Matthew 6 · Verse 33

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33, King James Version

Matthew 6:33 in other translations

BSBBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
WEBBut seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
ASVBut seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
YLTbut seek ye first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.
DARBYBut seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
BBEBut let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition.
WebsterBut seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

What does Matthew 6:33 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you--This is the great summing up. Strictly speaking, it has to do only with the subject of the present section--the right state of the heart with reference to heavenly and earthly things; but being couched in the form of a brief general directory, it is so comprehensive in its grasp as to embrace the whole subject of this discourse. And, as if to make this the more evident, the two keynotes of this great sermon seem purposely struck in it--"the KINGDOM" and "the RIGHTEOUSNESS" of the kingdom--as the grand objects, in the supreme pursuit of which all things needful for the present life will be added to us. The precise sense of every word in this golden verse should be carefully weighed. "The kingdom of God" is the primary subject of the Sermon on the Mount--that kingdom which the God of heaven is erecting in this fallen world, within which are all the spiritually recovered and inwardly subject portion of the family of Adam, under Messiah as its Divine Head and King. "The righteousness thereof" is the character of all such, so amply described and variously illustrated in the foregoing portions of this discourse. The "seeking" of these is the making them the object of supreme choice and pursuit; and the seeking of them "first" is the seeking of them before and above all else. The "all these things" which shall in that case be added to us are just the "all these things" which the last words of Mt 6:32 assured us "our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of"; that is, all we require for the present life. And when our Lord says they shall be "added," it is implied, as a matter of course, that the seekers of the kingdom and its righteousness shall have these as their proper and primary portion: the rest being their gracious reward for not seeking them. (See an illustration of the principle of this in 2Ch 1:11, 12). What follows is but a reduction of this great general direction into a practical and ready form for daily use.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 33. Mt 6:32

(o) "seek ye first" 1Timm 4:8 (p) "shall be added" Lev 25:20,21, 1Kgs 3:13, Ps 37:25, Mk 10:30

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God - See on Mat 3:7 (note). His righteousness - That holiness of heart and purity of life which God requires of those who profess to be subjects of that spiritual kingdom mentioned above. See on Mat 5:20 (note). The seventh reason against these worldly cares and fears is - because the business of our salvation ought to engross us entirely: hither all our desires, cares, and inquiries ought to tend. Grace is the way to glory - holiness the way to happiness. If men be not righteous, there is no heaven to be had: if they be, they shall have heaven and earth too; for godliness has the promise of both lives. 1Tim 6:3. All these things shall be added unto you - The very blunt note of old Mr. Trapp, on this passage, is worthy of serious attention. All things shall be added. "They shall be cast in as an overplus, or as small advantages to the main bargain; as paper and pack-thread are given where we buy spice and fruit, or an inch of measure to an ell of cloth." This was a very common saying among the Jews: "Seek that, to which other things are necessarily connected." "A king said to his particular friend, 'Ask what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee.' He thought within himself, 'If I ask to be made a general I shall readily obtain it. I will ask something to which all these things shall be added:' he therefore said, 'Give me thy daughter to wife.' This he did knowing that all the dignities of the kingdom should be added unto this gift." See in Schoettgen. To this verse, probably, belong the following words, quoted often by Clement, Origen, and Eusebius, as the words of Christ: αιτειτε τα μεγαλα, και τα μικρα υμιν προστεθησεται· και αιτειτε τα επουρανια, και τα επιγεια προστεθησεται υμιν. "Ask great things, and little things shall be added unto you; ask heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added unto you."

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 6:33 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.

ζητεῖτεzēteitedo seekG2212
δὲdehoweverG1161
πρῶτονprōtonfirstG4413
τὴνtēntheG3588
βασιλείανbasileiankingdomG932
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
καὶkaiandG2532
τὴνtēntheG3588
δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosunēnrighteousnessG1343
αὐτοῦ,autouof Him,G846
καὶkaiandG2532
ταῦταtautathese thingsG3778
πάνταpantaallG3956
προστεθήσεταιprostethēsetaiwill be addedG4369
ὑμῖν.huminto you.G4771

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

Cross references for Matthew 6:33

  • Luke 12:31

    But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

  • Matthew 5:6

    Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

  • John 6:27

    Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

  • Psalms 34:9-10

    O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

  • Psalms 84:11-12

    For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

  • Mark 10:29-30

    And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

  • Romans 14:17

    For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

  • Proverbs 3:9-10

    Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

  • Proverbs 2:1-9

    My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; …

  • Psalms 37:25

    I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

  • Psalms 37:3

    Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

  • 2 Chronicles 31:20-21

    And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
seek.
1Ki 3:11-13; 17:13; 2Ch 1:7-12; 31:20,21; Pr 2:1-9; 3:9,10
Hag 1:2-11; 2:16-19; Lu 12:31; Joh 6:27
the kingdom.
3:2; 4:17; 13:44-46; Ac 20:25; 28:31; Ro 14:17; Col 1:13,14
2Th 1:5; 2Pe 1:11
his.
5:6; Isa 45:24; Jer 23:6; Lu 1:6; Ro 1:17; 3:21,22; 10:3; 1Co 1:30
2Co 5:21; Php 3:9; 2Pe 1:1
and all.
19:29; Le 25:20,21; Ps 34:9,10; 37:3,18,19,25; 84:11,12
Mr 10:30; Lu 18:29,30; Ro 8:31; 1Co 3:22; 1Ti 4:8

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Matthew 6:33

    But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

  • Matthew 6:34

    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.

Read all of Matthew 6

Matthew 6:33 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas buscad primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia, y todas estas cosas os serán añadidas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais cherchez premièrement le royaume de Dieu et sa justice, et toutes ces choses vous seront données par-dessus.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Trachtet aber zuerst nach dem Reiche Gottes und nach seiner Gerechtigkeit, und dies alles wird euch hinzugefügt werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quærite ergo primum regnum Dei, et justitiam ejus: et hæc omnia adjicientur vobis.