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Luke 12:24 — King James Version← Study notes

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?


Luke 12:24Greek Interlinear

Greek · Luke 12:2425 words
GreekMeaning
κατανοήσατεkatanoēsate
do considerverbG2657
τοὺςtous
thearticleG3588
κόρακαςkorakas
ravensnounG2876
ὅτιhoti
thatwordG3754
οὐou
notadverbG3756
σπείρουσινspeirousin
they sowverbG4687
οὐδὲoude
norwordG3761
θερίζουσινtherizousin
they reapverbG2325
οἷςhois
to themrelative pronounG3739
οὐκouk
notadverbG3756
ἔστινestin
there isverbG1510
ταμεῖονtameion
a storehousenounG5009
οὐδὲoude
nor iswordG3761
ἀποθήκηapothēkē
barn —nounG596
καὶkai
andwordG2532
ho
thearticleG3588
θεὸςtheos
GodnounG2316
τρέφειtrephei
feedsverbG5142
αὐτούςautous
thempronounG846
πόσῳposō
How muchpronounG4214
μᾶλλονmallon
moreadverbG3123
ὑμεῖςhymeis
you yourselvespronounG4771
διαφέρετεdiapherete
are valuableverbG1308
τῶνtōn
than thearticleG3588
πετεινῶνpeteinōn
birds?adjectiveG4071
Greek text from the SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT). Transliteration follows SBL Academic conventions.

Church Fathers on Luke 12:24

As before in raising our minds to spiritual boldness, He assured us by the example of the birds, which are counted of little worth, saying, You are of more value than many sparrows; so now also from the instance of birds, He conveys to us a firm and undoubting trust, saying, Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them; how much more are you better than fowls?

Cyril of Alexandria · 5th century

That is, you are more precious, because a rational animal like man is of a higher order in the nature of things than irrational things, as the birds are.

Bede · 8th century

But it is a great thing to follow up this example in faith. For to the birds of the air who have no labor of tilling, no produce from the fruitfulness of crops, Divine Providence grants an unfailing sustenance. It is true then that the cause of our poverty seems to be covetousness. For they have for this reason a toiless and abundant use of food, because they think not of claiming to themselves by any special right fruits given for common food. We have lost what things were…

Ambrose · 4th century
Read all 10 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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