Luke 12:25

12:25 add a single moment to your life (literally add a single cubit to his length): Worry cannot add even one step on the road of life.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 12:25. Τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶ͂ν, moreover which of you) In antithesis to God, who feeds the ravens, and all birds, and all animals, and men.—ἡλικίαν, stature) Some make the reference of this word be to length of life or age: but no one measures age by cubits.—αὐτοῦ, his own) If our own stature is not at our disposal, how much less are all the creatures, from which we derive our meat and drink!—πῆχυν ἓνα, one cubit) The height of a man is equal to four of his own cubits [the πῆχυς, cubitum, is strictly the length from the point of the elbow to the end of middle finger]: a man cannot, however anxious (with all his anxieties), add even one such cubit, i.e. a fifth, to his height; whether he wish for it, or does not. A man is not likely to wish that a hand-breadth or a foot, much less a cubit, should be added to his height: but he who is unduly anxious as to his life (what he is to eat, drink, and put on), in reality, even though unconsciously, wishes for greater stature, wherewith he may expend more toil and make more gain.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 25-28. “Which of you, with taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? 26. If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27. Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more you, O ye of little faith?” Luk 12:25 expresses in a general way the idea of the inefficacy of human cares. Μεριμνῶν, participle present: by means of disquieting oneself. ῾Ηλικία might refer to age; we should then require to take πῆχυς, cubit, in a figurative sense (Psa 39:6). But the word seems to us to be connected with what is said about the growth of plants, which is sometimes so rapid; it is therefore more natural to give ἡλικία its ordinary sense of stature. Πῆχυς, cubit, thus preserves its literal meaning. Plants which give themselves no care, yet make enormous increase, while ye by your anxieties do not in the least hasten your growth. Luk 12:25-26 correspond to Luk 12:23. Your anxieties will not procure for you an increase of stature; how much less advantages of higher value! The example which follows, taken from nature (Luk 12:27), corresponds with that of Luk 12:24. — After reading the delicious piece of M. F. Bovet (Voyage en Terre-Sainte, p. 383), it is hard to give up the idea that by the lily of the fields we are to understand the beautiful red anemone (anemone coronaria) with which the meadows throughout all Palestine are enamelled. Yet Jesus may possibly mean either the magnificent white lily (lilium candidum), or the splendid red lily (lilium rubrum), which are found, though more rarely, in that country (Winer, Lexicon, ad h. v.).

From want of wood, ovens in the East are fed with herbs.

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

which of you, &c.--Corroding solicitude will not bring you the least of the things ye fret about, though it may double the evil of wanting them. And if not the least, why vex yourselves about things of more consequence?

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 25. To his stature one cubit?] See Clarke on Mt 6:27.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. to his stature] Some would here render the word ἡλικία, ‘age’ (comp. Psa_39:5); but ‘stature’ is probably right.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And which of you with taking thought,.... In an anxious and distressing manner, for food and raiment, in order to preserve and continue life,

add to his stature one cubit? The Persic version reads, "to his stature and height", as if this referred to the height of stature; whereas it seems rather to regard the age of a man, and the continuance of his life; See Gill on Mat 6:27.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

Ver. 25. See Mat 6:25-27

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Which of you can add the least measure - It seems, to add one cubit to a thing (which is the phrase in the original) was a kind of proverbial expression for making the least addition to it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

25. ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ. Some would here render the word ἡλικία, ‘age’ (comp. Psa 39:5); but “stature” is probably right.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. Τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑῶν. See on 11:5.

μεριμνῶν δύναται ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν προσθεῖναι πῆχυν. “By being anxious can add a span to his age.” That ἡλικία here means “age” (Heb 11:11; Joh 9:21, Joh 9:23), and not “stature” (19:3), is clear from the context. It was prolongation of life that the; anxiety of the rich fool failed to secure. Not many people give anxious, thought to the problem of adding to their stature; and the addition of a πῆχυς (the length of the forearm) would be monstrous, and would not be spoken of as ἐλάχιστον. Many persons do give anxious thought to the prolongation of their allotted age, and that by any amount, great or small. Wetst. quotes Mimnermus, πηχύϊον ἐπὶ χρόνον ἄνθεσιν ἥβης τερπόμεθα. See on 2:52, where ἡλικία probably means stature. For πῆχυς see D. B.1 iii. pp. 1736 ff.; and for the literature on Hebrew Weights and Measures, Schaff’s Herzog, iv. P. 2486; Hastings, D.C.G.M ii. p. 818.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Stature [ηλικιαν] . The original meaning of the word is time of life, age. So, commonly, in classical Greek. See, also, Joh 9:21, 23; Heb 11:11. The other meaning, stature, also occurs. Herodotus speaks of one who was of the same height [ηλικιην] with another (iii. 16). But both the usage and the connection are in favor of the meaning age. A measure of time is sometimes represented by a measure of length, as in Psa 39:5; but, most of all, the addition of a cubit (a foot and a half) to one's stature would not be a small one, as the text implies (that which is least), but a very large one. Moreover, Christ is speaking of food and clothing, the object of which is to foster and prolong life. Rev., age, in margin.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.