Matthew 10:30

30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10:30 in Other Translations

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

30 He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail - even numbering the hairs on your head!

30 but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

30 Every hair on your head has been counted.

30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.

30 He even counts every hair on your head!

Matthew 10:30 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 10:30

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
] A proverbial expression, showing the perfect knowledge God has, and the exquisite care he takes, in providence, of all his creatures, particularly men, and especially his dear children and faithful ministers; as not a sparrow, so not a single hair of a man's head falls to the ground without the knowledge, and will of God: a way of speaking sometimes used to signify, that not the least hurt or damage should befall a person; see ( 1 Samuel 14:45 ) ( 2 Samuel 14:11 ) ( Acts 27:34 ) and the phraseology of the text was in use, and very well known by the Jews; for so they represent God speaking ^F9;

``do not I number all the hairs of every creature?''

As our Lord applies this particularly to his disciples, his sense is, that they had no reason to be afraid of men, or fear anything that should befall them, for their bearing a faithful testimony to him; for, their valuable lives were under the special and peculiar care of divine providence; not only the days, months, and years of their lives were with God, and put down in his book of purposes and decrees, which could neither be shortened nor lengthened; and not only the more principal, and even all the members of their bodies were written in his book of providence, and a singular care taken of them; but even their very excrescences, the more minute parts, and which were of no great account with them, the "hairs" of their head", even "all" of them, were not only known, but numbered", taken account of; yea, the thing was done already, it was not to be done; a very strong way of setting forth the doctrine of divine providence: a doctrine which the Jews were not unacquainted with, who say ^F11;

``that the events of man, and accidents which come upon him, (Mymv ydyb lkh) , "are all by", or "in the hands of God";''

and ^F12 that

``nothing is by chance, but all things are (tnwkb) , "with design";''

or, as they elsewhere say ^F13,

``a man does not hurt his finger below, but they proclaim concerning it above;''

that is, as the gloss explains it, (wyle wrzg) , "it is decreed" concerning it: which comes very near to the phrase here used.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F9 Pesikta, fol. 18. 4. apud Drusium in loc.
F11 Piske Tosaphot ad Cetubot, art. 119.
F12 Kimchi in Ps. civ. 4.
F13 T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 7. 2.

Matthew 10:30 In-Context

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.

30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 14:45; 2 Samuel 14:11; 1 Kings 1:52; Luke 21:18; Acts 27:34