Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:34
Verse 34. Take therefore no thought] That is, Be not therefore anxiously careful. The eighth and last reason, against this preposterous conduct, is-that carking care is not only useless in itself, but renders us miserable beforehand. The future falls under the cognizance of God alone: we encroach, therefore, upon his rights, when we would fain foresee all that may happen to us, and secure ourselves from it by our cares. How much good is omitted, how many evils caused, how many duties neglected, how many innocent persons deserted, how many good works destroyed, how many truths suppressed, and how many acts of injustice authorized by those timorous forecasts of what may happen; and those faithless apprehensions concerning the future! Let us do now what God requires of us, and trust the consequences to him. The future time which God would have us foresee and provide for is that of judgment and eternity: and it is about this alone that we are careless! Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof] arketon th hmera h kakia authv, Sufficient for each day is its own calamity. Each day has its peculiar trials: we should meet them with confidence in God. As we should live but a day at a time, so we should take care to suffer no more evils in one day than are necessarily attached to it. He who neglects the present for the future is acting opposite to the order of God, his own interest, and to every dictate of sound wisdom. Let us live for eternity, and we shall secure all that is valuable in time.
There are many valuable reflections in the Abbe Quesnel's work, on this chapter; and from it several of the preceding have been derived.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow , etc.] Reference is had to ( Proverbs 27:1). Boast not of thyself tomorrow: a man cannot promise or assure himself, that he shall have a morrow, and therefore it is great weakness and folly to be anxiously thoughtful about it. This is expressed in the Talmud f456 , nearer the sense of Christs words, after this manner: rjm trx rxt la , do not distress thyself with tomorrows affliction, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth; perhaps tomorrow may not be, and thou wilt be found distressing thyself, for the time which is nothing to thee.
And should it come, it is unnecessary to be thoughtful of it in a distressing manner before hand; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself . The morrow is here introduced by a prosopopeia, as if it was a person sufficiently thoughtful and careful for the necessaries of it: every day brings along with it fresh care and thought, being attended with fresh wants and troubles; and therefore, it is very unadvisable, to bring the cares and troubles of two days upon one; as he does, who is anxiously concerned today, for the things of tomorrow; sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof . This proverb is thus expressed in the Talmud f457 , ht[b hrxl hyd , sufficient for distress, or vexation, is the present time; which the gloss explains thus, sufficient for the vexation it is, that men should grieve for it, at the time that it comes upon them.
It is very wrong to anticipate trouble, or meet it before hand; if it was for no other reason but this, that every days trouble is enough, and should not be needlessly added to, by an over concern what shall be done for tomorrow; or how shall the necessities of it be answered, or the trials of it be endured.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 25-34 - There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often insnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich. But there is a carefulness about tempora things which is a duty, though we must not carry these lawful cares to far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but refer it to God to lengthen or shorten it as he pleases; our times ar in his hand, and they are in a good hand. Not about the comforts of this life; but leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as he pleases. Food and raiment God has promised, therefore we may expec them. Take no thought for the morrow, for the time to come. Be no anxious for the future, how you shall live next year, or when you ar old, or what you shall leave behind you. As we must not boast of tomorrow, so we must not care for to-morrow, or the events of it. God has given us life, and has given us the body. And what can he not d for us, who did that? If we take care about our souls and for eternity which are more than the body and its life, we may leave it to God to provide for us food and raiment, which are less. Improve this as a encouragement to trust in God. We must reconcile ourselves to ou worldly estate, as we do to our stature. We cannot alter the disposal of Providence, therefore we must submit and resign ourselves to them Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world. Seek first the kingdom of God, and make religion your business say not that this is the way to starve; no, it is the way to be wel provided for, even in this world. The conclusion of the whole matte is, that it is the will and command of the Lord Jesus, that by dail prayers we may get strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, an to arm us against the temptations that attend them, and then let non of these things move us. Happy are those who take the Lord for their God, and make full proof of it by trusting themselves wholly to his wise disposal. Let thy Spirit convince us of sin in the want of thi disposition, and take away the worldliness of our hearts __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
μη 3361 PRT-N ουν 3767 CONJ μεριμνησητε 3309 5661 V-AAS-2P εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF αυριον 839 ADV η 3588 T-NSF γαρ 1063 CONJ αυριον 839 ADV μεριμνησει 3309 5692 V-FAI-3S τα 3588 T-APN εαυτης 1438 F-3GSF αρκετον 713 A-NSN τη 3588 T-DSF ημερα 2250 N-DSF η 3588 T-NSF κακια 2549 N-NSF αυτης 846 P-GSF
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:34 {For the morrow} (eis ten aurion). The last resort of the anxious soul when all other fears are allayed. The ghost of tomorrow stalks out with all its hobgoblins of doubt and distrust.
