Matthew 6:25

Bible in Basic English (1941)

So I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about food or drink, or about clothing for your body. Is not life more than food, and the body more than its clothing?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, Μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν, τί φάγητε, καὶ τί πίητε· μηδὲ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν, τί ἐνδύσησθε. Οὐχὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πλεῖόν ἐστιν τῆς τροφῆς, καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος;

Transliteration

Dia touto legō to you, Mē merimnate to the psychē of you, what phagēte, and what piēte; mēde to the sōmati of you, what endysēsthe. Ouchi the psychē pleion estin of the trophēs, and the sōma of the endymatos?

Grammar Details

• *Dia touto legō*: preposition + demonstrative pronoun + present active indicative, 1st singular - because of this I say
• *Mē merimnate*: negative particle + present active imperative, 2nd plural - do not be anxious
• *psychē*: nominative, feminine, singular - life/soul
• *phagēte*: aorist active subjunctive, 2nd plural - you might eat
• *piēte*: aorist active subjunctive, 2nd plural - you might drink
• *mēde*: negative conjunction - neither/nor
• *sōmati*: dative, neuter, singular - for body
• *endysēsthe*: aorist middle subjunctive, 2nd plural - you might put on/clothe yourselves
• *Ouchi*: interrogative negative particle - not?
• *pleion estin*: comparative adjective, nominative, neuter, singular + present active indicative, 3rd singular - is more
• *trophēs*: genitive, feminine, singular - of food/nourishment
• *sōma*: nominative, neuter, singular - body
• *endymatos*: genitive, neuter, singular - of clothing/garment

Word Meanings

• *Dia touto*: therefore/for this reason/because of this
• *merimnate*: be anxious/worry/be concerned
• *psychē*: life/soul/inner self
• *phagēte*: you might eat/you would eat
• *piēte*: you might drink/you would drink
• *sōmati*: body/physical form
• *endysēsthe*: you might put on/you would clothe yourselves
• *pleion*: more/greater/of more value
• *trophēs*: food/nourishment/sustenance
• *endymatos*: clothing/garment/apparel

Referenced Verses

• Matt 6:31 : 31 Then do not be full of care, saying, What are we to have for food or drink? or, With what may we be clothed?
• Phil 4:6 : 6 Have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your requests before God.
• 1 Pet 5:7 : 7 Putting all your troubles on him, for he takes care of you.
• Matt 6:34 : 34 Then have no care for tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Take the trouble of the day as it comes.
• Luke 12:22-31 : 22 And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about what food you will take, or for your body, how it may be clothed. 23 Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing? 24 Give thought to the ravens; they do not put seeds into the earth, or get together grain; they have no store-houses or buildings; and God gives them their food: of how much greater value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself any taller? 26 If, then, you are not able to do even that which is least, why are you troubled about the rest? 27 Give thought to the flowers: they do no work, they make no thread; and still I say to you, Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not clothed like one of these. 28 But if God gives such clothing to the grass in the field, which today is living, and tomorrow will be burned in the oven, how much more will he give clothing to you, O men of little faith? 29 And do not give overmuch thought to your food and drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts. 30 For the nations of the world go in search of all these things: but your Father has knowledge that you have need of them. 31 But let your chief care be for his kingdom, and these other things will be given to you in addition.
• Matt 6:27-28 : 27 And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself a cubit taller? 28 And why are you troubled about clothing? See the flowers of the field, how they come up; they do no work, they make no thread:
• 1 Cor 7:32 : 32 But it is my desire for you to be free from cares. The unmarried man gives his mind to the things of the Lord, how he may give pleasure to the Lord:
• Ps 55:22 : 22 Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved.
• Luke 12:4-5 : 4 And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that. 5 But I will make clear to you of whom you are to be in fear: of him who after death has power to send you to hell; yes, truly I say, Have fear of him.
• Rom 8:32 : 32 He who did not keep back his only Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not with him freely give us all things?
• Matt 10:19 : 19 But when you are given up into their hands, do not be troubled about what to say or how to say it: for in that hour what you are to say will be given to you;
• Matt 13:22 : 22 And that which was dropped among the thorns, this is he who has the word; and the cares of this life, and the deceits of wealth, put a stop to the growth of the word and it gives no fruit.
• Mark 4:19 : 19 And the cares of this life, and the deceits of wealth, and the desire for other things coming in, put a stop to the growth of the word, and it gives no fruit.
• Mark 13:11 : 11 And when you are taken and given up to be judged, do not be troubled about what to say: but whatever is given to you in that hour, say: because it is not you who say it, but the Holy Spirit.
• Luke 8:14 : 14 And those which went among thorns are those who have given hearing, and go on their way, but they are overcome by cares and wealth and the pleasures of life, and they give no fruit.
• Luke 10:40-41 : 40 But Martha had her hands full of the work of the house, and she came to him and said, Lord, is it nothing to you that my sister has let me do all the work? Say to her that she is to give me some help. 41 But the Lord, answering, said to her, Martha, Martha, you are full of care and troubled about such a number of things:
• Luke 12:8-9 : 8 And I say to you that to everyone who gives witness to me before men, the Son of man will give witness before the angels of God. 9 But if anyone says before men that he has no knowledge of me, I will say that I have no knowledge of him before the angels of God.
• Luke 12:11 : 11 And when they take you before the Synagogues and the authorities and the rulers, take no thought about what answers you will give, or what you will say:
• 2 Tim 2:4 : 4 A fighting man, when he is with the army, keeps himself free from the business of this life so that he may be pleasing to him who has taken him into his army.
• Heb 13:5-6 : 5 Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things which you have; for he himself has said, I will be with you at all times. 6 So that we say with a good heart, The Lord is my helper; I will have no fear: what is man able to do to me?
• Matt 5:22-28 : 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be in danger of being judged; and he who says to his brother, Raca, will be in danger from the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, You foolish one, will be in danger of the hell of fire. 23 If then you are making an offering at the altar and there it comes to your mind that your brother has something against you, 24 While your offering is still before the altar, first go and make peace with your brother, then come and make your offering. 25 Come to an agreement quickly with him who has a cause against you at law, while you are with him on the way, for fear that he may give you up to the judge and the judge may give you to the police and you may be put into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, You will not come out from there till you have made payment of the very last farthing. 27 You have knowledge that it was said, You may not have connection with another man's wife: 28 But I say to you that everyone whose eyes are turned on a woman with desire has had connection with her in his heart.