What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will,
- KJV Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
- BSB Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
- NKJV Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
- NASB Are two sparrows not sold for an assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
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
Not even a worthless sparrow falls without the Father's knowing care. God's sovereign attention extends to the smallest details.
Overview
Jesus uses the cheapness of sparrows to magnify God's providence: nothing, however trivial, escapes the Father's will. This assurance of meticulous sovereignty grounds the call not to fear persecution. If God governs the fate of a sparrow, He surely watches over His suffering people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Luke 12:6–7“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
- Ps 104:27–30These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 10:29 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.