Matthew 10 30

Matthew 10:30 kjv

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10:30 nkjv

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10:30 niv

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

Matthew 10:30 esv

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10:30 nlt

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10 verses

Matthew 10 30 Meaning

Matthew 10:30 declares God's exceedingly precise and intimate knowledge of every individual. It assures believers that God's meticulous care extends to the smallest and seemingly most insignificant details of their lives, down to the number of hairs on their heads. This detail serves to alleviate fear and foster complete trust in divine providence, especially in the face of challenges and persecution during their service for God.

Matthew 10 30 Context

Matthew chapter 10 is Jesus' charge to His twelve apostles before sending them out for their first missionary journey. The chapter outlines their authority, instructions, the challenges they would face, and the radical commitment required. Jesus prepares them for rejection and persecution, including facing hostility from their own families and potential death. Amidst these dire warnings, verses 26-33 deliver profound reassurances intended to dispel fear (three times, "do not fear"). This passage highlights God's comprehensive knowledge and protective care. Verse 30, in particular, undergirds the call to fearless proclamation and unwavering discipleship by assuring them of God's intimate awareness of every detail of their being, thereby illustrating His boundless love and constant presence in their lives.

Matthew 10 30 Word analysis

• And: (Greek: kai, καὶ) A simple conjunction, here connecting the profound care for sparrows (Mt 10:29) to an even more astonishing degree of care for humans, specifically His disciples. It emphasizes continuity and progression in the argument of God's universal, yet particular, providence.
• even: This word is implied in the English translation to enhance the sense of the remarkable extent of God's care. The Greek phrase kai hai triches (καὶ αἱ τρίχες), "even the hairs," strengthens this emphasis on minutiae.
• very hairs: (Greek: hai triches, αἱ τρίχες) The plural "hairs" is significant. The Greek word refers specifically to individual strands of hair. This points to the smallest, seemingly most insignificant detail of a person. In ancient thought, hair often symbolized life, vitality, or identity. For God to know their exact number suggests a level of intimate knowledge far beyond human capacity.
• of your head: (Greek: tēs kephalēs, τῆς κεφαλῆς) Simple genitive indicating possession or location. The head, being the seat of life and most visible part of the person, emphasizes that this intimate knowledge pertains to the whole being.
• are all: (Greek: pasai, πᾶσαι, in agreement with triches) "All" highlights totality, stressing that every single hair is known. This dispels any notion of partial or superficial knowledge and underscores the absolute comprehensive nature of God's awareness. It implicitly corrects any belief that some details of life might be too trivial for divine notice.
• numbered: (Greek: ēarithmēmenai eisin, ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν) This is a perfect passive participle with the present indicative of "to be." This grammatical structure conveys a completed action with ongoing results. It means they have been counted (at some point in the past, perhaps at creation or even continuously) and remain counted. This isn't a future action but a present, ongoing state of divine knowledge and record-keeping. The verb arithmeō (ἀριθμέω) means "to count, number." The meticulousness of such an act for each person highlights God's omnipresent omniscience and infinite care, standing in stark contrast to human limitedness and potential forgetfulness. It also strongly implies ownership or possession in the sense that the counter (God) has an absolute inventory.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• And even the very hairs of your head: This phrase functions as a synecdoche, where a part (hairs) represents the whole (the person's being). It hyperbolically conveys the absolute totality of God's detailed knowledge and care for individuals. This is not about the specific number of hairs, but about the extent of God's meticulous involvement in His creation, especially those who are His.
• are all numbered: This collective phrase emphasizes divine omniscience and omnipresence applied to every detail of an individual's life. The implications are profound: God knows everything about us, not just our general condition or major events, but every minute particular. This comprehensive knowledge serves as a basis for assurance, implying that nothing falls outside His awareness or slips beyond His providential care. This direct challenges ancient beliefs in arbitrary fate or disinterested gods by presenting a God of precise, personal concern.

Matthew 10 30 Bonus section

The specific detail of "hairs numbered" can also be contrasted with the fleeting nature of life and things usually considered inconsequential. Hairs fall out, are cut, and regenerate—their number is in constant flux. Yet, even in this ever-changing detail, God's knowledge remains perfect and present. This further underscores the continuous and dynamic nature of His omniscience and care, rather than a one-time census. In some ancient cultural contexts, particularly pagan ones, deities were often portrayed as either capricious, indifferent, or limited in their scope. This teaching by Jesus powerfully asserts the singular uniqueness of the God of Israel as utterly sovereign, infinitely caring, and perfectly aware of every minutia, making Him trustworthy above all. It also elevates the value of the individual in God's eyes, contrasting with cultures that might devalue human life, especially that of a common person or persecuted disciple.

Matthew 10 30 Commentary

Matthew 10:30 serves as a powerful cornerstone of assurance in the midst of spiritual warfare and physical danger. Jesus offers this astonishing declaration to comfort His disciples, and by extension, all believers facing tribulation for their faith. The notion that God has counted the "very hairs of your head" is not a literal accounting but a hyperbolic expression of the absolute and perfect knowledge and intimate care God possesses for each individual. It means nothing about us, no detail, no event, no suffering, is unknown or uncared for by God. This goes far beyond general providence to demonstrate a personal, meticulous, and continuous awareness.

The underlying theological principle is divine sovereignty and meticulous providence. If God knows something as minute as the number of hairs (which vary daily for a person), then certainly He knows and cares about our more significant circumstances, our needs, and our safety. This intimate knowledge is directly tied to the instruction "do not fear" (Mt 10:28, 31). Human fear often stems from uncertainty or a feeling of being overlooked in overwhelming circumstances. Jesus dismantles this by painting a picture of an infinitely capable and caring Father whose attention is utterly complete. Therefore, believers can courageously proclaim the Gospel, endure persecution, and live sacrificially, knowing they are constantly held within the divine gaze and loving purposes of an all-knowing God. This profound truth calls us to absolute trust and dispels all anxiety concerning our ultimate well-being, both temporal and eternal.