Matthew 6 · Verse 26

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?

Matthew 6:26, King James Version

Matthew 6:26 in other translations

BSB	Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
WEB	See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
ASV	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?
YLT	look to the fowls of the heaven, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father doth nourish them; are not ye much better than they?
DARBY	Look at the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into granaries, and your heavenly Father nourishes them. Are ye not much more excellent than they?
BBE	See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they?
Webster	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?

What does Matthew 6:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

26. Behold the fowls of the air--in Mt 6:28, "observe well," and in Lu 12:24, "consider"--so as to learn wisdom from them. 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?--nobler in yourselves and dearer to God. The argument here is from the greater to the less; but how rich in detail! The brute creation--void of reason--are incapable of sowing, reaping, and storing: yet your heavenly Father suffers them not helplessly to perish, but sustains them without any of those processes. Will He see, then, His own children using all the means which reason dictates for procuring the things needful for the body--looking up to Himself at every step--and yet leave them to starve?

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 26. Behold the fowls of the air. The second argument for confidence in the providence of God is derived from a beautiful reference to the fowls of heaven. See, said the Saviour, see the fowls of the air: they have no anxiety about the supply of their wants; they do not sow or reap; in innumerable flocks they fill the air; they fill the grove with music, and meet the coming light of the morning with their songs, and pour their notes on the zephyrs of the evening, unanxious about the supply of their wants; yet how few die with hunger! how regularly are they fed from the hand of God! how he ministers to their unnumbered wants. He sees their young "open wide their mouths, and seek their meat at his hand, and how cheerfully and regularly are their necessities supplied! You, said the Saviour to his disciples, you are of more consequence than they are; and shall God feed them in such numbers, and suffer you to want? It cannot be. Put confidence, then, in that Universal Parent that feeds all the fowls of the air, and fear not that he will also supply your wants.

Better than they. Of more consequence. Your lives are of more importance than theirs, and God will therefore provide for them.

(m) "Father feedeth" Job 38:41, Lk 12:24

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 26 Behold the fowls of the air - The second reason why we should not be anxiously concerned about the future, is the example of the smaller animals, which the providence of God feeds without their own labor; though he be not their father. We never knew an earthly father take care of his fowls, and neglect his children; and shall we fear this from our heavenly Father? God forbid! That man is utterly unworthy to have God for his father, who depends less upon his goodness, wisdom, and power, than upon a crop of corn, which may be spoiled either in the field or in the barn. If our great Creator have made us capable of knowing, loving, and enjoying himself eternally, what may we not expect from him, after so great a gift? They sow not, neither do they reap - There is a saying among the rabbins almost similar to this - "Hast thou ever seen a beast or a fowl that had a workshop? yet they are fed without labor and without anxiety. They were created for the service of man, and man was created that he might serve his Creator. Man also would have been supported without labor and anxiety, had he not corrupted his ways. Hast thou ever seen a lion carrying burthens, a stag gathering summer fruits, a fox selling merchandise, or a wolf selling oil, that they might thus gain their support? And yet they are fed without care or labor. Arguing therefore from the less to the greater, if they which were created that they might serve me, are nourished without labor and anxiety, how much more I, who have been created that I might serve my Maker! What therefore is the cause, why I should be obliged to labor in order to get my daily bread? Answer, Sin." This is a curious and important extract, and is highly worthy of the reader's attention. See Schoettgen.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 6:25-34

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 temporal things which is a duty, though we must not carry these lawful cares too far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but…

Read the full comment on Matthew 6:25-34 →

Matthew 6:26 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐμβλέψατεemblepsatedo lookG1689

εἰςeisatG1519

τὰtatheG3588

πετεινὰpeteinabirdsG4071

τοῦtouof theG3588

οὐρανοῦouranouairG3772

ὅτιhotithatG3754

οὐounotG3756

σπείρουσινspeirousinthey sowG4687

οὐδὲoudenorG3761

θερίζουσινtherizousindo they reapG2325

οὐδὲoudenorG3761

συνάγουσινsunagousindo they gatherG4863

εἰςeisintoG1519

ἀποθήκας,apothēkasbarns —G596

καὶkaiandG2532

ὁhotheG3588

πατὴρpatērFatherG3962

ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771

ὁho<the>G3588

οὐράνιοςouraniosHeavenlyG3770

τρέφειtrepheifeedsG5142

αὐτά·autathem;G846

οὐχouchSurelyG3756

ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771

μᾶλλονmallonmuchG3123

διαφέρετεdiaphereteare more valuableG1308

αὐτῶν;autōnthan they?G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 6:26

Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Psalms 147:9
He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
Luke 12:24-32
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? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 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. …
Job 38:41
Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Psalms 145:15-16
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psalms 104:27-28
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 6:32
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Genesis 1:29-31
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. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Matthew 7:9
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Job 35:11
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
Psalms 104:11-12
They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the fowls.
10:29-31; Ge 1:29-31; Job 35:11; 38:41; Ps 104:11,12,27,28
Ps 145:15,16; 147:9; Lu 12:6,7,24-31
your.
32; 7:9; Lu 12:32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 6:25
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 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?
Matthew 6:27
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Read all of Matthew 6

Matthew 6:26 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Mirad las aves del cielo, que no siembran, ni siegan, ni allegan en alfolíes; y vuestro Padre celestial las alimenta. ¿No sois vosotros mucho mejores que ellas?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Regardez aux oiseaux du ciel: ils ne sèment, ni ne moissonnent, ni n’assemblent dans des greniers, et votre Père céleste les nourrit. Ne valez-vous pas beaucoup mieux qu’eux?
German Elberfelder 1871	Sehet hin auf die Vögel des Himmels, daß sie nicht säen noch ernten, noch in Scheunen sammeln, und euer himmlischer Vater ernährt sie. Seid ihr nicht viel vorzüglicher als sie?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Respicite volatilia cæli, quoniam non serunt, neque metunt, neque congregant in horrea: et Pater vester cælestis pascit illa. Nonne vos magis pluris estis illis?