Matthew 6:27
New International Version
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

New Living Translation
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

English Standard Version
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Berean Standard Bible
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Berean Literal Bible
And who of you by worrying is able to add one cubit to his stature?

King James Bible
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

New King James Version
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

New American Standard Bible
And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?

NASB 1995
“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

NASB 1977
“And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span?

Legacy Standard Bible
And who of you by being worried can add a single cubit to his life span?

Amplified Bible
And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life?

Christian Standard Bible
Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?

American Standard Version
And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But who of you, while taking pains, is able to add a foot and a half to his stature?

Contemporary English Version
Can worry make you live longer?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit?

English Revised Version
And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto his stature?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?

Good News Translation
Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?

International Standard Version
Can any of you add a single hour to the length of your life by worrying?

Literal Standard Version
And who of you, being anxious, is able to add to his age one cubit?

Majority Standard Bible
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

New American Bible
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

NET Bible
And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?

New Revised Standard Version
And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

New Heart English Bible
"And which of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to his height?

Webster's Bible Translation
Which of you by anxious care can add one cubit to his stature?

Weymouth New Testament
Which of you by being over-anxious can add a single foot to his height?

World English Bible
“Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

Young's Literal Translation
'And who of you, being anxious, is able to add to his age one cubit?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do Not Worry
26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.…

Cross References
Psalm 39:5
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

Matthew 6:25
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

Matthew 6:28
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.

Matthew 6:31
Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Luke 10:41
"Martha, Martha," the Lord replied, "you are worried and upset about many things.

Luke 12:11
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.


Treasury of Scripture

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?

by.

Matthew 5:36
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

Psalm 39:6
Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Ecclesiastes 3:14
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Jump to Previous
Able Add Age Anxious Care Carefulness Cubit Foot Growth Height Hour Measure Moment Over-Anxious Single Span Stature Taller Thought Worried Worrying
Jump to Next
Able Add Age Anxious Care Carefulness Cubit Foot Growth Height Hour Measure Moment Over-Anxious Single Span Stature Taller Thought Worried Worrying
Matthew 6
1. Giving to the Needy
5. The Lord's Prayer
16. Proper Fasting
19. Store up Treasures in Heaven
25. Do Not Worry
33. but seek God's kingdom.














(27) One cubit unto his stature.--The Greek for the last word admits either this meaning (as in Luke 19:3, and perhaps Luke 2:52) or that of age (as in John 9:21; John 9:23, and Hebrews 11:24). Either gives an adequate sense to the passage. No anxiety will alter our bodily height, and the other conditions of our life are as fixed by God's laws as that is, as little therefore dependent upon our volition; neither will that anxiety add to the length of life which God has appointed for us. Of the two meanings, however, the last best satisfies the teaching of the context. Men are not anxious about adding to their stature. They are often anxious about prolonging their life. Admit the thought that our days are but "as a span long" (Psalm 39:5), and then the addition of a cubit becomes a natural metaphor. It is to be noted that in the parallel passage in St. Luke (Luke 12:26) this appears as "that which is least," and which yet lies beyond our power. . . . Verse 27. - Luke 12:25 almost verbally. While ver. 26 insisted on the needlessness of anxiety, since, though birds show it not, they are provided for, ver. 27 insists on its uselessness, since after all it can effect so little. You wish to lengthen your life by it if only to a trifling extent; but you cannot do so. Which of you by taking thought (ver. 25, note) can add one cubit? "Hic videtur similitude petita esse a studio, quod erat trecentorum cubitorum: ἡλικία est cursus vitae" (Wetstein). Unto his stature. So even the Revised Version; but the Revised Version margin "age," and so most modern commentators (cf. the rendering preferred by the American Committee, "the measure of his life"). "Age"

(1) is so much nearer the immediate subject, preservation of life,

(2) is so much more frequent an object of anxious care,

(3) gives so much more suitable a meaning to "cubit," a most trifling addition (Luke 12:26), that it is, without any doubt, the true meaning of ἡλικία (cf. John 9:21-23; Hebrews 11:11; cf. Psalm 39:5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Who
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

of you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

by
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

worrying
μεριμνῶν (merimnōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3309: To be over-anxious; with acc: To be anxious about, distracted; I care for. From merimna; to be anxious about.

can
δύναται (dynatai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

add
προσθεῖναι (prostheinai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 4369: To place (put) to, add; I do again. From pros and tithemi; to place additionally, i.e. Lay beside, annex, repeat.

a single
ἕνα (hena)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

hour
πῆχυν (pēchyn)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4083: A cubit, about a foot and a half. Of uncertain affinity; the fore-arm, i.e. a cubit.

to
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

lifespan?
ἡλικίαν (hēlikian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2244: Age, term of life; full age, maturity; stature. From the same as helikos; maturity.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 6:27 Which of you by being anxious can (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 6:26
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