Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Matthew 6:26

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

KJV

ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά· οὐχ ὑμεῖς μᾶλλον διαφέρετε αὐτῶν;

Greek NT

Respicite volatilia cæli, quoniam non serunt, neque metunt, neque congregant in horrea : et Pater vester cælestis pascit illa. Nonne vos magis pluris estis illis ?

Vulgate

Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?

ASV

Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they?

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

20 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
διαφέρω
diaphero
verb · 13×
εἰς
eis
preposition · 1769×
θερίζω
therizo
verb · 21×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
μᾶλλον
mallon
adverb · 81×
οὐ
ou
particle · 1626×
οὐδέ
oude
conjunction · 137×
οὐράνιος
ouranios
adjective · 9×
οὐρανός
ouranos
noun · 274×
πατήρ
pater
noun · 412×
πετεινόν
peteinon
noun · 14×
σπείρω
speiro
verb · 53×
συνάγω
sunago
verb · 59×
τρέφω
trepho
verb · 8×
ἀποθήκη
apotheke
noun · 6×
ἐμβλέπω
emblepo
verb · 11×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὅτι
oti
conjunction · 1299×
ὑμεῖς
umeis
pronoun · 1828×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

11 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§2416Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory.196 Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.
§2547The Lord grieves over the rich, because they find their consolation in the abundance of goods.340 "Let the proud seek and love earthly kingdoms, but blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."341 Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow.342 Trust in God is a preparation for the blessedness of the poor. T…
§2830"Our bread": the Father who gives us life cannot not but give us the nourishment life requires - all appropriate goods and blessings, both material and spiritual. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus insists on the filial trust that cooperates with our Father's providence.115 He is not inviting us to idleness,116 but wants to relieve us from nagging worry and preoccupation. Such i…
Homilies on Matthew · 3 passages
2. Having thus, you see, spoken generally, that He might persuade the hearer to be an uncorrupt judge of His words, and to sentence according to the very nature of the things; when he has made sure of his assent, then, and not till then, He discovers Himself. Thus He presently adds, You cannot serve God and mammon. Let us shudder to think what we have brought Christ to say; wit…
2. And as they went out, it is said, behold, they brought unto Him a dumb man possessed with a devil. For the affliction was not natural, but the device of the evil spirit; wherefore also he needs others to bring him. For he could neither make entreaty himself, being speechless, nor supplicate others, when the evil spirit had bound his tongue, and together with his tongue had f…
2. See by how many things He has warned them. He said, You condemn your fathers, in that you say, We would not have been partakers with them; and this is no little thing to shame them. He said, While ye condemn them, you do worse things, even ye yourselves; and this is sufficient to cover them with disgrace. He said, These things shall not be without punishment; and hence he im…
Heidelberg Catechism · 2 passages
Q. What do you believe when you say: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not …
Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. Give us today our daily bread means: Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone.
We believe that all things in heaven and on earth, and all creatures, are preserved and governed by the providence of this wise and eternal God. For David testifies, saying: "The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God?" Indeed, the same apostle to the Athenians testified: "In him we live and move and have our being." This p…

Cross-references

  • 1Thess 3:11 — Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
  • Deut 28:8 — The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
  • Gen 1:29 — And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
  • Job 35:11 — Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
  • Job 38:41 — Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
  • Job 38:41 — Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
  • Luke 12:6 — Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
  • Luke 12:7 — But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
  • Luke 12:24 — Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
  • Matt 6:32 — (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
  • Matt 7:9 — Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
  • Matt 10:29 — Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
  • Matt 10:31 — Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
  • Matt 12:12 — How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
  • Prov 6:6 — Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
  • Ps 50:11 — I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
  • Ps 104:11 — They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
  • Ps 104:27 — These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
  • Ps 111:5 — He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
  • Ps 145:15 — The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
  • Ps 145:15 — The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
  • Ps 147:9 — He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
  • Ps 147:9 — He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.