Matthew 6:28
New International Version
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

New Living Translation
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,

English Standard Version
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

Berean Standard Bible
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.

Berean Literal Bible
And why do you worry about clothing? Consider carefully how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor nor do they spin.

King James Bible
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

New King James Version
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

New American Standard Bible
And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth,

NASB 1995
“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

NASB 1977
“And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

Legacy Standard Bible
And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

Amplified Bible
And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin [wool to make clothing],

Christian Standard Bible
And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread.

American Standard Version
And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And why are you taking pains about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow without laboring or weaving.

Contemporary English Version
Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin.

English Revised Version
And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes.

Good News Translation
"And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves.

International Standard Version
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn,

Literal Standard Version
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider well the lilies of the field; how do they grow? They do not labor, nor do they spin;

Majority Standard Bible
And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.

New American Bible
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.

NET Bible
Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.

New Revised Standard Version
And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,

New Heart English Bible
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin,

Webster's Bible Translation
And why are ye anxious for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow? they toil not, neither do they spin?

Weymouth New Testament
And why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the wild lilies. Watch their growth. They neither toil nor spin,

World English Bible
Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,

Young's Literal Translation
and about clothing why are ye anxious? consider well the lilies of the field; how do they grow? they do not labour, nor do they spin;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do Not Worry
27Who 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. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.…

Cross References
Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.

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 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

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.

Luke 12:22
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.

Luke 12:27
Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.


Treasury of Scripture

And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

why.

Matthew 6:25,31
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? …

Matthew 10:10
Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

Luke 3:11
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

the lilies.

Luke 12:27
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.

Jump to Previous
Anxious Careful Clothes Clothing Consider Field Flowers Grow Growth Labor Lilies Observe Raiment Spin Thought Thread Toil Troubled Watch Wild Work Worried Worry
Jump to Next
Anxious Careful Clothes Clothing Consider Field Flowers Grow Growth Labor Lilies Observe Raiment Spin Thought Thread Toil Troubled Watch Wild Work Worried Worry
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.














(28) Why take ye thought for raiment?--The question might well be asked of every race of the whole family of man. Yet we ought not to forget its special pointedness as addressed to a people who reckoned their garments, not less than their money, as part of their capital, and often expended on them the labour of many weeks or months. (Comp. Matthew 6:20; James 5:2.)

Consider the lilies of the field.--Here again we may think of the lesson as drawn immediately from the surrounding objects. The hill-sides of Galilee are clothed in spring with the crown imperial, and the golden amaryllis, and crimson tulips, and anemones of all shades from scarlet to white, to say nothing of the commoner buttercups and dandelions and daisies; and all these are probably classed roughly together under the generic name of "lilies." And these, with what we may reverently speak of as a love of Nature, the Lord tells His disciples to "consider," i.e., not merely to look at with a passing glance, but to study--to learn, as it were, by heart--till they have realised every beauty of structure and form and hue.

Verse 28. - Parallel passage: Luke 12:26, 27. Luke's is longer and seemingly more original. But in the absence of external evidence, it must always be a matter of opinion whether Matthew has compressed the longer form of the words, or vice versa. And why take ye thought for raiment? In vers. 25-27 our Lord had spoken of food; in vers. 28-30 he speaks of dress. He insists on the needlessness (ver. 28) and on the comparative uselessness (ver. 29) of anxiety about it, since even the king who had the greatest opportunities could not vie in clothing with a single lily. Flowers have this glorious clothing (ver. 30), though they are so perishable: much more shall you be clothed. Consider (ver. 26, note). The lilies (τὰ κρίνα). Though there are many kinds of lilies in Palestine, and some of brilliant colouring (particularly the purple and white Huleh lily found round Nazareth), yet none of them grows in such abundance as to give the tone to the colouring of the flowers generally. It seems, therefore, probable that the word is employed loosely. So, perhaps, in the LXX. of Exodus 25:31, 33, 34, and other passages, where it represents the "flowers" (פֶּרַח) on the candlestick. It appears, too, that שׁושֶׁן ("lily," Authorized Version in Canticles) is also used by the Arabs of any bright flower. If a single species is to be thought of, Canon Tristram would prefer the Anemone coronaria of our gardens, which is "the most gorgeously painted, the most conspicuous in spring, and the most universally spread of all the floral treasures of the Holy Land" ('Natural History of the Bible,' p. 464, edit. 1877). Of the field. Matthew only in this phrase (but cf. ver. 30, note). Its insertion emphasizes the spontaneity of origin, the absence of cultivation, the "waste" as not grown for the comfort or pleasure of man. How they grow. Professor Drummond's beautiful remarks upon this verse ('Natural Law,' etc.) do not belong to exegesis, but to homily, for the stress of our Lord's words lies on "grow," not on "how;" he is thinking of the fact, net the manner of their growth. They toil not; to produce the raw material. Neither do they spin; to manufacture it when produced. "Illud virorum est, qui agrum colunt; hoc mulie-rum domisedarum" (Wetstein).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

why
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

do you worry
μεριμνᾶτε (merimnate)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3309: To be over-anxious; with acc: To be anxious about, distracted; I care for. From merimna; to be anxious about.

about
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

clothes?
ἐνδύματος (endymatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 1742: A garment, raiment, clothing. From enduo; apparel.

Consider
καταμάθετε (katamathete)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2648: To understand, take in a fact about, consider carefully. From kata and manthano; to learn thoroughly, i.e. to note carefully.

how
πῶς (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

the
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

lilies
κρίνα (krina)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2918: A lily growing wild, variously identified with the red anemone, the whole lily, the sword lily. Perhaps a prim word; a lily.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

field
ἀγροῦ (agrou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 68: From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.

grow:
αὐξάνουσιν (auxanousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 837: (a) I cause to increase, become greater (b) I increase, grow. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to grow, i.e. Enlarge.

[They do] not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

labor
κοπιῶσιν (kopiōsin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2872: From a derivative of kopos; to feel fatigue; by implication, to work hard.

[or]
οὐδὲ (oude)
Conjunction
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

spin.
νήθουσιν (nēthousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3514: To spin. From neo; to spin.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 6:28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 6:27
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