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.
⋯
This verse in Matthew 6
Commentary
23 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 first the kingdom of God
This is the fourth beat of the righteousness thread: "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," and the lesser things follow. The verse orders priorities and gives no guarantee against want, since Paul knew hunger in Philippians 4:12 while seeking the kingdom first.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
(De Nat. Hom. 42.) That there is a Providence, is shown by such signs as the following; The continuance of all things, of those things especially which are in a state of decay and reproduction, and the place and order of all things that exist is ever preserved in one and the same state; and how could this be done unless by some presiding power? But some affirm that God does indeed care for the general continuance of all things in the universe, and provides for this, but that all particular events depend on contingency. Now there are but three reasons that can be alleged for God exercising no providence of particular events; either God is ignorant that it is good to have knowledge of particular things; or He is unwilling; or He is unable. But ignorance is altogether alien from blessed substance; for how shall God not know what every wise man knows, that if particulars were destroyed, the whole would be destroyed? But nothing prevents all individuals from perishing; when no power watches over them. If, again, He be unwilling, this must be from one of two reasons; inactivity, or the meanness of the occupation. But inactivity is produced by two things; either we are drawn aside by some pleasure, or hindered by some fear, neither of which can be piously supposed of God. If they affirm that it would be unbecoming, for that it is beneath such blessedness to stoop to things so trifling, how is it not inconsistent that a workman overseeing the whole of any machine, leaves no part however insignificant without attention, knowing the whole is but made up of the parts, and thus pronounce God the Creator of all things to be less wise than craftsmen? But if it be that He is unable, then is He unable to bestow benefits on us. […]
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
Hyperichius said, 'Let your mind be always on the kingdom of heaven, and you will soon inherit it.'
(Serm. in Mont. ii. 16.) To wit, these temporal goods which are thus manifestly shown not to be such goods as those goods of ours for the sake of which we ought to do well; and yet they are necessary. The kingdom of God and His righteousness is our good which we ought to make our end. But since in order to attain this end we are militant in this life, which may not be lived without supply of these necessaries, He promises, These things shall be added unto you. That He says, First, implies that these are to be sought second not in time, but in value; the one is our good, the other necessary to us. For example, we ought not to preach that we may eat, for so we should hold the Gospel as of less value than our food; but we should therefore eat that we may preach the Gospel. But if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that is, set this before all other things, and seek other things for the sake of this, we ought not to be anxious lest we should lack necessaries; and therefore He says, All these things shall be added unto you; that is, of course, without being an hindrance to you: that you may not in seeking them be turned away from the other, and thus set two ends before you. (Serm. in Mont. ii. 17.) But when we read that the Apostle suffered hunger and thirst, let us not think that God's promises failed him; for these things are rather aids. That Physician to whom we have entirely entrusted ourselves, knows when He will give and when He will withhold, as He judges most for our advantage. So that should these things ever be lacking to us, (as God to exercise us often permits,) it will not weaken our fixed purpose, but rather confirm it when wavering.
Here He shows most manifestly that these things are not to be sought as if they were our blessings in such sort, that on account of them we ought to do well in all our actings, but yet that they are necessary. For what the difference is between a blessing which is to be sought, and a necessary which is to be taken for use, He has made plain by this sentence, when He says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The kingdom and the righteousness of God therefore are our good; and this is to be sought, and there the end is to be set up, on account of which we are to do everything which we do. But because we serve as soldiers in this life, in order that we may be able to reach that kingdom, and because our life cannot be spent without these necessaries, "These things shall be added unto you," says He; "but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." For in using that word "first," He has indicated that this is to be sought later, not in point of time, but in point of importance: the one as being our good, the other as being something necessary for us; but the necessary on account of that good.
(Verse 31 and following) Do not be anxious, saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or with what shall we be clothed? For all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
16 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers2 voices
For together with what hath been said, He puts also yet another reason for feeling confidence about such things, saying, "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you." Thus when He had set the soul free from anxiety, then He made mention also of Heaven. For indeed He came to do away with the old things, and to call us to a greater country. Therefore He doeth all, to deliver us from things unnecessary, and from our affection for the earth. For this cause He mentioned the heathens also, saying that "the Gentiles seek after these things;" they whose whole labor is for the present life, who have no regard for the things to come, nor any thought of Heaven. But to you not these present are the chief things, but other than these. For we were not born for this end, that we should eat and drink and be clothed, but that we might please God, and attain unto the good things to come. Therefore as things here are secondary in our labor, so also in our prayers let them be secondary. Therefore He also said, "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you." And He said not, "shall be given," but "shall be added," that thou mightest learn, that the things present are no great part of His gifts, compared with the greatness of the things to come. Accordingly, He doth not bid us so much as ask for them, but while we ask for other things, to have confidence, as though these also were added to those. Seek then the things to come, and thou wilt receive the things present also; seek not the things that are seen, and thou shalt surely attain unto them. Yea, for it is unworthy of thee to approach thy Lord for such things. […]
Thus then let him who believes himself to be under the rule of God's counsel, commit his provision into God's hand; but let him meditate of good and evil, which if he do not, he will neither shun the evil, nor lay hold of the good. Therefore it is added, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. The kingdom of God is the reward of good works; His righteousness is the way of piety by which we go to that kingdom. If then you consider how great is the glory of the Saints, you will either through fear of punishment depart from evil, or through desire of glory hasten to good. And if you consider what is the righteousness of God, what He loves, and what He hates, the righteousness itself will show you His ways, as it attends on those that love it. And the account we shall have to render is not whether we have been poor or rich, but whether we have done well or ill, which is in our own power. The earth for man's sin is accursed that it should not put forth fruit, according to that in Genesis, Cursed is the ground in thy works; but when we do well, then it is blessed. (Gen. 3:17.) Seek righteousness therefore, and thou shalt not lack food. Wherefore it follows, and all these things shall be added unto you.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Behold, we see, dearest brothers, how many of you have gathered for the feast of the martyr: you bend your knees, you beat your breasts, you utter words of prayer and confession, you wet your faces with tears. But consider, I ask, your petitions; see whether you are asking in the name of Jesus, that is, whether you are seeking the joys of eternal salvation. For in the house of Jesus you do not seek Jesus, if in the temple of eternity you pray inappropriately for temporal things. Behold, one person in prayer seeks a wife, another asks for an estate, another requests clothing, another begs that food be given to him. And indeed when these things are lacking, they should be sought from almighty God. But we ought to remember continually what we have received from the command of our same Redeemer: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." And so to ask these things from Jesus is not to err, provided they are not sought excessively.
(interlin.) Or, He says his righteousness, as though He were to say, 'Ye are made righteous through Him, and not through yourselves.'
Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God. He sets forth three things here: the kingdom as the end, because by the kingdom of God is understood eternal beatitude. For then something is properly ruled when it is subject to the rule of the one …
"For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The kingdom of God is the enjoyment of all that is good. …
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 Century7 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.
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
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. He forbids us to keep up an anxious spirit about the things of this world. Four times over he says, “Take no thought about life.”About life, about food, about clothing, about the morrow, “take no thought.” Do not be over-careful, be not over-anxious. Prudent provision for the future is right; wearing, corroding, self-tormenting anxiety is wrong. He reminds us of the providential care that God continually takes of everything that he has created. Has he given us “life?” Then he will surely not let us want anything necessary for its maintenance. Has he given us a “body?”Then he will surely not let us die for want of clothing. He that calls us into being will doubtless find meat to feed us. He points out the uselessness of over-anxiety. Our life is certainly in God’s hand; all the care in the world will not make us continue a minute beyond the time which God has appointed. We cannot add one hour to our lives; we shall not die till our work is done. He sends us to the birds of the air for instruction. They make no provision for the future: “they sow not neither do they reap; they lay up no stores against time yet to come; they do not gather into barns.They literally live from day to day on what they can pick up by using the instinct God has put in them.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2515: “Something Worth Seeking” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
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. None of us who are trusting in Christ ought to allow ourselves to become the victims of it. Fretful care is altogether unnecessary in a Believer. Our Lord says, in this very chapter, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?" "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" If, therefore, God will do it, why should you worry about it? If you saw a farmer feeding his barn-door fowls plentifully, you would not believe a slanderer who said that the man starved his children—and as long as you see God providing for the baser creatures, and even the wild beasts that He has formed, rest assured that He will take care of His children! Therefore fretful care is unnecessary. And, further, it is useless.
Modern Voices2 voices
A commentator
GK ChestertonThe Everlasting Man, Part 2 Ch. 3: The Strangest Story in the World (1925) (1925)
proposed
The messages are basically different. Christ said 'Seek first the kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you.' Buddha said 'Seek first the kingdom, and then you will need none of these things.'
Desire and danger make every one simple. And to those who talk to us with interfering eloquence about Jaeger and the pores of the skin, and about Plasmon and the coats of the stomach, at them shall only be hurled the words that are hurled …
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
On this page
Studies29
On this verse
On this chapter
- Bread
- George Müller and the Orphans of Bristol
- Fasting, What Jesus Taught
- Forgiveness
- Corrie ten Boom and the Guard
- The Words Nasa, Salach and Aphiemi
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About Matthew
This page draws on 21 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; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, OUR LORD'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.16.53; Charles Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2515: “Something Worth Seeking” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; GK Chesterton, The Everlasting Man, Part 2 Ch. 3: The Strangest Story in the World (1925); GK Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 10: On Sandals and Simplicity (1905); Glossa Ordinaria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 27; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 22; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Nemesius of Emesa, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Tertullian, On Prayer; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.