Matthieu 6:27

27 Qui de vous, par ses inquiétudes, peut ajouter une coudée à la durée de sa vie?

Matthieu 6:27 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 6:27

Which of you by taking thought
As Christ argued before, from the unnecessariness of anxious thoughts and cares, about the provisions of life; so here, from the unprofitableness of them; it being impossible for a man, with all his care and thought, to

add one cubit unto his stature,
or "to his age"; so the word is rendered, ( John 9:21-23 ) ( 11:11 ) to the days of his life, he is so solicitous about; for a cubit may as well be applied to a man's age, as an "hand's breadth" is to his days, ( Psalms 39:5 ) . Nor is it so reasonable to think, that Christ should be speaking of making such an addition to a man's height; though that, to be sure, is an impossible thing: since the far greater part of Christ's hearers must be come to their full growth, and could not hope to have any addition made to their height; though they might hope to add to their days; much less such a monstrous one as that of a cubit, and which is a strong reason against the other sense of the word, and for this: for our Lord is speaking of something very small, which men cannot do; as appears from what Luke says, ( Luke 12:26 ) "If ye then be not able to do that which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?" Whereas, to add a cubit to a man's height, is a great deal:

``the stature of a middling man (says ^F6 Bartenora) is three cubits.''

And to add one more, makes a large addition to his stature; but to apply this to a man's age, is a small matter, and yet is what men cannot do: the sense of the words is this, that no man, by all the care and thought he can make use of, is ever able to add one cubit, or the least measure to his days; he cannot lengthen out his life one year, one month, one day, one hour; no, not one moment.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 In Misn. Erubim, c. 4. sect. 5. & Negaim, c. 13. sect. 11.

Matthieu 6:27 In-Context

25 C'est pourquoi je vous dis: Ne vous inquiétez pas pour votre vie de ce que vous mangerez, ni pour votre corps, de quoi vous serez vêtus. La vie n'est-elle pas plus que la nourriture, et le corps plus que le vêtement?

26 Regardez les oiseaux du ciel: ils ne sèment ni ne moissonnent, et ils n'amassent rien dans des greniers; et votre Père céleste les nourrit. Ne valez-vous pas beaucoup plus qu'eux?

27 Qui de vous, par ses inquiétudes, peut ajouter une coudée à la durée de sa vie?

28 Et pourquoi vous inquiéter au sujet du vêtement? Considérez comment croissent les lis des champs: ils ne travaillent ni ne filent;

29 cependant je vous dis que Salomon même, dans toute sa gloire, n'a pas été vêtu comme l'un d'eux.