Gr. merimnaō, “to care for,” “to be anxious about,” “to think earnestly upon.” In Old English “to take thought” meant “to worry,” or “to be anxious.”

 Compare the uses of merimnaō in 1 Cor. 7:32; 12:25. Compare Luke 12:22-31. See on Ps. 55:22.

 Jesus is not here recommending asceticism, nor does He place a premium on poverty. He does not affirm that a poor man or a careless man is more acceptable to God than a man of diligence and means. Jesus Himself counseled prudence in the management of personal and business affairs (see Luke 14:28-32). What He does condemn is the habit of worrying about the material things of life, especially about those that are over and above the necessities of life. He condemns the desire that leads to extravagance in any direction. The Christian will have a discriminating sense of the relative value of things, and his concern will be in proportion to that value. He will realize that wealth is not an end in itself, but a means to more important ends, and his supreme objective in life will not be to amass wealth.

Gr. trophē, “food,” “nourishment.” All kinds of food are included in this term.

It may include the flesh of animals taken as food, but is not restricted to that.

 The important thing, Jesus says, that which should receive the greater attention, is the life itself. Food, important as it is, is not an end in itself, but rather a means to the end of supporting life. The man whose primary objective is to secure food and clothing has missed the most important thing in life. We should eat to live, not live to eat (cf. on Mark 2:27).

 Gr. psuchē, here designating physical life. For a discussion of other meanings of psuchē see on ch. 10:28.