But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
Parallel translations
- KJV But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
- BSB And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
- NKJV But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
- NASB But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
- NLT And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even the hairs of your head are numbered, so do not be afraid; you are worth far more than many sparrows. God's detailed care assures believers of their immense value to Him.
Overview
Jesus draws the comforting conclusion: God's knowledge of His people is exhaustive, down to the smallest detail. This intimate care removes fear, even in the face of persecution mentioned earlier. The disciple's worth is grounded not in self-estimation but in the value God places on those He has made His own.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Matt 10:30–31but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
- Matt 6:26See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
- Isa 43:3–4For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
- 2 Sam 14:11Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
- Luke 21:18And not a hair of your head will perish.
- Acts 27:34Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.”
- 1 Sam 14:45The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die.
- Ps 8:6You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet:
- Matt 12:12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.”
- Job 35:11who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 12:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.