Luke 12:22-24

Context

Exhortation Not to Worry

12:22 Then¹ Jesus² said to his³ disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry⁴ about your⁵ life, what you will eat, or about your⁶ body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 12:24 Consider the ravens:⁷ They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds⁸ them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!

[12:22] ¹tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Jesus’ remarks to the disciples are an application of the point made in the previous parable.

[12:22] ²tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:22] ³tc αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) is lacking in Ì^45vid,75 B 1241 c e. Although the addition of clarifying pronouns is a known scribal alteration, in this case it is probably better to view the dropping of the pronoun as the alteration in light of its minimal attestation.

[12:22] ⁴tn Or “do not be anxious.”

[12:22] ⁵tc Most mss (Ì⁴⁵ Ψ 070 Ë¹³ 33 Ï) supply the pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, although several important and early witnesses omit it (Ì⁷⁵ א A B D L Q W Θ Ë¹ 700 2542 al lat). Externally, the shorter reading is superior. Internally, the pronoun looks to be a scribal clarification. In context the article can be translated as a possessive pronoun anyway (ExSyn 215), as it has been done for this translation.

[12:22] ⁶tc Some mss (B 070 Ë¹³ 33 1424 al) supply the pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, although the witnesses for the omission are early, important, and varied (Ì^45vid,75 א A D L Q W Θ Ψ Ë¹ Ï lat). See previous tc note for more discussion.

[12:24] ⁷tn Or “crows.” Crows and ravens belong to the same family of birds. English uses “crow” as a general word for the family. Palestine has several indigenous members of the crow family.

[12:24] ⁸tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”