Matthew 6:27

προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα. ἡλικία, either ‘stature’ or ‘duration of life,’ so that the meaning may be ‘add a cubit to his life.’ Comp. Psalms 39:5, ‘Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth.’ This rendering falls in better with the connection. With all his anxiety man cannot add to his length of days, or clothe himself like the flowers.

Some reasons however may be adduced in favour of the rendering of the A.V., which coincides with the Vulgate. (1) It is better to retain the literal meaning of πῆχυν. (2) The rapid growth of vegetation in the East would make the thought more natural than with us. Comp. the well-known story in Herod, VIII. 55, δευτέρῃ δὲ ἡμέρῃ� … ὤρων βλαστὸν ἐκ τοῦ στελέχεος ὅσον τε πηχυαῖον�. See Godet on Luke 12:25, and Maldonatus ad loc.