Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 6:31
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
31. take no thought ] See Mat 6:25.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 31. What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? c.] These three inquiries engross the whole attention of those who are living without God in the world. The belly and back of a worldling are his compound god and these he worships in the lust of the flesh, in the lust of the eye, and in the pride of life.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Our Lord repeateth the precept before given, Mat 6:25, wherein he forbids not all moderate and provident thoughts for things necessary, but only such thoughts as shall argue our distrust in God, or perplex and distract our minds, or be inconsistent with our duty, and the employment of our thoughts about higher and better things. This he here presseth by two arguments.
1. Because these are the things which people spend all their thoughts upon, who are not aware that they have souls to take care for, or do not understand the providence of God, or have no such relation to God as Christians have, who call God Father.
2. You have (saith he) a heavenly Father, who, being the God of heaven, knoweth what you need, and, being your Father, will also supply your needs.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31. Therefore take nothoughtsolicitude.
saying, What shall we eat?or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore take no thought,…. That is, for the morrow, as it is explained, Lu 6:34 for it is lawful to take proper care and thought for present food, drink, and raiment; but not to be anxiously concerned for futurity;
saying, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed? These are a repetition of the several things instanced in, and are the very language and expressions of men of little faith; as in the above citation, , “what shall I eat tomorrow?”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “Therefore take no thought, saying,” (me oun merimnesethe legontes) “Therefore you all avoid being overanxious, repeatedly asking,” to yourselves and one to another, since God cares for, is concerned for, even the least of His creatures.
2) “What shall we eat?” (ti phagomen) “What may we eat or have to eat?” Luk 12:29; 1Co 3:22; Php_4:19.
3) “Or what shall we drink?” (he ti piomen) “Or what may we drink, or have to drink?” by tomorrow, what will we have to drink, if we follow you, do your bidding, as challenged, Mat 4:19-20; Mat 4:22; Luk 9:23-26.
4) “Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? (e ti peribalometha) “Or what may we put on to wear?” From what work or source of supply may we have the physical things by which we can survive, even tomorrow? Do not be in a frustrated state about such things, if you really believe God, Psa 37:25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
This has the same object with the former doctrine. Believers ought to rely on God’s fatherly care, to expect that he will bestow upon them whatever they feel to be necessary, and not to torment themselves by unnecessary anxiety.
He forbids them to be anxious, or, as Luke has it, to seek, that is, to seek in the manner of those who look around them in every direction, without looking at God, on whom alone their eye ought to be fixed; who are never at ease, but when they have before their eyes an abundance of provisions; and who, not admitting that the protection of the world belongs to God, fret and tease themselves with perpetual uneasiness.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(31) Therefore . . .The command which, in Mat. 6:25; Mat. 6:28, had before been given as general and abstract, is now enforced as the conclusion of a process of thought more or less inductive. A change in the tense, which we fail to express in English, indicates more special and personal applicationDo not take thought, do not be over-anxious now.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
a Be not therefore anxious, saying,
a What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?
a Or, With what shall we be clothed?
b For after all these things do the Gentiles seek (or ‘chase’),
b For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
a But seek you first his Kingly Rule, and his righteousness,
a And all these things will be added to you.
In view of what He has been saying about God feeding and clothing natural things anxiety about food and clothing is folly. It is not to trust their Heavenly Father. It is all very well for the Gentiles to chase after these things. They have no Heavenly Father. But His disciples do have a heavenly Father, and they must learn to be aware of it. Thus their concentration must be on the things of their Father. They must therefore put all their efforts into seeking His Kingly Rule, and putting that first, which, as He has already told them, is also in accordance with the way that they should be praying (Mat 6:10), and into seeking and fulfilling the effects of His righteous deliverance, resulting from the coming of His righteousness as promised by Isaiah. They are to seek them first of all in prayer (Mat 7:7-11), and then they are to seek their part in bringing them about. In this way not only will they be fed and clothed, but their inner beings will be fed and clothed as well, and they will be fed and clothed for eternity. Note the contrast between chasing and seeking. The former is a compound verb which includes the root of the verb to seek. The Gentiles go around their earthly chase with great anxiety, the disciples are to go about their earthly seeking with faith and trust, for it concerns heavenly things.
Both seeking His Kingly Rule and seeking His righteousness must here have a present significance, in the same way as seeking food and clothing has. While the Gentiles are daily busy seeking food and clothing, they are to be daily seeking His Kingly Rule and His righteousness (note the emphasis on ‘daily’ in the passage – Mat 6:30; Mat 6:34). They must pray for His Kingly Rule and the coming of His righteousness and deliverance and their hearts must be set on the establishment and expansion of His Kingly Rule and the bringing in of His righteousness. While the Gentiles seek ‘bread alone’ they are to seek for words which come from God’s mouth (Mat 4:4), and as we will learn later to spread them. For the whole point is that God has something better for them from day to day than food and clothing even in this life (see also our introduction to Matthew which demonstrates the present aspect of the Kingly Rule of God). They can have eternal life now (Joh 5:24; Joh 5:13) as well as in the future (Joh 5:28-29), life that is more abundant (Joh 10:10; compare Joh 4:10-14; Joh 7:37-38). They can even now enter into rest (Mat 11:28-30). So they are to concentrate all their attention (‘first’) on seeking the establishment of His Rule now, and the bringing about of His saving work in righteousness and salvation, as promised by Isa 46:13; Isa 51:5; etc. Here, as always in Matthew, the righteousness which they are to seek, and hunger and thirst after (Mat 5:6) is the righteousness revealed by the Law as expanded by Jesus, but which is to be brought to them and worked in them by the righteousness and salvation of God (Isa 61:3). It is the God-given Messianic righteousness. Note in Isa 51:8 the interesting contrast between the moth eating up people (see Mat 6:19-20 above) and His bringing of righteousness to His people. In seeking righteousness His disciples are laying up treasure in Heaven (building up within themselves a deeper quality of life) where the moth cannot reach them (Mat 6:20).
The contrast with the Gentiles is interesting. Jesus still has at this point in time the hope of a widespread turning to God among the Jews, thus it is with the Gentiles that He makes the contrast. Consider His bitter disappointment in Mat 11:21. But the comparison with the Gentiles also brings out the enormity of the difference between His listeners, as His disciples, and the idolatrous Gentiles. The one are at peace because they are aware that their heavenly Father will provide for them, the other are far from Him and have no one to bear their anxieties but themselves and their idols.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Christ renews His exhortation against worry:
v. 31. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
v. 32. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. It is in the form of an impassioned peroration that the Lord pleads with His hearers. All the care and worry of providing food and clothing, the continual harping on that one theme, so that it makes up the burden of your conversation, that it is the one subject which engages all your time and energy, is sinful and heathenish. For bread, raiment, wealth, all the gifts which this world has to offer, are eagerly sought as the supreme, the most important things in life, by the heathen. They have no thought beyond the gratification of their bodily desires. As for you: Your Father above knows, He is fully aware of the conditions, He is acquainted with all your needs. His fatherly heart, filled with love toward you, is willing to do what is best for you; so drive all dull care far away from you, lest your worry lead to distrust and your distrust to the worship of Mammon. “That is not sin nor service of Mammon that a person eats and drinks and clothes himself, as the need of life and body demands that he have his food and covering; also not this that he seek and earn his food, but that he worries, that is, that he places his heart’s comfort and trust therein. For care is not enclosed in the dress or in the food, but right in the heart; which cannot refrain, it must needs want to cling to it, as it is said: Possessions bring confidence. To take thought, then, means as much as to cling to it with the heart. For what my heart does not dearly love, for that I have no care; and again, that for which I care, my heart must desire.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Ver. 31. Therefore take no careful thought, &c. ] From the afore named grounds, our Saviour here resumeth and enforceth the former exhortation. Sollicitudo est aegritudo cum cogitatione, saith the orator (Cic. Tusc. 4). Carefulness is a tormentful plodding upon businesses. It is, say divines, an act of fear and distrust, taking up not only the head, but chiefly the heart, to the very dividing and disturbing thereof; causing a man inordinately and overly eagerly to pursue his desires, and to perplex himself likewise with doubtful and fearful thoughts about success. Now our Lord Christ would have none of his servants to care inordinately about anything, but that, when they have done what they can in obedience to him, they should leave the whole matter of good or evil success to his care. To care about the issue of our lawful endeavonrs is to usurp upon God, to trench far into his prerogative divine, to take upon us that which is proper to him. And it is no less a fault to invade God’s part than to neglect our own. Add hereunto, that God out of his wise justice ceaseth caring for such a one, and because he will not be beholden to God to bear his burden, he shall bear it alone, to the breaking of his back, or, at least, till he is much bowed and crushed under it. If we discern such as will put no trust in us, but love to stand upon their own ground, we give them good leave; as contrarily, the more we see ourselves trusted to, the more our fidelity is careful for them that stay upon us. Thus it is with our heavenly Father.
Saying, What shall we eat? &c. ] Our Saviour by these distrustful questions graphically expresseth the condition of covetous wretches, their endless projects and discourses in the air. They are full of words, and many questions, what they shall do, and how they and theirs shall be provided for? They have never done either moaning themselves, or consulting to no purpose, in things that either cannot be done at all or not otherwise. And so some understand that of our Saviour, Luk 12:29 , Hang not in doubtful suspenses; after he had brought in the rich fool, Mat 6:17 , reasoning and saying, “What shall I do?” &c. a And Solomon brings in such another fool, full of words, and he recites his words, “A man cannot tell what shall be, and what shall be after him, who can tell?” Ecc 10:14 . And in the next chapter, Ecc 11:1 ; and so forward, he makes answer to many of these men’s frivolous queries and cavils, when moved to works of mercy. Old men specially are taxed of this weakness, who are apt to cark, because they fear, saith Plutarch, , that they shall not have enough to keep them and bring them well home, as they call it; whence some conceive that covetousness is called “the root of all evil,” 1Ti 6:10 , because as there is life in the root when no sap in the branches, so covetousness often liveth when other vices die and decay. It groweth, as they say the crocodile, as long as he liveth.
a . . Mire convenit verbum , quoniam istius modi homines, &c. Beza.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 6:31-33 . Renewed exhortation against care .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 6:31 . , goes back on Mat 6:25 , repeating the counsel, reinforced by intervening argument.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
take no thought
Or, have no anxiety. Mat 6:34.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
What shall we eat: Mat 4:4, Mat 15:33, Lev 25:20-22, 2Ch 25:9, Psa 37:3, Psa 55:22, Psa 78:18-31, Luk 12:29, 1Pe 5:7
Reciprocal: Deu 29:5 – your clothes 1Ki 17:6 – the ravens Psa 33:19 – to keep Mat 6:25 – Take Mat 6:28 – why Mat 10:19 – take Mar 8:33 – savourest Luk 4:4 – That Luk 22:35 – lacked Joh 6:27 – the meat Act 28:10 – laded 1Co 10:28 – for Phi 4:11 – I have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:31
This verse is a summing up of the thoughts in the verses starting with 25 and the repetition is for the purpose of emphasis.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 6:31. Therefore. The logic is so conclusive, even those of little faith might learn the lesson. It is not learned, if we are anxious, saying, What shall we eat, etc. Too few have faith enough to interpret this verse correctly.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 6:31-32. Therefore take no thought Be no more distracted and torn in pieces, as it were, with anxious and unbelieving thoughts, Saying, What shall we eat, &c. How shall we be provided for during the remainder of our lives? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek Who are strangers to the promises of Gods covenant, and to the hopes of his glory. It was the general character of the heathen, that they prayed to their gods, and laboured themselves, for no blessings but the temporal ones here mentioned, as is plain from the tenth Sat. of Juvenal; and that because they were in a great measure ignorant of Gods goodness, had erred fundamentally in their notions of religion, and had no certain hope of a future state. See Eph 2:12. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things Your heavenly Father is far better acquainted with all your wants than you yourselves are, and does not disregard them. There is a noble antithesis in this passage. Christ sets Gods knowledge of our wants in opposition to the anxiety of the heathen about having theirs supplied, to intimate that the one is much more effectual for that purpose than the other.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Since God provides so bountifully for His own, it is not only foolish but pagan to fret about the basic necessities of life. The fretting disciple lives as an unbeliever who disbelieves and disregards God. Such a person devotes too much of his or her attention to the accumulation of material goods and disregards the more important things in life.
"The key to avoiding anxiety is to make the kingdom one’s priority (Mat 6:33)." [Note: Hagner, p. 166.]