Sufficient unto the day are the evils thereof - geograph

"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" is an

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

which appears in the

Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount (anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ) is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7). that emphasizes his moral teachings. It is ...

in the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...

chapter 6 Chapter Six refers to a sixth chapter, but the term may also refer to: Music * Chapter 6 (band), a professional a cappella ensemble from Illinois, USA * Chapter 6: Couples Therapy, the seventh studio album by American recording artist Syleena Joh ...

— Matthew 6:34. The wording comes from the

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...

and the full verse reads: "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." It implies that we should not worry about the future, since each day contains an ample burden of evils and suffering. The same words, in Hebrew, are used to express the same thought in the

Rabbinic Jewish Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian ...

saying ''dyya l'tzara b'shaata'' (דיה לצרה בשעתה), "the suffering of the (present) hour is enough for it". The original

Koine Greek Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...

reads ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς (''arketon tē hēmera hē kakia autes''); alternative translations include: * "Each day has enough trouble of its own." (

New American Standard Bible The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is an English translation of the Bible. Published by the Lockman Foundation, the complete NASB was released in 1971. The NASB relies on recently published critical editions of the original Hebrew and Gre ...

) * "There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings" ( Today's English Version) It is also similar to the

Epicurean Epicureanism is a system of philosophy founded around 307 BC based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism. Later its main opponent became Stoicism. Few writings by Epi ...

advice of writers such as

Anacreon Anacreon (; grc-gre, Ἀνακρέων ὁ Τήϊος; BC) was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and erotic poems. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets. Anacreon wrote all of his poetry in the ...

and

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

— ''quid sit futurum cras, fuge quaerere'' (avoid asking what the future will bring) — However,

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

's sermon has sometimes been interpreted to mean that God knows everyone's needs.

Sermons

Thomas Sheridan Thomas Sheridan may refer to: *Thomas Sheridan (divine) (1687–1738), Anglican divine *Thomas Sheridan (actor) (1719–1788), Irish actor and teacher of elocution *Thomas Sheridan (soldier) (1775–1817/18) *Thomas B. Sheridan (born 1931), America ...

wrote a sermon upon this verse on the occasion of the death of Queen Anne. His sermon notes being dated August 1st, the date of Anne's death, he later reused it for an anniversary of the accession of King George I. Using a verse discussing the "evils" of the day on such an occasion shocked the audience; Sheridan was accused of Jacobite sympathies and lost his chaplaincy.

References

{{Sermon on the Mount Gospel of Matthew Greek proverbs Matthew 6 New Testament words and phrases Sermon on the Mount