for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn; and yet they are provided for, and therefore, why should men, and especially God's own people, distrust his providence over them, when they both sow and reap, have the seedtime, and harvest in the appointed seasons: they cast their seed into the earth, and it springs up and brings forth much fruit, which they reap when ripe, and gather into their barns and storehouses, from whence they are supplied till another season returns; wherefore they have no reason to distress themselves, seeing, though this is not the case of ravens, yetGod feedeth them; their young ones, as the above places show.
Jerom says , that it is affirmed by some philosophers, that they live upon dew. The Jews have a notion, that the old ravens being cruel to their young, and hating them, the Lord has pity on them, and prepares flies, or worms for them, which arise out of their dung, and enter into their mouths, and they them.
One of their commentators says , when the young ones are hatched they are white, and the old ones leave them, not taking them for their own, and therefore bring them no food, and then they cry to God; and this is mentioned by some Christian writers, but not sufficiently confirmed: and another of them observes , that the philosophers of the Gentiles say, that the ravens leave their young as soon as they are hatched; but what Aristotle , Pliny , and Aelianus affirm of these creatures is, that as soon as they are able to fly they turn them out of their nests, and even drive them out of the country where they are; when, as it is said in Job, "they wander for lack of meat, and cry unto God, who gives it to them": and since this is the case, and the providence of God is so much concerned for such worthless creatures, the people of God, and disciples of Christ, ought by no means to distrust it: for as it follows,how much more are ye better than the fowls: or "than these", as the Vulgate Latin version reads; that is than these ravens, or any other fowls whatever; See Gill on "Mt 6:26".
T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 63. 1. Comment. in Job xxxviii. 41. & in Psal. cxlvii. 9. Jarchi in Job xxxviii. 41. & in Psal. cxlvii. 9. & Kimchi in lb. Kimchi ib. Vid. T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 49. 2. & Gloss. in ib.
Aben Ezra in Psal. cxivii. 9. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 31. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 12. De Animal. Natura, l. 2. c.