Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Parallel translations
- WEB See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
- BSB Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
- NKJV Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
- NASB Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?
- NLT Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
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
God feeds the birds, who neither plant nor harvest, and you are worth far more to him. If he cares for them, he will certainly care for you.
Overview
Jesus points to the birds as a living illustration of the Father's provision: they neither farm nor store, yet God sustains them. Reasoning from lesser to greater, he assures disciples—who bear God's image and are of far more value—of his care. The verse confronts anxiety with confidence in the Father's attentive, fatherly love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Matt 10:29–31Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
- Ps 147:9He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
- Job 38:41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
- Luke 12:24–32Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
- Ps 145:15–16The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
- Ps 104:27–28These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
- Luke 12:6–7Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
- Matt 6:32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
- Matt 7:9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
- Gen 1:29–31And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
- Job 35:11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
- Ps 104:11–12They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 6:26 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.