"Be anxious for nothing, …"

Odessa Dawn · Jan 10, 2013

Philippians 4:6

I think that the underlined part is Imperative mood. However, when it is followed by for nothing, how do I analyze it? There is an another pattern that goes with it but it is not suitable to be posted in here. Under which grammar point "Be anxious for nothing" goes, please?

Thank you,

Amigos4 · Jan 10, 2013

OD, you are correct! "Be anxious for nothing, ..." is an imperative sentence.

The "mood" is in the imperative which means "a command", "absolutely necessary", "forceful", or "demanding". In other words, it is not a suggestion. In Philippians 4:6 Paul is speaking by divine inspiration, therefore God is saying we have the potential to live anxiety free here on Earth.

Imagine what would happen to the imperative sentence if "for nothing" was left out! We would be left with a command to "be anxious"! Is that the message Paul was meant to deliver? I don't think so! ;-)

Cheers,
A4

Tdol · Jan 10, 2013

Odessa Dawn said:
However, when it is followed by for nothing, how do I analyze it?

How does for nothing change the mood?

Raymott · Jan 10, 2013

amigos4 said:
Imagine what would happen to the imperative sentence if "for nothing" was left out! We would be left with a command to "be anxious"! Is that the message Paul was meant to deliver? I don't think so! ;-)

A4

Though it could be ambiguous anyway. If I often got anxious for nothing would that make me a good Christian?

SoothingDave · Jan 10, 2013

"Don't be anxious about anything" would probably be how we would write this today. Or "Don't let anything make you anxious."

BobK · Jan 10, 2013

:up: OD, I get the impression that a lot of your source are Biblical. That is a very old translation (that was, at the time of the translation, intentionally archaic - so as to sound more resonant when read out in Church - reading out in Church was an avowed aim of the King James Bible).

If you talk like this you will be thought very odd. Raymott's (mis)interpretation is the most likely in modern English.

b

Odessa Dawn · Jan 10, 2013

My greetings!

SoothingDave said:
"Don't be anxious about anything" would probably be how we would write this today. Or "Don't let anything make you anxious."

Well put!

BobK said:
If you talk like this you will be thought very odd. Raymott's (mis)interpretation is the most likely in modern English.

b

Grateful!

Tdol said:
How does for nothing change the mood?

I got confused when I came across an imperative mood being followed by for nothing. I thought it was supposed to be, "Don’t be worry/anxious!" I don’t know what the purpose of for nothing is?

Thank you all,

"Be anxious for nothing, …"

Odessa Dawn

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