Matthew 6:32 (DBY)

Passage

for all these things the nations seek after; for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothe the herbage of the field, which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into [the] oven, will he not much rather you, O [ye] of little faith?

Matthew 6:31 Be not therefore careful, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we put on?

Matthew 6:32 for all these things the nations seek after; for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:34 Be not careful therefore for the morrow, for the morrow shall be careful about itself. Sufficient to the day [is] its own evil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "things", "nations", "seek", "after", "heavenly", "father", "knows", and "need". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "things" and "nations", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 31's "Be not therefore careful saying What shall..." into verse 33's "But seek ye first the kingdom of...", so "things" and "nations" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "things" and "nations" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.