Luke 12:27-33

12:27 Consider how the flowers ¹  grow; they do not work ²  or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 12:28 And if ³  this is how God clothes the wild grass, ⁴  which is here ⁵  today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, ⁶  how much more ⁷  will he clothe you, you people of little faith! 12:29 So ⁸  do not be overly concerned about ⁹  what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. ¹⁰  12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue ¹¹  these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 12:31 Instead, pursue ¹²  his ¹³  kingdom, ¹⁴  and these things will be given to you as well.

12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased ¹⁵  to give you the kingdom. 12:33 Sell your possessions ¹⁶  and give to the poor. ¹⁷  Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven ¹⁸  that never decreases, ¹⁹  where no thief approaches and no moth ²⁰  destroys.

---

¹ tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.

² tn Traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English scans better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.

³ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.

⁴ tn Grk “grass in the field.”

⁵ tn Grk “which is in the field today.”

⁶ tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.

sn The oven was most likely a rounded clay oven used for baking bread, which was heated by burning wood and dried grass.

⁷ sn The phrase how much more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.

⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion drawn from the previous illustrations.

⁹ tn Grk “do not seek,” but this could be misunderstood to mean that people should make no attempt to obtain their food. The translation “do not be overly concerned” attempts to reflect the force of the original.

¹⁰ tn The words “about such things” have been supplied to qualify the meaning; the phrase relates to obtaining food and drink mentioned in the previous clause.

¹¹ tn Grk “seek.”

¹² tn Grk “seek,” but in the sense of the previous verses.

¹³ tc Most mss (Ì⁴⁵ A D¹ Q W Θ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy) read τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou, “of God”) instead of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”; found in א B D* L Ψ 579 892 pc co). But such a clarifying reading is suspect. αὐτοῦ is superior on both internal and external grounds. Ì⁷⁵ includes neither and as such would support the translation above since the article alone can often be translated as a possessive pronoun.

¹⁴ sn His (that is, God’s) kingdom is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

¹⁵ tn Or perhaps, “your Father chooses.”

¹⁶ sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.

¹⁷ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.

¹⁸ tn Grk “in the heavens.”

¹⁹ tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”

²⁰ tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.