Matthew 6:33
in Matthew 6But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
KJV
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
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This verse in Matthew 6
Commentary
7 notes on this verseBut how gracefully has the Divine Wisdom arranged the order of the prayer; so that after things heavenly-that is, after the "Name" of God, the "Will" of God, and the "Kingdom" of God-it should give earthly necessities also room for a petition! For the Lord had withal issued His edict, "Seek ye first the kingdom, and then even these shall be added: " albeit we may rather understand, "Give us this day our daily bread," spiritually.
This site's exposition
seek ye first the kingdom of God
This is the righteousness thread's fourth beat and its clearest single statement, seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness placed first, ahead of food, drink, and clothing, with the promise that these lesser things follow rather than lead. The verse states a right ordering of priority rather than a guarantee against all want, since Paul himself knew hunger in Philippians 4:12 while still seeking the kingdom first. Kingdom of God is one of the small number of places Matthew uses that phrase rather than his usual kingdom of heaven, alongside 12:28, 19:24, 21:31, and 21:43.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But seek first the kingdom of God,.... Meaning either the Gospel, and the ministration of it; in which sense this phrase is often used, see Mat 21:43 and which is diligently to be sought after, and into; to be constantly attended on, and to be preferred to our necessary food, to raiment, or riches, or any enjoyment of life: or else the kingdom of glory, which is prepared by God, and is his gift; for which he makes his people meet here, and will introduce them into it hereafter.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
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.
on Matthew 6:25-34
These verses are a striking example of the combined wisdom and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching. He knows the heart of a man: he knows that we are always ready to turn off warnings against worldliness by the argument that we cannot help being anxious about the things of this life. “Have we not our families to provide for? Must not our bodily wants be supplied? How can we possibly get through life if we think first of our souls?” The Lord Jesus foresaw such thoughts and furnished an answer.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2515: “Something Worth Seeking” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
THERE is just as much need of this exhortation today as there was when our Savior first uttered it. These are times in which fretful care is very apt to enter into the hearts of Believers and if our Lord were here in Person, now, He would admonish us to be rid of such care, for fretful care is not becoming in a child of God. It is so opposed to faith and to the life of God in the soul, that it ought to be struggled with and driven out.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
Pulled 2026-08-10 for the Sermon on the Mount build (draft flag: correctly anchored 6:25-34 anxiety row). Verbatim whitespace-normalized span from the JFB Matthew 6 chapter commentary; span offset not recorded.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ζητεῖτε | zeteite | do seek | G2212 → | 117 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πρῶτον | proton | first | G4413 → | 152 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δικαιοσύνην | dikaiosunen | righteousness | G1343 → | 92 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of Him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ταῦτα | tauta | these things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| πάντα | panta | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| προστεθήσεται | prostethesetai | will be added | G4369 → | |
| ὑμῖν. | humin | to you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ζητεῖτεdo seek
zeteiteG2212 →117 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
πρῶτονfirst
protonG4413 →152 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείανkingdom
basileianG932 →162 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
δικαιοσύνηνrighteousness
dikaiosunenG1343 →92 times
αὐτοῦ,of Him,
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ταῦταthese things
tautaG3778 →1381 times
πάνταall
pantaG3956 →1235 times
προστεθήσεταιwill be added
prostethesetaiG4369 →
ὑμῖν.to you.
huminG4771 →2973 times
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 5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
it leads to
- John 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- Psalms 107:9
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
- John 6:48–58
I am the bread of life.
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- John 6:27
Through
John 6:27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of…
it leads to
- Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
- Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the…
- John 6:54
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
- Colossians 3:2
Where this verse is studied
About Matthew
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Charles Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2515: “Something Worth Seeking” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Tertullian, On Prayer.