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But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
  • BSB But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
  • NKJV But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
  • NASB But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.
  • NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

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

Seek God's kingdom and righteousness first, and he will provide everything else you need. Right priorities free us from anxiety and put God at the center.

Overview

This climactic verse resolves the whole passage on anxiety: the disciple's first ambition is to be God's reign and the righteousness he gives and requires. When God holds first place, the material needs that provoke worry are entrusted to his faithful provision. The promise points to the gospel, in which the kingdom comes and righteousness is granted in Christ to all who seek God.

Cross-references & the web

Theme

Cross-references · 40

  • Luke 12:31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
  • Matt 5:6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
  • John 6:27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
  • Ps 34:9–10O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
  • Ps 84:11–12For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
  • Mark 10:29–30And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
  • Rom 14:17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
  • Prov 3:9–10Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
  • Prov 2:1–9My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
  • Ps 37:25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
  • Ps 37:3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
  • 2 Chr 31:20–21And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
  • Matt 19:29And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
  • Rom 8:31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
  • Ps 37:18–19The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
  • Col 1:13–14Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
  • 1 Tim 4:8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
  • Luke 18:29–30And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,
  • 2 Cor 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
  • Rom 1:17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
  • 1 Kgs 3:11–13And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
  • Phil 3:9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
  • 1 Cor 1:30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
  • Matt 13:44–46Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
  • Matt 4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
  • Matt 3:2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
  • Rom 10:3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
  • 1 Kgs 17:13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
  • Acts 28:31Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
  • 2 Pet 1:11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
  • 2 Chr 1:7–12In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
  • 2 Th 1:5Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
  • Hag 1:2–11Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.
  • Lev 25:20–21And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
  • Rom 3:21–22But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
  • Jer 23:6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
  • Isa 45:24Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
  • Luke 1:6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
  • 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
  • 1 Cor 3:22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 6:33YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 6:33 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.