King James Bible
"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."
Jesus emphasizes God's intimate knowledge of each person through hyperbole—knowing the exact count of something as insignificant as hair strands. This builds on the previous verse about sparrows, escalating from God's awareness of small birds to his microscopic attention to human details. This command directly addresses the disciples' anxiety about persecution mentioned earlier in the chapter. The logical connector 'therefore' links God's detailed care to the practical response of abandoning fear. Jesus concludes with an argument from lesser to greater—if God cares for inexpensive sparrows (two for a penny in verse 6), how much more does he value humans made in his image. This comparison reinforces that God's providence extends especially to his people facing threats.