For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Parallel translations
- WEB Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
- KJV The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
- NKJV Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
- NASB For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
- NLT For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Our existence has a greater purpose than meeting physical needs.
Overview
Jesus reminds His disciples that God who gave the greater gift of life and body will surely provide the lesser necessities. Anxiety over food and clothing forgets the larger purpose for which we were made: to know and serve God. This frees believers to seek God's kingdom rather than be consumed with material concerns.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Job 2:6“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”
- Prov 13:8Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.
- Job 2:4“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.
- Acts 27:18–19We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.
- Job 1:12“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
- Gen 19:17As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
- Acts 27:38After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 12:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.