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Luke 12:7
ESV Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
NIV Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more 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.
CSB Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many 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.
KJV But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value 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.

What does Luke 12:7 mean?

The Pharisees and their lawyers use spiritually abusive practices which Jesus has fearlessly condemned (Luke 11:37–52). These men are favorites of the people; the Pharisees are feared by the priests and Sadducees of the Sanhedrin because of that populist adoration. The Pharisees are conspiring to destroy Jesus (Luke 11:53–54) and after His ascension will hound His followers, imprisoning and even killing some (Acts 8:3; 9:1–2; 26:10).

But Jesus has told believers not to fear these hypocrites. At their very worst, they can only kill the body. Instead, they ought to fear a God who will mete out eternal death to those who refuse to repent. It is God who will send sinners to hell, and it is God who knows every sparrow (Luke 12:1–6).

This verse brings out contradictory feelings. Christ-followers are so precious to God that He counts the hairs on their heads. His omniscient ownership of facts translates to love: to work on behalf of those who are His. We are completely secure in Him. And yet, that security does not mean we will escape hardships or even death in His service. Just as God watches when sparrows fall, He watches when we physically die (Matthew 10:29).

In the Christian worldview, life on earth is not all there is to existence. Sometimes, physical death is part of God's work for Jesus-followers. As Jesus mentioned before, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:24–25). Jesus-followers can confidently faith death and remain true to Jesus (Luke 9:26; 12:8–9; 1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 1:21–26).
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