemn, and eternal realities of the heavenly inheritance! And yet, how fond are we naturally apt to be of things here below; how eager in our contrivances and labours, hopes and fears, wishes and cares about them; and how indolent and unmoved about the things of God and glory! But that which commands our hearts is the treasure that we choose! A little of earthly things is really enough to answer the wants of animal nature: how moderate then should we be in our appetites, desires, and cares about food and raiment, and the good things of this life! how contented with such a share of them as God orders us! And how satisfactorily may his children trust in him, that they shall never want any thing which he knows is best for them! He that takes care of birds and flowers will never neglect those who are so much higher in his account. It is sinful and heathenish to distrust him, and all our carking care about the body is unprofitable and vain. But we must have spiritual and heavenly blessings in abundance, to satisfy the longings of an immortal soul. Here then is a loud call to be earnest and early in our inquiries and pursuits; and here is room enough for growing desires, cares and pains in God’s way, to amass together as much as possible of these sure and incorruptible treasures; and he who can be contented with but little of these, is like to have none at all. Oh! with what superior impression should Christ, and the righteousness and blessings of his kingdom of grace and glory, command the believers faith and hope, love and joy!

REFLECTIONS.1st, Having before rescued the law from the false expositions of the Pharisees, our Lord here shews the true religion of the heart, as expressed in the three great duties of alms, prayer, and fasting, in which these deluded teachers gloried, but erred exceedingly in the performance of them.

1. Our Lord cautions us against all ostentatious show in bestowing our alms, Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: hypocrisy is a subtle sin, and where we are least apprehensive of danger, is ever ready to insinuate itself; yet the fear of being wrong must not keep us from doing right. Alms-giving is every Christian’s bounden duty; and though not to be trusted to for our acceptance before God, nor done to engage the applause of men, must nevertheless, according to our ability, be practised for God’s glory, and the assistance of our brethren: and God, who is not unrighteous, will remember and reward the works of faith and labours of love.

2. He describes the methods which the hypocrites used to proclaim their own goodness, and solicit the estimation of others. They sound a trumpet, either literally to gather the poor to their doors, or they gave their alms in the most public manner, on purpose that they might be seen and admired.

3. They had the reward which they sought, and all they had to expect; the ignorant blessed their liberality, and praised their charity. Note; The hypocrite’s portion is all in hand, and he has nothing to hope for hereafter.

4. Christ gives direction concerning the proper way of doing our alms. Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; the expression is proverbial, and intimates the secresy that we should use; never designedly letting others know our alms-deeds, nor desirous that they should be acquainted with them. And with regard to ourselves, we should forget them, and never dwell upon them even in our thoughts, to flatter our own vain-glory and self-conceit.

5. Such good deeds as these flowing from faith, which worketh by love, shall not fail of their reward, secret as they are. He that seeth in secret will record them; and when we have forgotten them, and would be ashamed to hear them mentioned, he will remember and recompense them openly, before men and angels, at the resurrection of the just.
2nd, Prayer next comes to be considered. It were an open declaration of impiety, irreligion, and atheism, to live without some acknowledgment of God’s goodness, and profession of dependence on his care: at least, none who bear the name of Christian can be supposed to live without prayer, any more than the body can live without breath. We have two grand directions concerning this most necessary duty.
1. That it be not performed hypocritically, to be seen of men. The Pharisees chose the synagogues and the corners of the streets for the places of their devotions, that men’s eyes might be upon them: standing up, that they might be more conspicuous; and loving the work, merely for the sake of the reward that they proposed to themselves; which they received,and a miserable reward it was,to be applauded of poor mortals like themselves, when they were abhorred of the great and holy God. Our Lord teaches his disciples to pray in a different manner; public places are unfit for private prayer. We must retire, therefore, from the observation of men as much as may be; not only to avoid ostentation, but in order to be alone with God, removed from all interruption that would distract our thoughts; and out of the hearing of others, that we may freely speak before our Father who is in secret; to whom alone it should be our desire to approve ourselves; comparatively indifferent what men may think or say of us, if he regard us with paternal love; and expecting from him the answer of our petitions, which he promises to bestow. For he who seeth in secret, though invisible to us, is yet present with us, and acquainted with our inmost soul, and will reward us openly; answering our requests in present blessings, owning us at the great day of his appearing and glory, and bestowing the promised eternal reward, a reward not indeed of debt, but of grace.

2. That we use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do, who think that they shall be heard for their much speaking; not that repetitions or much speaking in prayer are condemned; seeing that the same petitions may be often reiterated, and speak thus the deepest sensibility of our wants, and the greatest importunity of desire, Mat 26:44. Dan 9:18-19 as also when our wants are many and great on particular occasions, and our spirit at liberty, we are never restrained from pouring out all our requests into the bosom of our compassionate God and Father; Luk 6:2. The practice censured is, (1.) The vain babblings of those who pray by rote, like the papists, as they tell their beads, repeating so many Ave-Marias, or Pater-Nosters; and constantly, without life or spirituality, going over the same dull round of words, like a packhorse with his bells, pleased with the tinkling of his own unmeaning music. (2.) The much speaking, which arises from an affectation of prolixity, especially in social prayer, where, instead of speaking to God, men love to hear the sound of their own voices, and want others to admire their gifts, their fluency, their fervency and zeal, making a vast parade of words, adoration, thanksgiving, requests, intercessions, &c. like Baal’s priests, from morning unto noon, crying, O Baal, hear us: such lip labour is not only lost labour, but worse, an abomination unto the Lord, and to be avoided by all his spiritual worshippers. For our Father, who is in heaven, knoweth what things we have need of before we ask him, therefore does not want to be particularly informed, as if he were ignorant; nor is to be prevailed upon merely by our cries. But, as our Father, he expects to be called upon, and is ever ready to hear and answer us; omniscient, he knows our necessities; and all-sufficient, he will relieve them, even when we through our blindness know not what to ask, or through our ignorance ask amiss; yea, sometimes cannot ask at all, overwhelmed with distress, and speaking only in tears and groans, which cannot be uttered, Rom 8:26-27.

3rdly, Having condemned the prayers of formality and pride, our Lord suggests both matter and words for our use.
The prayer recorded in this chapter may be considered both as a form and as a directory. It is concise yet comprehensive, containing our chief wants in a few words; not that we are always bound to the use of it; but being in frequent use, we need be well acquainted with its meaning, that, when we repeat it; we may pray with the spirit, and with the understanding also.

We have,
1. The preface. Our Father which art in heaven. The great object of prayer is God alone; the encouraging motives to approach him are, that he is our Father, our reconciled God and Father in Christ Jesus, from whose paternal heart we may expect the tenderest compassions and most gracious attention; and as he is in heaven, adored by saints and angels, who knows our necessities better than we can express them, and hath all power to supply them abundantly above all that we can ask or think; so that we may come to him in faith, nothing doubting. As our common Father also, we are taught the spirit of love and charity which should breathe in all our prayers, and profess ourselves hereby a part of those many brethren who, through Christ Jesus, are with us pressing towards heaven; and for whom, as they for us, we are mutual advocates.

2. The petitions. They are six in number; the first three more immediately relate to God’s glory, the last to our own wants.
[1.] Hallowed be thy name. The name of God comprehends his being, perfections, and all the manifestations that he has made of himself in his works and word. That it may be hallowed, or sanctified, signifies our ascription of praise to him, according to his excellent greatness; and our desire that he may be ever more and more exalted; that we ourselves, and all others, may believe in him, love him, fear and serve him as we ought to do, and in our lips and lives shew forth his glory; and that since all good is from him, all may be ascribed to him.

[2.] Thy kingdom come. The kingdom of the Messiah seems principally here intended, which was now ready to appear; and being once set up in the world, we are required to pray for its enlargement and final consummation. As a kingdom of grace, we beg it may be erected in our own hearts more and more, till every thought be brought into the obedience of Christ; that it may diffuse its benign influence far and wide, and the light of the gospel-word and the power of the gospel-grace cover the earth as the waters cover the sea; that God may thus complete his glorious church, and hasten that eternal kingdom of glory, when all his faithful saints collected round his throne shall, to eternity, adore him, enjoy his favour, and be made for ever happy in his service.

[3.] Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. God is glorified, and his kingdom comes, when his will is made ours, his preceptive will obeyed, his providential will acquiesced in: thus we pray, that, without dispute, we may receive the revelation which he has given us, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, receive him as our king, and approve ourselves obedient subjects to his government in all things; never murmuring against his commands as severe, or his prohibitions as grievous, but counting his will to be always holy, just, and good. We pray for resignation to all his afflictive dispensations, contentment in every station, submission under every burthen, and a heart to bless him, not only when he gives, but when he takes away: in short, that we may be as the clay in the hands of the potter, to be, act, and suffer, according to the good pleasure of his will; and this cheerfully, universally, continually, as the spirits of just men made perfect, and the spotless angels, fulfil his will in heaven. Note; (1.) It is a mockery of God to pray that his will may be done, and daily live in allowed opposition to it. (2.) None may hope to serve God in heaven, who have not on earth made his glory their end, his word their rule, his will their delight.

[4.] Give us this day our daily bread; either for our souls, the bread of life, that we may be strengthened in the inner man, and increase with the increase of God; or for our bodies, the food which is convenient for us; not delicacies, but necessaries; not such as pampered appetite craves, but what used with temperance and sobriety may best fit us for the work of our station and God’s service. We ask our own bread, not what we have a right to, for all is God’s gift, but what is honestly come by, neither the bread of idleness nor deceit; we are taught to ask daily for it, as acknowledging our dependence upon God for all we have and enjoy; and for this day only, not excluding a provident care, but as mindful of our jeopardy every hour, as dead to carking solicitude and perplexing suggestions about futurity, and content to trust him for the morrow, in the use of the same means which we employ to-day. And this we beg for others as well as ourselves, that they and we may praise God together, who filleth our hearts with food and gladness. Thus all repining, envy, and discontent, will be excluded; content with our allotted portion, we shall wish for nothing more.

[5.] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Our debts are our sins: having failed in the debt of duty, we become liable to the debt of punishment. These sins are innumerable, great, and aggravated; and we have nothing to pay, unable to make the least satisfaction for them to divine justice; and if God deal with us according to our deserts, we are undone for ever. Therefore we cry, Forgive, which intimates the deep and humble sense that we have of our insolvent state, and our hope in the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, for pardon. However numberless, great, and aggravated our sins may be, they are not beyond the Blood of atonement, and God’s boundless grace: he can pardon even beyond all that we can ask. A plea also is put into our mouths, not as meritorious, but as an argument founded on God’s promise, and an encouragement to our own souls to hope in his mercy, as we forgive our debtors; for if we do so, how much more shall the Father of mercies forgive us? Whilst, on the other hand, we must not dare to hope or pray for pardon, if we can retain allowed malice against one creature upon earth, and do not from the heart forgive our brother his trespasses. Though the offences or injuries done us may have been ever so great, we are called upon to pardon them fully, freely, without reserve or upbraiding: and how reasonable the injunction, when none can ever have offended us, as we have provoked God; since he therefore for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us, so ought we to forgive one another. To offer up this petition with rancour, resentment, or ill-will abiding on the heart, would be to imprecate a curse upon our souls, instead of obtaining a blessing.

[6.] Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; conscious of our own weakness, we beg to be kept from the power of temptation, or to be supported under our trials that we may not fall: not that God can be tempted with evil, or tempteth any man; but if he withhold his grace, our own corrupted hearts naturally rush into the snare, and our adversary the devil is ever going about seeking whom he may devour: from his power, the power of that wicked one, the author of all evil, we pray to be delivered, so that, if assaulted, we may not be overcome by him; and from all the evil with which we are compassed on every side, from the evil world with all its snares, from evil men with all their wiles or violence; from our own deceitful hearts; from the evil of sin and punishment, in time and in eternity.

3. The doxology, and conclusion. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Which may be considered as a solemn ascription of praise to God; as an act of faith in his power and grace; and a plea to enforce our petitions, in which God’s own glory is so greatly concerned. All praise and honour are in the highest to be ascribed to him, whilst, after all, we must own that he is far exalted above all blessing and praise. His power is able to supply all our wants; we may therefore confidently trust him: since his is the kingdom, we may expect protection, and his own glory engages him to grant the requests which his word and Spirit teach us to ask. We may therefore well add our warm Amen, earnest that our requests may be answered, and God therein glorified, in faith resting assured that it will be so, and therefore rising from our knees rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.

4thly, Having given directions for alms-giving and prayer, our Lord proceeds to fasting; a needful, though much-neglected duty. This flesh needs the curb of constant mortification, and our sins call for such humiliation. We are,
1. Cautioned against the hypocritical show of the Pharisees. They made a vast parade of mortification, outwardly disfiguring their faces, and putting on an affected rueful countenance; pretending that deep contrition of soul which they never felt, that men might admire the austerity of their lives, and reverence them for their extraordinary sanctity; and so far they had their reward. They were highly esteemed among men; but how poor a consideration this, when, for their hypocrisy, they were an abomination in the sight of God. Note; Many who have denied the cravings of the body have fallen victims to the pride of their heart.

2. We are directed how to fast. As the humiliation is before God, we must studiously avoid all external show; appear in dress and countenance as on other days; alike dead to men’s applause or censures; desiring only God’s acceptance and regard in Christ Jesus, which in this way we are sure to find; and our Father, who seeth in secret, will reward us openly.
5thly, No sin is so besetting and dangerous to the professors of religion as worldly-mindedness; and where it prevails, there is no surer proof of the hypocrisy of the heart. Against this, therefore, our Lord especially warns his disciples.
1. He cautions them against laying up their treasures upon earth. Nothing under the sun should be regarded by us as our portion; nor ought we, with increasing eagerness, to be still grasping at more, and continually adding to our stores; we must neither take up our rest in these things, nor depend upon them as a substantial and abiding good; for a thousand accidents may deprive us of all. The moth may corrupt our garments; blasting, mildew, or vermin, destroy our corn, and thieves rob us of that gold and silver which we treasured up with so much care. It were folly, therefore, to count these our treasures.

2. He tells us how we may secure a better and a more enduring substance. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven: in the way of God’s grace seek to secure the riches of his glory; especially by a right employment of this world’s wealth, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; send your wealth before you in works of charity, and then you will find it again with abundant interest laid up in that sure place, where it will be exposed neither to corruption nor violence.

3. He enforces his advice by that weighty argument, that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also; if it be on earth, our minds will be earthly, sensual; if in heaven, our hearts will be drawn up to high and heavenly things; for as the needle follows the magnet, so do our affections pursue what we count our treasure: where this is, thither are our desires drawn out; our hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, are all influenced hereby. When God is made our portion, then on him will our souls be fixed.

4. According to a man’s spirit and temper, so will his conduct be. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, which was a common and well-known phrase for a liberal temper, then thy whole body will be full of light, the actions will all correspond with the principle, and the whole conversation will abound with good to the glory of God; but if thine eye be evil, if a sordid temper govern thee, thy whole body will be full of darkness, all the faculties will be enslaved by it; the whole conduct influenced by it, to use mean, avaricious, and base ways to gratify such a spirit. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! If covetousness extinguish every generous and noble sentiment in the soul, what a train of vile and unbecoming deeds will follow, whilst every consideration is absorbed in that one of gain, greedily sought by any means, lawful or unlawful; and the consequence must needs be, that such a one will sink into eternal darkness and misery. By the eye we may also understand the practical judgment; according as that is endued with just discernment, or is erroneous and corrupt, so will the corresponding practice be good or evil; and this particularly will appear in the preference given to heavenly or earthly treasures. See the Critical Notes, where this passage is considered in another point of view, which is here omitted to prevent tautology.

5. We must make our choice which world we will have, and which master we will serve, the commands of both being incompatible. There is no dividing the heart, God will have all or none; but the hypocrite wants to secure both worlds together, and to serve God just so far as consists with his interest and convenience; but no man can serve two masters, whose commands are contradictory; and never were two masters more opposite than God and mammon. God demands the heart, enjoins contentment, honesty, love, charity, deadness to this world; and bids his servants forego their ease, their gain, their honour, their esteem among men, to seek in the first place his kingdom and righteousness. Mammon commends the glittering stores of this vain world; bids his servants eat, drink, and be merry; pursue their worldly interests, honours, and esteem; mind chiefly themselves; live for themselves, spend on themselves; and by every means secure wealth, as the principal thing, and man’s chief good. Thus opposite are these masters; the service of the one must be attended with abhorrence of the other; we are called upon to make our choice, and let us remember that eternity depends upon it.

6thly, Many think themselves far removed from covetousness, whose hearts, notwithstanding, are overcharged with the cares of this life; and, though not sordidly avaricious, evidently shew their affections more set on things upon the earth, than the things in heaven. We have, therefore,
1. An admonition against all inordinate anxiety about a worldly provision. Take no thought, &c. There is a thoughtfulness and care needful and commendable, Pro 27:23. Our families cannot be otherwise provided for, nor the duties of our station discharged. But the caution here given is levelled against tormenting solicitude, and unbelieving distrust of God’s providence, which is as dishonourable to him, as distressing to ourselves. Our life is in his hands, and while we are employing the appointed means in dependence upon his blessing, we must with satisfaction cast our care upon him, to give us sickness or health, comforts or crosses, want or abundance, as he pleases; and when we do so, we have his promise to assure us that we shall have just that which is good for us.

2. Christ enforces his admonition by several considerations, which if we seriously thought upon would ever furnish us with abundant arguments to silence all disquieting carefulness.
[1.] If God gives the greater blessings, will he withhold the less? Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? If God hath freely given us the former without our thought or care, and hitherto hath preserved them amidst innumerable dangers, can it be supposed that he will suffer us to perish for want of food or raiment?

[2.] Behold the fowls of the air, numerous and voracious as they are; without any care of theirs, by the Divine Providence, a daily provision is made for them, though they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns. And if God thus provides for them, are ye not much better than they? more excellent in nature, and therefore much more the objects of his care: can the heirs of heaven be famished, when the fowls of heaven are fed?

[3.] Unprofitable, as well as unnecessary, are all our anxious cares. Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? How vain and foolish then to disquiet ourselves about other things equally out of our power! We are called upon here to make a virtue of necessity, and submit quietly to the determinations of Providence.

[4.] To silence our carefulness about raiment, Christ points to the flowers which were probably near him, and made the application more beautifully striking. Consider the lilies of the field, which grow without care or culture, without toil or labour; yet even Solomon on his throne, adorned with the richest robes, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which is so worthless, fading, and transitory, which to-day is in such beauty, and to-morrow is cast into the oven to burn, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Note; (1.) All our anxiety about worldly things arises from unbelief. (2.) It is the height of folly and vanity to be proud of fine clothes, when every flower of the field must far outshine us. (3.) Every object around us, if our minds be rightly disposed, will afford us arguments for faith, and quiet dependence on God’s care.

[5.] Such anxiety is heathenish, and utterly unbecoming those who have the light of revelation. Gentiles indeed, who have no knowledge of a particular providence, may be concerned after these things, and imagine they must get them merely by their own care and labour; but it is a shame for Christians, who are better taught, not to shew the excellence of their principles by the nobler practice of deadness to the world and confidence in God.
[6.] Our heavenly Father knoweth we have need of all these things, and therefore we may confidently expect the supply of every want. He hath a father’s bowels to feel for us; we may have a sure interest in him; he knows our wants; and, be they ever so many or great, he can abundantly relieve them. His care for us makes our anxious carefulness for ourselves needless.

3. Christ directs us to the proper object of our cares: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Religion is our great business: to be a living member of Christ’s church is infinitely more our concern than how our bodies shall be fed; and his righteousness,his righteous obedience unto the death of the cross, is the sole meritorious cause of our acceptance with God, and of every blessing that we can receive in time or in eternity: and we possessing an interest in this Divine Redeemer, internal purity must be sought with diligence, in the use of every means of grace, and in the first place; yea, we must count all dung and loss, compared with the great concerns of our souls and the eternal world, which should in a measure swallow up all other considerations. Indeed the trifles of time will sit light upon those who have the glories of eternity in view. Besides, this is the way to secure a supply of all the rest of our wants; for he who is able abundantly to supply them is pleased to assure us, that then all these things shall be added unto us; they shall be thrown in as over and above all the spiritual blessings. Oh that we were but wise to know our true interests! we should find by experience that nothing was ever lost by faith unfeigned, and diligent caring for the soul.

4. As the conclusion of the matter, we are, without solicitude about futurity, to cast our care upon God, who will care for us. Take no thought for the morrow; which does not forbid prudent foresight, or enjoin an absolute disregard about our business or our families, but all perplexing anxiety, all disquieting fears about what may never happen, or, if it do, may give us no such trouble as we apprehend; and all unbelieving distrust of God. Our business is, to mind present duty, and leave events to God: To-morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: it is folly to be disquieted about what may never come to pass. Who knows whether to-morrow belongs to time or to eternity? And if it return, he who supplied our wants to-day, will supply our wants to-morrow. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof: we need not anticipate our troubles, or torment ourselves with imaginary ills; each day has sufficient, without borrowing to-morrow’s burthen to increase the load; and which not all our previous cares and fears will make the lighter. It is God’s curse on the wicked world, that they are self-tormentors; while they who live by faith may always rejoice in hope.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Mat 6:34 . Concluding saying of this section practical, fresh, bold, and taken from the life.

Fritzsche arranges the words thus: . , . He takes . as in apposition with ; which is forced in itself, and precluded by the reading without . If this reading be adopted, the meaning will be as follows: Therefore (inference from all that has been said from Mat 6:25 onwards) have no care about to-morrow; for to-morrow will care for itself will have itself as the object of its care, which you ought not, to-day, to take away from to-morrow ( is personified). The day , i.e. every day (Bernhardy, p. 315) as it comes round, has enough (does not need to have anything more added, as would be the case if we cared for to-morrow) in its own evil, i.e. in its evil nature, as represented by dangers, sorrows, and so on. Luther well observes: Why wilt thou be concerned beyond to-day, and take upon thyself the misfortunes of two days? Abide by that which to-day lays upon thee: to-morrow, the day will bring thee something else. Comp. on (Chrysostom: ), Luk 16:25 ; Ecc 7:15 ; Ecc 12:1 ; Amo 3:7 ; Sir 19:6 ; 2Ma 4:47 . In classical writers, commonly ; Hom. Il . xi. 382; Od . v. 290; Herod. ii. 128; Soph. El . 228. Comp. however, also , Thucyd. iii. 58. 1; Plato, Legg . vii. p. 814 A. does not occur elsewhere with the genitive , but, like , may be connected with it; Bernhardy, p. 176 f.; Krger, 47. 11; Khner, IV. 1, p. 325. On the well-known neuter usage, , sufficient , see Khner, II. 1, p. 52 f.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Ver. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow ] The Lord Christ, well knowing which way our heart hangs and pulse beats, beats much upon this string, drives this nail home to the head. When things are over and over again repeated and inculcated, it imports, 1. the difficulty, 2. the necessity, of the duty, 3. our utter averseness, or, at least, dulness to the doing of it. How hardly we come off with God in this most necessary but much-neglected duty, who knows not, feels not, bewails not? The world is a most subtle, sly enemy: and by reason of her near neighbourhood, easily and insensibly insinuates into us, and insnares the best hearts. Our Saviour saw cause to warn his disciples of the cares of life: and where was Thomas, when Jesus appeared to the rest of the disciples, the doors being shut, but either lurking for fear of the Jews (in probability), or packing up, and providing for one, now that his Master was slain, and taken from him? Whatever the cause was, the effect was woeful, Joh 20:24-25 . And albeit in both Testaments (as Scultetus observeth) the saints of God have been noted to be subject to divers infirmities, yet not tainted with this enormity of covetousness. Yet St John saw cause to say to those that were fathers also: “Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world,” 1Jn 2:15 . And David prays heartily, “Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to covetousness,” Psa 119:36 . Satan will be busy with the best this way, as he was with our Saviour himself: he knew it a most prevailing bait. And when this would not work, he fleeth from him, as if despairing of victory. “Be sober therefore” (in the pursuit and use of these earthly things) “and watch, for your adversary the devil” watcheth you a shrewd turn by them, 1Pe 5:7 . They are so near and so natural to us, that, through Satan’s policy and malice, when we think upon them (that we may the better learn to flee and slight them) they stick to our fingers when we should throw them away; they catch us when we should flee from them; they come over us with feigned words usually, 2Pe 2:3 ; to hide our faults from the view of others, or subtle thoughts and evasions, to blindfold the conscience, with colour of Christ, necessary thrift, &c. Whence it is called, cloaked and coloured covetousness, 1Th 2:5 . A Christian hath ever God for his chief end, and will not, deliberately, forego him upon any terms. He errs in the way, thinking he may mind earthly things and keep God too: so being insnared with these worldly lime-twigs (like the silly bird), before he is aware, the more he struggleth the more he is entangled and disabled. All this, and more than this, our Saviour well knew; and therefore reiterates his exhortation, and sets it on with so many arguments. “Care not for the morrow,” &c. “I will be careless, according to my name,” said that martyr John Careless; “for now my soul is turned to her old rest again, and hath taken a sweet nap in Christ’s lap. I have cast my care upon the Lord, who careth for me,” &c. And Bishop Hooper, in a letter to certain good people taken praying in Bow churchyard, and now in trouble, writeth thus: “Read the second chapter of Luke; there the shepherds that watched upon their sheep all night, as soon as they heard Christ was born at Bethlehem, by and by they went to seek him. They did not reason, nor debate with themselves, who should keep the wolf from the sheep in the mean time; but did as they were commanded, and committed their sheep to him, whose pleasure they obeyed; so let us do now we be called, commit all other things to him that calleth us. He will take heed that all things shall be well; he will help the husband, comfort the wife, guide the servants, keep the house, preserve the goods, yea, rather than it shall be undone, he will wash the dishes and rock the cradle. Cast therefore all your care upon God,” &c. Judea (as one hath well observed) a lay utterly waste for seventy years. Insomuch that after the slaughter of Gedaliah, when all, man, woman, and child, fled into Egypt, there was not a Jew left in the country. Neither find we any colonists sent thither, or any displaced to make room at their return. A wonderful providence, that so pleasant a country, left destitute of inhabitants, and compassed about with such warlike nations, was not invaded not replanted for seventy years’ time; but the land kept her sabbaths, resting from tillage, &c., and God kept the room empty, till the return of the naturals. Jeremiah, immediately after he had foretold the captivity, and the Chaldeans were now besieging the city, was bidden to buy a field of his uncle’s son; which also he did, weighing him the money, and sealing the evidences: for although it might seem an ill time to make a purchase, yet he took no further care than to trust God, who had said, Houses, and fields, and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. Now God’s promises, he knew, were the best freehold, Jer 32:15 . So in every seventh year’s rest, the people were taught to depend on God’s providence by faith. For though the owner of the field might gather, even on that year, for the maintenance of himself and family, Lev 25:6 , yet he was neither to sow his field, thereby to greaten his harvest, nor to hedge his field, or lock up his vineyard.

For the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself ] That is, the providence that brings the day shall also bring new events to comfort us over all the evils of the day. First, no man is sure of life till tomorrow, -thou knowest not what this great bellied day may bring forth. b Petrarch tells of a good old man, that being invited to a feast the next day, answered, “If you would have anything with me now, here I am: what is to be done tomorrow, think on it, you that have time before you, Ego enim, a multis annis, crastinum non habui: For I have not had, for these many years, a morrow to dispose of.” Young men, he knew, may die, old men must die. Senibus mors in ianuis, adolescentibus in insidiis, saith Bernard. Old men may say, as Job, Job 17:1 “My breath is corrupt, my days extinct, the graves are ready for me.” The young man, as Job, Job 16:22 “When a few years (perhaps a few hours) are come, I shall go the way whence I shall not return.” Secondly, grant a man had a lease of his life, as Hezekiah had, yet who seeth it not to be extreme folly to anticipate future cares and combats before they come, yea, even those of the next day; seeing they will come time enough to our sorrow, though we send not for them by our distrustful fore thoughts, and so re-double our vexation? It is possible that we may never feel the evils we fear. God may repent upon our repentance, and be better to us than our fears. And therefore what a weakness is it, to undergo certain trouble and care about uncertainties? Or if they shall happen, we may have wit to foresee them, but no power to prevent them: and therefore to vex ourselves before they come is to be miserable before the time. It is excellent counsel, doubtless, that Solomon giveth us in this case: “Consider the works of God, for who can make that straight that he hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful,” make the best of thy present comfort, “but in the day of adversity consider; God also hath set one against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him,” to wit, of those things that may come upon him in the course of his life, and later times, Ecc 7:14 . He cannot by wit foresee, or by policy prevent, ensuing changes. Therefore it is a greater part of his wisdom to let certain and inevitable evils sleep, and keep in their stings till the time appointed; and not to make himself a thousand times miserable by one individual misery. Let us manage the affairs and master the miseries of the present day; and not, by too much fore thoughtfulness and painful preconceit, suffer feigned or future evils before they seize upon us. I grant that a moderate (Christian) provident care and forecast is both convenient and commanded, both for provision of necessaries and prevention of dangers. See 1Ti 5:8 ; 2Co 12:14 ; We read, Rev 6:6 ; “A measure of wheat for a penny,” &c. The word signifieth properly, such a measure of grain ( ) as was usually allowed for a day to servants. Hence that speech of Pythagoras, Super choenice non sedendum, Rest not in the provision that sufficeth for the day; but take care for the morrow. But this lawful care of necessaries both for ourselves and ours after us, Pro 13:22 ; (such as was that of Jacob for his own house, Gen 30:30 , and that of the good housewife, Pro 26:15 ; Pro 26:21 ), is not distressful, but delightful, because enjoined by God, who sendeth us to the ant, to learn this care of hereafter, Pro 6:6 .

Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof ] c The strongest mind and best composed is weak enough to sustain the brunt and encounter of every day’s crosses, whereof he is sure to have his back burden. Troubles without and terrors within are the saints’ portion here. And what day shines so fair over them, wherein they meet not with a sharp shower ere night? Since therefore every day brings forth sufficient sorrow, and the heartiest man shall have his hands full, what a base and unworthy weakness is it (saith a reverend divine) to unfit and disable our already too weak minds, for a comfortable despatch, and digesting of dally uncomfortable occurrences, by such needless, fruitless, senseless distractions, vagaries of vanity, and utopian peregrinations? &c.

a Pemble on Zec 7:14 .

b Nescis quid serus vesper vehat.

c , id est , labor improbus.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

34. . ] for the morrow will care for it, viz. for mentioned above: i.e., will bring care enough about its own matters: implying, “after all your endeavour to avoid worldly cares, you will find quite enough, and more of them when to-morrow comes, about to-morrow itself: do not then increase those of to-day by introducing them before their time.’ A hint, as is the following , that in this state of sin and infirmity the command of Mat 6:31 will never be completely observed.

: thus, , Il. . 204. And the same construction frequently occurs, both in Greek and Latin authors.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mat 6:34 . Final exhortation against care . Not in Luke’s parallel section, therefore regarded by Weiss as a reflection appended by the evangelist, not drawn from apostolic doctrine. But it very fitly winds up the discourse. Instead of saying, Care not about food and raiment, the Teacher now says finally, Care not with reference to to-morrow, ( understood). It comes to the same thing. To restrict care to to-day is to master it absolutely. It is the future that breeds anxiety and leads to hoarding. : future, with force of an imperative = let it, with genitive ( , W. H [46] ) like other verbs of care; in Mat 6:25 , with accus. : a neuter adjective, used as a noun; a sufficiency. , for each successive day, the article distributive. , not the moral evil but the physical, the misery or affliction of life (not classical in this sense). In the words of Chrys. H. xxii., , , , , , . Every day has some such troubles: “suas afflictiones, quas nihil est necesse metu conduplicare”. Erasmus, Paraph . Fritzsche proposes a peculiar arrangement of the words in the second and third clauses. Putting a full stop after , and retaining the of T.R. before , he brings out this sense: The things of itself are a sufficiency for each day, viz. , the evil thereof.

[46] Westcott and Hort.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 6:34

34So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Mat 6:34 This verse breaks the train of thought. The Christian life is a daily walk in a fallen world. Bad things that happen to the unbelieving person often happen to the believing person. This does not mean that God does not care. It simply means that believers are caught in a fallen world system. Do not let the problems of life trick you into thinking God does not care. See Hannah Whithall Smith, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

shall. Hebraism = is sure to, will certainly.

the things of. All the critical texts omit these words.

Sufficient, &c. This verse is not “omitted by Luke”; but it was not included by the Lord when repeated on a later occasion which Luke records. See App-97.

is = be.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

34. .] for the morrow will care for it, viz. for mentioned above: i.e., will bring care enough about its own matters: implying,-after all your endeavour to avoid worldly cares, you will find quite enough, and more of them when to-morrow comes, about to-morrow itself: do not then increase those of to-day by introducing them before their time. A hint, as is the following , that in this state of sin and infirmity the command of Mat 6:31 will never be completely observed.

-: thus, , Il. . 204. And the same construction frequently occurs, both in Greek and Latin authors.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Mat 6:34. , …, the morrow, etc.) A precept remarkable for Asteismus,[298] by which care, though apparently permitted on the morrow, is in fact forbidden altogether; for the careful make present cares even of those which are future, wherefore, to put off care is almost the same as to lay it aside. There is also a personification of the morrow (cf. Psa 19:2): the day, says our Lord, (not you) shall take care. He who has learnt this, will contract his cares at length from the day to the present hour, or altogether unlearn them.- ,[299] shall take care for itself) A Dativus Commodi,[300] as in Mat 6:25, – , …, take no care for your LIFE-nor yet for your Body, etc.-, sufficient) God indeed distributes our adversity and prosperity, through all the periods of our life, after a wonderful manner, so that they temper each other.- , the evil) i.e. the sorrow; therefore there were no cares in the beginning.-, though originally meaning badness (wickedness), signifies here sorrow; just as the Hebrew (, good) means joyful in Pro 15:15.-, thereof) Although it be not increased by the sorrow of either the past or the coming day.

[298] i.e. For skilfully conveying a stern truth in such a manner as not to repel, offend, or startle the hearer: in the original, monitum mire .-(I. B.) See on Asteismus in the Append.-ED.

[299] The Ed. Maj. regarded , as a less reliable reading than . But Gnom. Ed. 1 (1742 A.D.) and Marg. Ed. 2, and Vers. Germ, prefer -E. B.

[300] See explanation of Technical Terms.-(I. B.)

Sollicitus erit sibi ipse. Vulg.

BGLabc Vulg. Cypr. 210, 307, Hil. 635, read . Rec. Text has , evidently a correction to introduce the more usual construction of with the accusative.-ED.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

no: Mat 6:11, Mat 6:25, Exo 16:18-20, Lam 3:23

for: Deu 33:25, 1Ki 17:4-6, 1Ki 17:14-16, 2Ki 7:1, 2Ki 7:2, Luk 11:3, Heb 13:5, Heb 13:6

Sufficient: Joh 14:27, Joh 16:33, Act 14:22, 1Th 3:3, 1Th 3:4

Reciprocal: Exo 16:19 – General 1Sa 9:5 – take thought Ecc 2:22 – and of the Ecc 3:22 – who Mat 10:19 – take Phi 4:5 – your 1Pe 5:7 – Casting

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Take therefore no thought for the morrow.

Mat 6:34

The Revised Version has it, Be not anxious for the morrow; but, even so, this is one of the words of the Lord which absolutely startle us with the greatness of their claim. This is one of the words which brings it home to us how great and strenuous a matter it is to be a Christian man. Be not anxious for the morrow; yet we remember that all the world, beginning with ourselves, seems to be clouded over with a great anxiety.

Subtle as the temptation is to worry and to be anxious, there is no question that it is a quite different temper which the Christian man is bidden and expected to learn. There is no question about the Lords phrase; there is no question for the Christian man about the absolute disloyalty of worry and anxiety.

But there are two things which are necessary if this conviction of the Providence of God is to become a reality for us.

I. The mastery of Christ.We must accept the mastery of Jesus. It is to His disciples that He brings peace. Are we disciples?

II. Live one day at a time.Be not anxious for the morrow, for, after all, it is only to-day that we have to live. We look forward and try and think out how we will act, and to-morrow it is all so different, and meanwhile we have exhausted the nerve and we have used the energy, which God intended to give us anew for the fresh days work. There was no gathering of the manna for more than one day at a time. The word of Christ comes back to the disciple, and it is a question whether we will be loyal.

The Rev. H. P. Cronshaw.

Illustration

Every Christian is, or ought to be, in that state respecting his sins, that he has nothing to do except with the sins of the current day. As soon as he was converted he was justified; in other words, the very time when he first felt real faith and repentance, all the sins which he had ever committed from his childhood, up to that period, were freely and fully, and perfectly cancelled. He was washedclean as snow. From that time, he needeth not save to wash his feet. Each day, therefore, he brings the guilt which he has been accumulating since last he prayed, and lays it at the foot of the cross; to be cleansed in the same fountain. But this is all he has to do with it. It needs not to be passed to a current account; for a debt once paid is never again due. Neither need he be thinking of the sins and transgressions into which he may, and into which he will fall againbecause to-morrows guilt will find to-morrows grace. He has only to feel penitently, and cast the days burden where, surely, alone it can be laidwhere the burden of other days has been cast. Oh! what a happy lot is theirs, who having nothing between them and God but the sins of the day; who, knowing the past is all forgiven, and that they have the same grace to fall back upon when it is needed, can say, Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

6:34

Again the exhortation comes not to be overanxious about the morrow which means the future in general. Evil is from KAKIA and Thayer defines it at this place, “evil, trouble.” The thought may well be ex-pressed with a familiar one “don’t borrow trouble” from the future. Also by another household saying not to try to “cross a bridge before we get to it.” Sufficient unto the day, etc., means that each day has enough trouble for itself without looking ahead and worrying about some evil that may never come anyway. When the morrow comes, if it brings trouble to us it will then be time enough to think about it. We will be able then to care for it in the way Just set forth in this chapter.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

[Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.] There is enough of trouble in the very moment.

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Mat 6:34. Therefore. Either: a further deduction; or a summing up. The first view accords better with the reason given and would presuppose the other lessons; the latter is favored by the position of the verse immediately after the general precept of Mat 6:33, and finds a place more easily in a logical analysis of the discourse. It is suspicious for that reason.

The morrow is here personified.

For the morrow will be anxious for itself. Not take care of itself, but bring its own cares and anxieties, do not foolishly increase those of today by borrowing from the morrow.

Sufficient unto the day, or for the day, is the evil thereof. Evil may mean natural or moral evil, suffering, or sin. The latter sense is the more usual one, the former suits the context better. Perhaps both may be included, the sin being the want of trust under the suffering. A hint that we never fully obey the precepts just uttered, because our dedication to God is so imperfect.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Here our Saviour re-inforces his exhortation from solicitous care for worldly things, assuring us, that every day will bring with it a sufficient burden of trouble, and therefore we ought not to torment ourselves, by antedating our own sorrows, and foretelling what may or may not come to pass.

Learn, That it is a painful sinful and unprofitable evil, to perplex ourselves with distrustful and distracting fears of what may come upon us: every day has its own duty and difficulty; and though sufferings must be expected and prepared for, yet we must not torment ourselves to-day with fears of what may be tomorrow; but every day cast our burden of care upon that God who daily careth for us.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Mat 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow That is, for futurity, according to the Hebrew idiom, as the word is used, Gen 30:33. Since the extent and efficacy of the divine providence is so great, and since you are the objects of its peculiar care, you need not vex yourselves about futurity. For the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself That is, be careful for the morrow when it comes. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Speaking after the manner of men. Every time has abundant necessary troubles of its own; so that it is foolish to increase present distresses by anticipating those that are to come, especially as by that anticipation it is not in your power to prevent any future evil. All trouble, however, is upon the whole a real good. It is good physic which God dispenses daily to his children, according to the need and strength of each. Here we may reasonably reflect, with the pious Dr. Doddridge, How kind are these precepts! The substance of which is only this, Do thyself no harm! Let us not be so ungrateful to him, nor so injurious to ourselves, as to harass and oppress our minds with that burden of anxiety, which he has so graciously taken off. Every verse speaks at once to the understanding, and to the heart. We will not therefore indulge these unnecessary, these useless, these mischievous cares. We will not borrow the anxieties and distresses of the morrow, to aggravate those of the present day. Rather we will cheerfully repose ourselves on that heavenly Father, who knows we have need of these things; who has given us the life, which is more than meat, and the body, which is more than raiment. And thus instructed in the philosophy of our heavenly Master, we will learn a lesson of faith and cheerfulness from every bird of the air, and every flower of the field.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Verse 34

The morrow will take, &c.; add not to the cares of to-day by anxious solicitude for the morrow. Each day brings with it cares enough of its own.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

Since we have such a promise backed up by the testimony of divine providence, we should not fret about tomorrow. Today has enough trouble or evil for us to deal with. Moreover the trouble we anticipate tomorrow may never materialize. God provides only enough grace so we can deal with life one day at a time. Tomorrow He will provide enough grace (help) for what we will face then.

To summarize, the disciple’s relationship to wealth should be trust in God and single-minded commitment to the affairs of His kingdom and righteousness. It should not be hoarding or pursuing wealth for its own sake. God, not Mammon, should be the magnet of the believer’s life. The fruit of such an attitude will be freedom from anxiety about daily material needs.

"It is impossible to be a partially committed or part-time disciple; it is impossible to serve two masters, whether one of them be wealth or anything else, when the other master is meant to be God." [Note: Hagner, p. 160.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)