Matthew 6:32

Mat_6:32

Your heavenly Father knoweth.

The antidote to anxiety

I. Reasons against anxiety.

1. Anxiety is a part of indecision of character and partakes of its harmfulness. No man can serve two masters.

2. An argument from the greater to the less; God takes care of fowls, He will of men.

3. The impossibilities in the case-Which of you, etc.

4. The analogies of nature-Consider the lilies, etc.

5. It puts the Christian to shame by showing that he is anxious like the heathen.

6. The character of God-Your heavenly Father, etc.

7. The folly of the thing.

II. The magnitude of the sin of anxiety.

1. It makes you unhappy, which is matter for blame rather than pity.

2. It is a positive wrong done to God; it distrusts him.

3. Do not speak of your anxieties as something for which you are to be commiserated.

4. Never place yourself willingly in a position of worldly anxiety; it is a great hindrance to spiritual life. (A. Vaughan, M. A.)

Gods individual care of His children

A father does not deal with all his children by one and the same universal rule, but with each child individually. For he is acquainted with their separate, especial wants; he knows them as no one else knows them. Therefore, not only have all their portions, but every one the portion he requires. The delicate one is the most shielded,-the timid one is the most encouraged,-the infirm one is the most helped,-the dull one is the most taught,-the tempted one is the most prayed for,-the returning one is the most rejoiced over. And it is the speciality and the appropriateness of the care which makes the great characteristics of paternal government. (A. Vaughan, M. A)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6:32 unbelievers (literally Gentiles): Those who fail to know God and follow his will (see also 20:19). • your heavenly Father already knows: Prayer does not inform God about needs; it expresses trust in his provision.

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

Mat 6:32. Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα, κ.τ.λ., for all these things, etc.) and nothing else.—τὰ ἔθνη, the gentiles) the heathen nations. The faithful ought to be free from the cares, not only of the covetous among the heathen, but of all heathens; many, however, in the present day fall short of the heathen in this matter.[294]—ἐπιζητεῖ, seek after) as though a difficult matter. This word is followed by the simple verb ζητεῖτε, seek ye,—οἶδε γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος, for your Heavenly Father knoweth) An argument from the omniscience, the goodness, and the omnipotence of God.—ὑμῶν, your) sc. who is your Father in a pre-eminent degree in preference to the heathen.[295]

[294] In the original, “At multi hodie non eam, quam gentes, habent αὐτάρκειαν.” Bengel in Gnomon on ch. Mat 4:4 defines αὐτάρκεια as “Prœsens animi quies.” See p. 150 and f. n. 3.—(I. B.)

[295] In the original all this is expressed by two words, “præ ethnicis.”—(I. B.)

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

Mat_6:32. The second γάρ does not append another reason co-ordinate with the first, but after the injunction contained in Mat_6:31 has been justified by the reference to the heathen (to whom they are not to compare themselves), this same injunction is provided with an explanation of an encouraging nature, so that the first γάρ is logical, the second explanatory, as frequently in classical writers (Kühner, ad Xen. Anab. v. 6. 6. Frotscher, ad Hieron. xi. 6). The referring of the second γάρ to something to be supplied after τὰ ἔθνη, such as who know nothing of God (Tholuck), is arbitrary.

οἶδε is emphatic; is certainly known to your Father, and so on.

ὅτι] that, not ὅ, τι (Paulus: that, which; Fritzsche: quatenus).

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 6:32 . τὰ ἔθνη , again a reference to heathen practice; in Mat 6:7 to their “battology” in prayer, here to the kind of blessings they eagerly ask ( ἐπιζητοῦσιν ); material only or chiefly; bread, raiment, wealth, etc. I never realised how true the statement of Jesus is till I read the Vedic Hymns , the prayer book and song book of the Indian Aryans. With the exception of a few hymns to Varuna , in which sin is confessed and pardon begged, most hymns, especially those to Indra , contain prayers only for material goods: cows, horses, green pastures, good harvests.

To wifeless men thou givest wives,

And joyful mak’st their joyless lives;

Thou givest sons, courageous, strong,

To guard their aged sires from wrong,

Lands, jewels, horses, herds of kine,

All kinds of wealth are gifts of thine

Thy friend is never slain; his might

Is never worsted in the fight.

Dr. Muir, Sanskrit Texts , vol. v., p. 137.

οἶδεν γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑ .: Disciples must rise above the pagan level, especially as they worship not Indra , but a Father in heaven , believed in even by the Indian Aryans, in a rude way, under the name of Dyaus-Pitar, Heaven-Father. γὰρ explains the difference between pagans and disciples. The disciple has a Father who knows, and never forgets, His children’s needs, and who is so regarded by all who truly believe in Him. Such faith kills care. But such faith is possible only to those who comply with the following injunction.

Mat 6:33 . ζητεῖτε πρῶτον . There is considerable variation in the text of this counsel. Perhaps the nearest to the original is the reading of [44] , which omits τοῦ θεοῦ with [45] , and inverts the order of βασ . and δικαι . Seek ye His (the Father’s) righteousness and kingdom, though it may be against this that in Luke (Luk 12:31 ) the kingdom only is mentioned, πρῶτον also being omitted: Seek ye His kingdom. This may have been the original form of the logion , all beyond being interpretation, true though unnecessary. Seeking the kingdom means seeking righteousness as the summum bonum , and the πρῶτον is implied in such a quest. Some (Meyer, Sevin, Achelis) think there is no second, not even a subordinate seeking after earthly goods, all that to be left in God’s hands, our sole concern the kingdom. That is indeed the ideal heroic attitude. Yet practically it comes to be a question of first and second, supreme and subordinate, and if the kingdom be indeed first it will keep all else in its proper place. The πρῶτον , like the prayer against temptation, indicates consideration for weakness in the sincere. προστεθήσεται , shall be added , implying that the main object of quest will certainly be secured.

[44] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[45] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek)--rather, "pursue." Knowing nothing definitely beyond the present life to kindle their aspirations and engage their supreme attention, the heathen naturally pursue present objects as their chief, their only good. To what an elevation above these does Jesus here lift His disciples!

for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things--How precious this word! Food and raiment are pronounced needful to God's children; and He who could say, "No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him" (Mat 11:27), says with an authority which none but Himself could claim, "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Will not that suffice you, O ye needy ones of the household of faith?

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 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek] The fifth reason against solicitude about the future is-that to concern ourselves about these wants with anxiety, as if there was no such thing as a providence in the world; with great affection towards earthly enjoyments, as if we expected no other; and without praying to God or consulting his will, as if we could do any thing without him: this is to imitate the worst kind of heathens, who live without hope, and without God in the world.

Seek] επιζητει from επι, intensive, and ζητεω, I seek, to seek intensely, earnestly, again and again: the true characteristic of the worldly man; his soul is never satisfied-give! give! is the ceaseless language of his earth-born heart.

Your heavenly Father knoweth, c.] The sixth reason against this anxiety about the future is-because God, our heavenly Father, is infinite in wisdom, and knows all our wants. It is the property of a wise and tender father to provide necessaries, and not superfluities, for his children. Not to expect the former is an offence to his goodness to expect the latter is injurious to his wisdom.

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

(32) After all these things do the Gentiles seek.—The tone is one of pity rather than of censure, though it appeals, not without a touch of gentle rebuke (as before in Mat_6:5) to the national pride of Israelites: “You look down upon the heathen nations, and think of yourselves as God’s people, yet in what do you excel them, if you seek only what they are seeking?”

For your heavenly Father knoweth . . .—The bearing of this teaching on the meaning of the “daily bread” of the Lord’s Prayer has already been noticed (comp. Note on Mat_6:11). The outer life of man, and its accidents, may well be left to the wisdom of the All-knowing. It lies below the region of true prayer, or occupies an altogether subordinate place within it.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. the Gentiles seek] Seek with eagerness. A compound verb. The simple verb is used below in the next verse. For the aims of the heathen world read Juvenal Sat. x., or Johnson’s imitation of it “The Vanity of Human Wishes.”

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.

But seek first the kingdom of God,.... Meaning either the Gospel, and the ministration of it; in which sense this phrase is often used, see Mat 21:43 and which is diligently to be sought after, and into; to be constantly attended on, and to be preferred to our necessary food, to raiment, or riches, or any enjoyment of life: or else the kingdom of glory, which is prepared by God, and is his gift; for which he makes his people meet here, and will introduce them into it hereafter.

And his righteousness; the righteousness of God, which is revealed in the Gospel, and is what gives a right and title to the kingdom of heaven. This is not the righteousness of man, but of God; and is no other than the righteousness of Christ; so called, because he is God who has wrought it; it is what God approves of, accepts, and imputes, and which only can justify in his sight, and give an abundant entrance into his kingdom and glory. Heaven is to be sought for in the first place, as the perfection of the saints' happiness; and Christ's righteousness is to be sought for, and laid hold on by faith, as the way and means of enjoying that happiness; without which, there will be no entering into the kingdom of heaven.

And all these things shall be added unto you: of the free bounty, goodness, and liberality of God, without your thought and care, and much less merit; even "all these things", meat, drink, clothing, or whatsoever worldly sustenance else is necessary for you: which are not parts of the happiness of saints, only appendages thereunto; which they have over and above what they are, or should be chiefly seeking after. The Hebrews (r) say,

"that no good sign will be shown to Israel, until they return and "seek" three things: "afterwards the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord"; , "this is the kingdom of heaven"; and "David their king", according to its literal sense; "and shall fear the Lord and his goodness"; this is the house of the sanctuary, as it is said, "this goodly mountain", and Lebanon.''

(r) Jarchi & Kimchi, in Hos. iii. 5.

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

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Ver. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek] With whom if you should symbolize in sins, or not exceed in virtue, it were a shame to you. They studiously seek these things, they seek them with all their might; as being without God in the world, and therefore left by him to shift for themselves. {a} When we observe a young man toiling and moiling, running and riding, and not missing a market, &c., we easily guess and gather that he is fatherless and friendless, and hath none other to take care for him. Surely this immoderate care is better beseeming infidels that know not God, but rest wholly upon themselves and their own means, than Christians, who acknowledge God most wise and all-sufficient to be their loving father, {b} As we differ from heathens in profession, so we should in practice; and a gross business it is, that Jerusalem should justify Sodom, and it should be said unto her, "Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins, but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they," Eze 16:51. Such as have hope in this life only, what marvel if they labour their utmost to make their best of it? Now many of the poor pagans believed not the immortality of the soul, and those few of them that dreamed of another life beyond this, yet affirmed it very faintly, and scarcely believed themselves. Socrates, the wisest of heathens, spake thus to his friends at his death: "The time is now come that I must die, and you survive; but whether is the better of these two, the gods only know, and not any man living, that is my opinion." {c} "But we have not so learned Christ." Neither must we do as heathens and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; since now in Christ Jesus, we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by his blood, and have an access through him by one Spirit to the Father, Eph 2:13; Eph 2:18.

For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things] Not with a bare barren notional knowledge, but with a fatherly tender care to provide for his own in all their necessities: which whoso doeth not, he judgeth him worse than an infidel. We need not be careful of our maintenance here in our minority and non-age, nor yet for our eternal inheritance when we come to full age. We are cared for in everything that we need, and that can be good for us. Oh happy we, did we but know our happiness! How might we live in a very heaven upon earth, could we but live by faith and walk before God with a perfect heart? He made himself known to be our gracious and provident Father before we were born. And did we but seriously consider who kept and fed us in our mother’s womb, Psa 22:9-10, when neither we could shift for ourselves nor our parents do aught for us, how he filled us two bottles with milk against we came into the light, bore us in his arms as a nursing father, Num 11:12, fed us, clothed us, kept us from fire and water, charged his angels with us, commanded all winds to blow good to us, Son 4:16, all creatures to serve us, Hos 2:21-23, and all occurrences to work together for our good, Rom 8:28, how could we but be confident? Why art thou so sad from day to day? and what is it thou ailest or needest? Art not thou the king’s son? said Jonadab to Amnon, 2Sa 13:4, -say I to every godly Christian. Profane Esau could go to his father for a child’s portion; so could the prodigal, because a child; and had it. Every child of God shall have a Benjamin’s portion here, and at length power over all nations, Rev 2:26, and possession of that "new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness," 2Pe 3:13. Either therefore disclaim God for your Father, or else rest confident of his fatherly provision.

" Certa mihi spes est quod vitam qui dedit, idem

Et velit, et possit suppeditare cibum."

God that giveth mouths will not fail to give meat also.

{a} επιζητει, Summo studio efflagitat.

{b} κερδαινοντες ου κοπιωμεν. Naz.

{c} Utrum autem sit menus Dii immortales sciunt: hominem quidem arbitror scire neminem. Plato and Cic.

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.

For after all these things do the Gentiles seek - That is, those destitute of the true doctrines of religion, and unacquainted with proper dependence on Divine Providence, make it their chief anxiety thus to seek food and clothing. But you, who have a knowledge of your Father in heaven; who know that He will provide for your needs, should not be anxious. Seek first His kingdom; seek first to be righteous, and to become interested in His favor, and all necessary things will be added to you. He has control over all things, and He can give you what you need. He will give you what he deems best for you.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

It is not without reason that men are in such great fear and distress, when they are so blind as to imagine that their happiness in this life is ruled by fate. But such as know that they are entirely governed by the will of God, know also that a store is laid up for them in his hands. (St. John Chrysostom)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

32. After all these things — All worldly goods and earthly treasures, (18-21,) which are included under the dominion of the world-god, Mammon. And so, be not ye, therefore, like unto them. Their god is Mammon, yours is your heavenly Father. The Gentiles seek — Hence this whole third part of our Lord’s discourse is properly a rebuke of Gentilism, or godless Secularism, either as existing among the heathen, or infecting the Jews.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Parallel passage: Luk_12:30. Save in reading "but" instead of the second "for," Luke"s seems the more original. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; ) for your heavenly Father knoweth, etc. The Revised Version removes the marks of parenthesis. For...for; these are probably co-ordinate, and adduce two reasons for our not being for one moment anxious about earthly things:

(1) it is like the heathen; (cf. the thought of Mat_5:47)

(2) your Father knows your need of them. Heavenly. (Mat_5:16, note) Knoweth (ver. 8, note).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. This worldliness, anxiety, and distrust, might do in heathen, who have no knowledge of a heavenly Father, but you have a heavenly Father, and he knows that ye need all these things.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

For the Gentiles search for these things

"for the Gentiles are concerned about what they will eat, drink, and wear"

your heavenly Father knows that you need them

Jesus is implying that God will make sure their basic needs are met.

Father

This is an important title for God. (See: Translating Son and Father)

seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

Here "kingdom" refers to God's rule as king. AT: "concern yourselves with serving God, who is your king, and doing what is right" (See: Metonymy)

all these things will be given to you

This can be stated in active form. AT: "God will provide all these things for you" (See: Active or Passive)

Therefore

"Because of all this"

tomorrow will be anxious for itself

Jesus speaks of "tomorrow" as if it were a person who could worry. Jesus means that a person will have enough to worry about when the next day comes. (See: Personification)

translationWords

Gentile

heaven

God the Father

kingdom of God

righteous

evil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

32. ἐπιζητοῦσιν. Either (1) ‘seek with eagerness’; ἐπὶ having the force of ‘on,’ ‘further,’ so earnestly. See Vaughan on Rom 11:7. Or (2) ‘make special objects of pursuit,’ from the sense of direction or aim in ἐπί. Cp. ἐπικωμωδεῖν, ‘to select for caricature.’ Riddell, Plato, Apol. Socr. 31 D. With the general thought of the passage cp. Rom 14:17, οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσις καὶ πόσις ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ χαρὰ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.

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.

32. οἶδεν γάρ] This 2nd γάρ brings in an additional reason: see Xen. Symp. iv. 55.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. For all these things the Gentiles seek after. For your heavenly Father knoweth that you need all these things.] Lk. has: “For all these things the Gentiles of the world seek after. But your Father knoweth that ye need these things.”

(L)

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