Matthew 6:31 (WEB)

Passage

“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

Nearby Context

Matthew 6:29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

Matthew 6:31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

Matthew 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "anxious", "saying", "drink", and "clothed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "anxious", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "But if God so clothes the grass..." into verse 32's "For the Gentiles seek after all these...", so "therefore" and "anxious" 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 "therefore" and "anxious" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.