Luke 21:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But not a hair of your head will perish.

NIV: But not a hair of your head will perish.

NASB: And yet not a hair of your head will perish.

CSB: but not a hair of your head will be lost.

NLT: But not a hair of your head will perish!

KJV: But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

NKJV: But not a hair of your head shall be lost.

Jesus is describing the persecution His followers will face, particularly before the temple is destroyed in AD 70. They will be hounded and arrested by religious leaders. Yet this will give them opportunities to share Jesus with the leaders (Luke 21:12–15). Friends and family will betray them, even to death (Luke 21:16). Now, Jesus gives His followers hope. Although the Jews and Romans, as a group, will hate them, God will protect them (Luke 21:17–19). The comment in this verse seems extreme—but since Jesus has just mentioned these same men dying, it's not meant to be taken out of context.

This verse and the next are difficult to interpret, especially in a hyper-literal modern, Western culture. The phrase "a hair of your head" might be the literary technique of synecdoche: something is mentioned to represent something else, especially using a part to represent the whole. If Jesus is referring to their earthly lives, the promise is problematic. Is Jesus saying that the disciples will face persecution, but they will not be harmed? That can't be; He's already told them some will be killed (Luke 21:16).

The disciples know what Jesus is talking about; or, at least, they soon will (John 16:13). They were there when He told them to take up their cross and that they would save their lives by being willing to give them up. It means they will die to the world but gain eternal life (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:24–25). He also said they should not fear those who can kill the body but the One who can send the soul to hell (Luke 12:4–5). It is the spiritual, eternal lives that are protected, not their physical lives—and certainly not their hair!

Luke 21:12–19 warns Jesus' disciples that their newfound admiration amongst the people will be short-lived. Soon, religious leaders will use the Roman government to arrest them, and their relatives will even conspire for their deaths. Still, they will have the opportunity to share the gospel and God will hold them safe, even as they die. Although Jesus is speaking to the disciples, the warning applies to the whole church age. The church's persecution is also found in Matthew 24:9–13 and Mark 13:9–13.

Luke 21 records the last of Jesus' teachings before the Last Supper, His arrest, and His crucifixion. Luke 21:1–4 fits well with the themes of Luke 19:28—20:47. Luke 21:5–11 describes how false messiahs, war, and natural disasters will become normal. Luke 21:12–24 prophesies challenges prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Luke 21:25–28 moves to the tribulation. Luke 21:29–36 is Jesus' instructions about the disciples' lives and ministries with respect to the delayed kingdom. Luke 21:37–38 is a note about Jesus' schedule in the days between the triumphal entry and His arrest.

Luke 21 finishes the presentation of Jesus in Jerusalem as the Messiah of the Jews. This lays a foundation for the Passion Narrative: the final days before Jesus is crucified. Luke 19:28—20:47 covered most of the discussions about His authority which are completed with His words about the widow's sacrificial offering (Luke 21:1–4). The rest of the chapter records His warnings to the disciples about the violence they, the temple, Jerusalem, and the world will face between His ascension and His return. Matthew 24 and Mark 12:41—13:37 cover the same material.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.