Luke 12:22

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His disciples immediately after warning against hoarding earthly treasure while remaining poor toward God. He speaks to them in the moment of teaching about material anxiety and divine provision.

The words — The Greek διὰ τοῦτο (dia touto) translates literally as "because of this," directly linking the command to the preceding warning about misplaced wealth. The verb εἶπεν (eipen) marks this as a direct declaration from Jesus to His followers.

The thread — This teaching on anxiety appears in Matthew 6:25 with parallel wording about food and clothing, and echoes the prohibition against anxiety in Philippians 4:6. It also aligns with the command to avoid the love of money in Hebrews 13:5.

Why it lands — The text commands readers to abandon anxiety over basic physical needs like food and clothing. It asks the reader to recognize that life and the body hold greater value than material provision, directing trust away from self-sufficiency.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Cross-references

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
1 Corinthians 7:32 I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.
Luke 12:29 And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.