Luke 12:4–7
Jesus says not even a sparrow is forgotten before God: “you are worth more”
Study it word by word4And I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that cannot do anything more.
5But I will show you whom to fear: fear the one who, after killing, has authority to throw you into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, fear him.
6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
In its context
2But nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
3Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
…
8And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man also will acknowledge him before the angels of God;
9but the one who denies me before people will be denied before the angels of God.
Its words in the original
- ΛέγωLegō· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- φίλοιςphilois· friend
Friend.
- φοβηθῆτεphobēthēte· fear, be afraid
Fear, be afraid; also show reverent respect.
- ἀποκτεινόντωνapokteinontōn· kill
Kill.
- σῶμαsōma· body
Body.
- ἐχόντωνechontōn· have
Have, possess, hold.
- περισσότερόνperissoteron· more, greater
More, greater; all the more.
- ποιῆσαιpoiēsai· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- ὑποδείξωhypodeixō· show, warn
Show, make known, teach; warn.
- ἐξουσίανexousian· authority
Authority, the power to act or command.
- ἐμβαλεῖνembalein· throw in
Throw in, cast into.
- γέεννανgeennan· Gehenna
Gehenna: the Valley of Hinnom beside Jerusalem, a cursed place because children were sacrificed there to idols; an image of final punishment.
- ναίnai· yes
Yes.
- οὐχὶouchi· not
Not (in questions that expect "yes").
- πέντεpente· five
Five.
- στρουθίαstrouthia· sparrow
Sparrow, a small bird.
- πωλοῦνταιpōlountai· sell
Sell.
- ἀσσαρίωνassariōn· assarion
Assarion: a copper coin, one sixteenth of a denarius.
- δύοdyo· two
Two.
- ἓνhen· one
One.
- ἔστινestin· be
Be, exist.
- ἐπιλελησμένονepilelēsmenon· forget
Forget; neglect.
- ἐνώπιονenōpion· before, in front of
In front of, in the presence of.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- τρίχεςtriches· hair
Hair.
- κεφαλῆςkephalēs· head
Head.
- ἠρίθμηνταιērithmēntai· number, count
Number, count.
- πολλῶνpollōn· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- διαφέρετεdiapherete· be worth more, carry
Be worth more, be superior; also carry through, or carry about.