Luke 12:25
in Luke 12Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life?
KJV
And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
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This verse in Luke 12
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAnd which of you with taking thought,.... In an anxious and distressing manner, for food and raiment, in order to preserve and continue life, add to his stature one cubit? The Persic version reads, "to his stature and height", as if this referred to the height of stature; whereas it seems rather to regard the age of a man, and the continuance of his life; See Gill on Mat 6:27.
This site's exposition
Who of you by worrying
on Luke 12:25-26
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life exposes anxiety by its own arithmetic. The Greek word rendered life can mean stature or the span of a lifetime, and either reading leaves worry accomplishing nothing.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(de Qu. Ev. l. ii. qu. 28.) But in speaking concerning increasing the stature of the body, He refers to that which is least, that is, to God, to make bodies.
If no one has by his own skill contrived a bodily stature for himself, but can not add even the shortest delay to the prefixed limit of his time of life, why should we be vainly anxious about the necessaries of life?
Indeed, it is a bonus and moral discourse, which contributes to the faith of divine mercy, either literally, because it relates to the stature of our body, or spiritually, because without God's favor, we can add nothing beyond the measure of our stature.
The Medieval Church2 voices
For which reason he adds: And which of you by thinking can add to his stature one cubit? As if to say: no one, because this is not the work of man thinking but the work of God producing; whence in Second Maccabees seven it …
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then cannot do even that which is least, why are you anxious about the rest? That is, by whose power and dominion was it done that your body was brought to …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
To Him then leave the care of directing the body, by whose aid you see it to come to pass that you have a body of such a stature.
Tell me, pray, what profit do you gain from worrying? Do you add to your stature even the smallest measure? No, on the contrary, you even exhaust your body, for worry withers it.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He stirs them up to watchfulness for their Master's coming, from the consideration of the reward of those who are then found faithful, and the punishment of those who are found unfaithful,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We have in these verses—a collection of striking arguments against over-anxiety about the things of this world. At first sight they may seem to some minds simple and common. But the more they are pondered—the more weighty will they appear. An abiding recollection of them would save many Christians an immense amount of trouble. Christ bids us consider the RAVENS. "They neither sow nor reap. They have neither storehouse nor barn. But God feeds them."
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We have in these verses—a collection of striking arguments against over-anxiety about the things of this world. At first sight they may seem to some minds simple and common. But the more they are pondered—the more weighty will they appear. An abiding recollection of them would save many Christians an immense amount of trouble. Christ bids us consider the RAVENS. "They neither sow nor reap. They have neither storehouse nor barn. But God feeds them." Now if the Maker of all things provides for the needs of birds, and orders things so that they have a daily supply of food—then we surely ought not to fear that He will let His spiritual children starve! Christ bids us look at the LILIES. "They do not toil nor spin—yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Now if God every year provides these flowers with a fresh supply of living leaves and blossoms—then we surely ought not to doubt His power and willingness to furnish His believing children with all needful clothing. Christ bids us to remember that a Christian should be ashamed of being as worried as the heathen are. The pagan world may well be worried about food, and clothing and the like. They are sunk in deep ignorance, and know nothing of the real nature of God. But the man who can say of God, "He is my Father," and of Christ, "He is my Savior—ought surely to be above such anxieties and cares. A clear faith in God's providential care, should produce a light trustful heart. Finally, Christ bids us think of the perfect knowledge of God. Our Father knows that we have need of food and clothing. That thought alone, ought to make us content. All our needs are perfectly known to the Lord of Heaven and earth. He can relieve those needs—whenever He sees fit. He will relieve them—whenever it is good for our souls.
To his stature one cubit? - See on Mat 6:27 (note).
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τίς | tis | Which | G5101 → | 563 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐξ | ex | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| μεριμνῶν | merimnon | being anxious | G3309 → | 19 times |
| δύναται | dunatai | is able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | to | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡλικίαν | helikian | lifespan | G2244 → | 8 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| προσθεῖναι | prostheinai | to add | G4369 → | 18 times |
| πῆχυν | pechun | hour | G4083 → |
τίςWhich
tisG5101 →563 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐξof
exG1537 →911 times
ὑμῶνyou
humonG4771 →2973 times
μεριμνῶνbeing anxious
merimnonG3309 →19 times
δύναταιis able
dunataiG1410 →207 times
ἐπὶto
epiG1909 →883 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἡλικίανlifespan
helikianG2244 →8 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
προσθεῖναιto add
prostheinaiG4369 →18 times
πῆχυνhour
pechunG4083 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 6:27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
it leads to
- Luke 12:25–26
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
- Ecclesiastes 3:14
I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.
- Psalms 39:5–6
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
- Matthew 5:36
Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
- 1 Corinthians 12:18
But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.
- Luke 12:25–26
Through
Matthew 5:36Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
it leads to
- Matthew 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
- Matthew 23:16–21
Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
- Matthew 6:27
Through
Luke 19:3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.
it leads to
- Luke 23:8
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased. He had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see Him perform a miracle.
- Luke 23:8
Where this verse is studied
About Luke

This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke, 7.125; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 12; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.
