What Does Matthew 6: 31-34 Mean?

With their unequivocal instruction not to worry, these verses are a great source of liberation and comfort to Christians, what they are not, however, is an assurance that we will automatically get everything that we want.

Who wrote Matthew 6: 31-34?

The Gospel According to Matthew is the first of the Synoptic Gospels and it is traditionally attributed to Saint Matthew the Evangelist, one of the twelve apostles, who, prior to his conversion, was a tax collector known as Levi.  The gospel was written in Greek and is believed to have been completed around 64 AD in the ancient city of Antioch, which is today the Turkish city of Antakya, tragically devastated by an earthquake early in 2023.

What is the meaning of Matthew 6: 31-34?

Matthew 6:31-34 New International Version

‘So do not worry, saying “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’   New International Version

God knows what we need and God will provide for those needs, but to worry about the things we need is to demonstrate our lack of trust in God. Following God’s will, should be our priority; if we follow God’s will, all else will fall into place. God will give us what we need, but not necessarily what we desire. To worry about the future is a waste of energy and is disrespectful toward God. God knows the future and God knows his plan for each of us; we achieve nothing by worry, except to erect a barrier between God and ourselves. Now, let’s consider how other translations of the Bible render these famous verses.

Matthew 6:31-34 King James Version

‘Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’

We know that the 400 year old language of this most famous version of the Bible can sometimes be confusing, that its language is not the way that we speak today, however, it is always worth considering what we lose when we attempt to simplify the language. The first striking change that catches the eye is the use of the word ‘Gentiles’, meaning people who are not Jewish. The NIV renders this as ‘pagan’. The two words are not synonyms and for the modern reader the word ‘pagan’ has strong, perhaps rather sensational connotations. The archaic language and grammar of the King James Version does sound strange to us, but is that a bad thing? Perhaps it is better to think carefully about the meaning of a text than to have a simplified version served up to us. Doesn’t the celebrated sentence ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof’ resonate in our minds much more powerfully than the simplified ‘Each day has enough trouble of its own’?  What do you think?

Matthew 6: 31-36 New American Standard Bible

‘Do not worry then, saying, “What are we to eat?” or “What are we to drink?” or “What are we to wear for clothing?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be provided to you. So, do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

The NASB version retains the word ‘Gentiles’ and stays close to the wording of the KJV. This is a version of the text which remains close to the meaning of the earlier version but which carefully strips away archaisms to give the modern reader access to an undistorted text.

Matthew 6: 31-36 The Message

‘What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.’

Wow, this certainly is a long way from the KJV, but is it a helpful contemporary version or has it moved so far from the original text as to become an entirely different text? Peterson’s version of the Bible was checked against the original Greek texts by teams of scholars, so it’s clear that we’re not just dealing with a carefree riffing on the Biblical text but a serious scholarly rewording. The tone is deliberately conversational and I see no problem with that; in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is speaking directly to us, making things clear, not obscuring them. Having abandoned literal translation, Peterson is free is explain the ideas of the text in a discursive way; the question is, does this distort the meaning? ‘You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.’  Is for me, misleading. God does not promise to attend to ‘all your everyday human concerns’. God promises to give us what we need, not what we want. The MSG version seems to suggest that Christians will be protected from all adversity and this is not Christ’s message. What do you think?

Matthew 6: 31-34 in context

These verses are located midway through the Sermon on the Mount, which contains the key elements of Christian ethics and is found in Matthew chapters 5-7. The sermon, which includes the Beatitudes and The Lord’s Prayer, is one of the most widely quoted and influential parts of the Gospel. 

Reflections on Matthew 6: 31-34

For the Christians of 2,000 years ago the basic physical requirements for life: food, drink and clothing, were far more precarious than they are for the average American today; so the instruction not to worry about them was a big ask. It is an instruction, which puts Christian faith in perspective. If you truly believe in God, then serving God will be your sole focus and your trust in God will be inviolable.

Read next: The Meaning of Matthew 19:26. "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."