Matthew 6:34 (KJV)

What does Matthew 6:34 mean?

Matthew 6:34 tells the reader not to worry about tomorrow, because each day has enough trouble of its own and tomorrow will bring its own concerns. Jesus is encouraging people to focus on today rather than being anxious about the future.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to a crowd during the Sermon on the Mount, teaching them about trusting God with their daily needs. The verse follows a section about not being anxious over material things, and it sums up the idea that worrying about what might happen in the future is unnecessary and unhelpful. Jesus points out that every day brings its own challenges, so it is better to deal with today’s issues rather than borrowing trouble from tomorrow.

The Greek behind Matthew 6:34

• "Take...no thought" uses the Greek word μεριμνάω (merimnaō, G3309), which often means "to be anxious" or "to worry." Here, Jesus is not saying to ignore responsibilities, but rather not to let anxiety about the future control your mind.
• "Sufficient" is from ἀρκετός (arketos, G713), meaning "enough" or "sufficient." This word emphasizes that each day already has enough challenges or "evil" (κακία, kakia, G2549) of its own, so adding tomorrow’s worries is unnecessary.
• "The morrow" (αὔριον, aurion, G839) is simply "tomorrow," highlighting the focus on the future rather than the present.

Why Matthew 6:34 matters

• Matthew 6:34 helps clear up the idea that Jesus is telling people to be careless; instead, he is addressing the problem of anxiety, not responsible planning.
• This verse emphasizes the importance of living in the present and trusting God for daily needs, which ties into the larger theme of the Sermon on the Mount about faith and dependence on God.
• The verse connects to the previous teachings about not worrying over food, drink, or clothing, showing that anxiety about the future is part of a bigger issue of trust.