What the Bible Says About Worry

You won't find the word worry in the King James Bible, and anxiety isn't there either. The KJV talks about it in older English. In Matthew 6 it's "take no thought," and in Philippians 4 it's "be careful for nothing." Both translate the same Greek verb, merimnaō, which Strong's Concordance defines as "to be anxious about."

Below are those passages and others like them, each quoted word for word with its reference. Short notes give the Greek and Hebrew words behind the older English.

Take no thought (Matthew 6:25 to 34)

Jesus says this in the Sermon on the Mount. The Greek verb for being anxious comes up six times in these ten verses, more than in any other passage of the New Testament.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:25-34)

The King James translators used "take thought" for words that mean to be anxious, in the Old Testament as well as the New. In 1 Samuel 9:5 Saul tells his servant they should go back, "lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us." The Hebrew verb there is da'ag, which Strong's defines as "be anxious."

Luke 12:22 to 32 is the parallel passage in Luke. These two lines in it have no match in Matthew 6.

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. (Luke 12:29)

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

"Doubtful mind" is meteōrizō in the Greek. Strong's defines it as "to raise in mid-air, i.e. (figuratively) suspend," and in the passive "fluctuate or be anxious."

Be careful for nothing (Philippians 4:6 and 7)

Careful here doesn't mean cautious. It's merimnaō again, the verb behind "take no thought" in Matthew 6.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Casting all your care upon him (1 Peter 5:6 and 7)

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The two cares in verse 7 are different Greek words. "Your care" is merimna, the noun that merimnaō comes from, and STEPBible's tagged Greek text glosses it here as anxiety. "He careth" is melei, which Strong's lists under melō and defines as "to be of interest to, i.e. to concern."

Let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1 and 27)

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1)

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

Troubled is tarassō. STEPBible's lexicon defines it as "to disturb, trouble, stir up."

Martha, Martha (Luke 10:40 to 42)

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:40-42)

"Cumbered" in verse 40 is perispaō, which Strong's defines as "to drag all around, i.e. (figuratively) to distract (with care)." Martha's "care" in the same verse is melei. The "careful" in verse 41 is merimnaō, which STEPBible's tagged text glosses here as "you are anxious." The "troubled" in verse 41 is a different Greek word from the one in John 14.

The cares of this world (Mark 4:18 and 19)

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19)

This is part of the parable of the sower. Matthew 13:22 and Luke 8:14 tell the same part of it with the same Greek noun, merimna.

In the Old Testament

Cast thy burden upon the LORD (Psalm 55:22)

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

The Hebrew word for burden, yehav, appears nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. STEPBible's lexicon gives it as "burden, lot (that which is given)." The Greek translation of the Old Testament renders it with merimna, the word Peter uses in 1 Peter 5:7. Hebrew Bibles number this verse 55:23.

In the multitude of my thoughts (Psalm 94:19 and 139:23)

In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. (Psalm 94:19)

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: (Psalm 139:23)

"Thoughts" in both psalms is sar'aph, a Hebrew word found only in these two verses. STEPBible's lexicon defines it as "disquieting thoughts."

Heaviness in the heart of man (Proverbs 12:25)

Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. (Proverbs 12:25)

Heaviness is de'agah. STEPBible's lexicon defines it as "anxiety, anxious care, care."

Not careful in the year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7 and 8)

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Careful here is da'ag, the verb that de'agah comes from and the one behind "take thought" in 1 Samuel 9:5.

Every place merimnaō and merimna appear

In the Greek New Testament the verb merimnaō appears 19 times and the noun merimna 6 times, by the count in STEPBible's tagged Greek text. Here is each one with the King James wording.

The verb doesn't always mean worry. STEPBible's copy of Abbott-Smith's lexicon gives it a second sense, "to care for." Philippians 2:20 is one of its examples. Strong's traces merimna to merizō, to divide, "through the idea of distraction." Amerimnos, merimna with a negative prefix, is the "without carefulness" of 1 Corinthians 7:32.

How this page was made

Every verse is quoted from the 1769 standard text of the King James Version and checked word for word against a second digital copy of the KJV. The printed KJV sets supplied words in italics, which this page doesn't show. Most Greek and Hebrew notes come from STEPBible, a Tyndale House Cambridge project shared under CC BY 4.0, whose Greek lexicon draws on Abbott-Smith's. The rest come from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890) and the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which is also CC BY 4.0. If you find a mistake, tell us through the support page.

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