Luke 12:25

25 And which of you [by] being anxious is able to add an hour to his life span?

Luke 12:25 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:25

And which of you with taking thought
In an anxious and distressing manner, for food and raiment, in order to preserve and continue life,

add to his stature one cubit?
The Persic version reads, "to his stature and height", as if this referred to the height of stature; whereas it seems rather to regard the age of a man, and the continuance of his life; (See Gill on Matthew 6:27).

Luke 12:25 In-Context

23 For life is more than food, and the body [more than] clothing.

24 Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; to them there is neither storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds?

25 And which of you [by] being anxious is able to add an hour to his life span?

26 If then you are not even able [to do] a very little thing, why are you anxious about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they do not toil or spin, but I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[by]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("being anxious") which is understood as means
• [b]. Or "a cubit" (the literal meaning); most scholars understand this to refer figuratively to an "hour" of life here, though some take it as a literal measurement of height