Matthew 6:29

29 and I say to you, that Solomon in all his glory was not covered as one of these.

Matthew 6:29 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 6:29

And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory,
&c.] This is a certain truth, to be affirmed in the strongest manner, and to be believed, that not only men and kings too in general; but even particularly Solomon, the richest and most magnificent of all the kings of Israel, whose grandeur, and glory, exceeded all the princes of the earth; that even he, not in his common dress, but when "in his glory", and in "all" his glory, when arrayed with his royal and richest robes, with his crown on his head, and when seated on his throne,

was not arrayed like one of these
lilies, or flowers of the field: for the glory and beauty of his garments were purely from art, but their's by nature; which can never be equalled by art. This phrase, "Solomon in all his glory", is the same which the Jewish doctors, in their writings, express by (wtevb hmlv) , "Solomon in his hour" F7: that is as their commentators explain it F8, (wtwklm teb) , "in the time of his reign"; for they say he was first a king, and then a private person. Now, not whilst he was a private person, but when a king, in the height of his grandeur and magnificence, and when dressed out in the most splendid manner, he was exceeded in array by a single lily: or the sense is, in his royal apparel. For as the same doctors say,

``what is a man's "glory?" It is his clothing that is his outward glory; and again, garments are the glory of a man F9.''


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 7. sect. 1. T. Bab. ib. fol. 49. 1. & 83. 1. & 86. 2.
F8 Jarchi & Bartenora in ib.
F9 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 95. 1. & 99. 4. & 110. 4.

Matthew 6:29 In-Context

27 But who of you thinking may put to his stature one cubit? [Soothly who of you by thinking may add to his stature one cubit?]
28 And of clothing what be ye busy? Behold the lilies of the field, how they wax. They travail not, neither they spin;
29 and I say to you, that Solomon in all his glory was not covered as one of these.
30 And if God clotheth thus the hay of the field, that to day is, and to morrow is cast into an oven [and to morrow is sent into the furnace], how much more you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not ye be busy, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what thing shall we be covered [or, With what shall we be covered]?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.