But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
seek.
1 Kings 3:11-13 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; …
1 Kings 17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
2 Chronicles 1:7-12 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee…
the kingdom.
Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 13:44-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field…
his.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Isaiah 45:24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
and all.
Matthew 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Leviticus 25:20,21 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: …
Psalm 34:9,10 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him…
and His righteousness
Righteousness in this context refers to living in a way that is consistent with God's standards and character. It involves a transformation of the heart and mind, leading to actions that reflect God's holiness. This righteousness is not self-derived but is imparted through faith in Jesus Christ, as seen in Romans 3:22. The call to seek God's righteousness echoes the Old Testament, where righteousness is often associated with justice and ethical living, as in Micah 6:8. The cultural context of Jesus' time included a strong emphasis on external adherence to the law, as practiced by the Pharisees. However, Jesus redefines righteousness as an internal quality that surpasses mere legalistic observance (Matthew 5:20).
and all these things will be added unto you
This promise assures believers that when they prioritize God's kingdom and righteousness, their material needs will be met. "All these things" refers to the necessities of life, such as food, drink, and clothing, which Jesus discusses earlier in Matthew 6:25-32. The assurance is rooted in God's character as a loving Father who knows and provides for the needs of His children (Matthew 6:8, 6:32). This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's provision, as seen in the Old Testament with the provision of manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16) and in the New Testament with Jesus feeding the multitudes (Matthew 14:13-21). The phrase encourages trust in God's provision, freeing believers from anxiety and allowing them to focus on spiritual growth and service.
– Jesus moves from warning about worry (Matthew 6:25-32) to giving the remedy: active pursuit.
– Seeking is intentional, like the promise in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
– It involves prayerful asking and knocking (Matthew 7:7) and daily choices that point our hearts toward God.
– The verb is present-tense; it calls for an ongoing lifestyle, not a one-time event.
– “First” establishes priority: God comes before schedule, needs, ambitions, even family (Colossians 1:18; Exodus 20:3).
– Practical outworking:
• Begin the day with Scripture and prayer rather than screens.
• Make decisions by asking, “Will this honor Christ?”
• Arrange finances so giving and generosity come before personal spending.
– Placing God first re-orders every other desire to its proper place.
– More than a place; it is the reign of the King—His rule in hearts now and His visible rule to come (Romans 14:17).
– We seek it when we:
• Treasure Christ above all (Matthew 13:44).
• Share the gospel so others bow to the King (Matthew 28:19-20).
• Embrace kingdom values—humility, mercy, purity (Matthew 5:3-10).
– Pursuing the kingdom means measuring success by eternal impact, not temporal applause.
– Not self-made goodness but God’s gift received by faith (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9).
– Yet imputed righteousness births practical righteousness:
• Choosing integrity when nobody is watching.
• Extending forgiveness because we’ve been forgiven.
• Serving the needy, reflecting the Father’s heart.
– We hunger for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) the way a thirsty traveler longs for water, confident God will satisfy.
– “These things” refers to food, drink, clothing—the necessities described in Matthew 6:25-31.
– God promises provision, not indulgence, mirroring Psalm 37:25 and Philippians 4:19.
– The order matters: provision follows pursuit. When we chase God’s agenda, He delights to meet our needs.
– This frees us from anxiety; worry shrivels where trust flourishes.
Putting God first is neither loss nor legalism; it is the pathway to peace. As we continually seek the King, give Him first place, live under His reign, and walk in His righteousness, He faithfully supplies every need, proving that in His kingdom, obedience is always rewarded with abundance.
(33) Seek ye first the kingdom of God.--The context shows that the words point to the "seeking" of prayer, rather than of act, though the latter meaning is, of course, not excluded. What is thus to be sought is "the kingdom of God" (the change from the less personal "kingdom of heaven" is significant), the higher spiritual life in its completeness, for ourselves and for others; and with it we are to seek "His righteousness," that which, being perfect beyond the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, must be His gift to us, and therefore to be sought in prayer. One who seeks for this may well be content to leave all else in his Father's hands. Even without his asking "they shall be added unto him" in such measure as is best for him. Among the few traditional sayings ascribed to our Lord of which we can think as probably an authentic report of His teaching, is one to the same effect quoted by Origen and Clement of Alexandria," Ask great things, and little things shall be added to you: ask heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added to you."Verse 33. - Parallel passage: Luke 12:31, which is shorter. But; i.e. in contrast to such seeking as he has just spoken cf. Our Lord at length gives a distinct promise that if God's cause is made the first aim, all the necessaries of life shall be provided. Seek ye first. The difference between ζητεῖν here and ἐπιζητεῖν in ver. 32 seems to be only that the latter points out more clearly the direction of the search. First. If the search for earthly things be put into a secondary place, it may be allowable. The kingdom of God, and his righteousness; his kingdom and his righteousness (Revised Version). "Of God" must almost certainly be omitted with א (B); cf. Westcott and Hort, 'App.' The first phrase represents rather the external, the second the internal aim. Seek ye the spread and accomplishment of God's kingdom; seek ye personal conformity to his standard of righteousness. Both thoughts are of fundamental importance for this "sermon" (kingdom, cf. Matthew 5:3, 10, 19, 20; Matthew 6:10; righteousness, especially Matthew 5:17-20), which treats essentially of the way in which the subjects of the Divine kingdom should regard the Divine righteousness and conform to it. And all these things shall be added unto you; cf. the apocryphal saying of our Lord, repeated by Origen (Clem. Alex.), "Jesus said to his disciples, Ask great things, and the small shall be added to you; and ask heavenly things, and the earthly shall be added to you" (Westcott, 'Introd.,' App. C; Resch, 'Agrapha,' p. 230, etc.; cf. also 1 Kings 3:11-14; Mark 10:29, 30; 1 Timothy 4:8).