# Matthew 10.31

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-10-14 | updated: 2026-10-14 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father:</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.</span> (Matthew 10:29-33, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will,</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.</span> (Matthew 10:29-33, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. <sup>farthing: it is in value halfpenny farthing in the original, as being the tenth part of the Roman penny</sup></span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.</span> (Matthew 10:29-33, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">'Are not two sparrows sold for an assar? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father;</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">and of you, even the hairs of the head are all numbered;</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">be not therefore afraid, than many sparrows ye are better.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">'Every one, therefore, who shall confess in me before men, I also will confess in him before my Father who is in the heavens;</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">and whoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.</span> (Matthew 10:29-33, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Jesus
- **Audience:** the twelve apostles, as he sent them out (Matthew 10:5)
- **Location:** Galilee
- **Time period:** during Jesus' Galilean ministry, c. AD 28-30

## Theological reading

"Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:31, KJV).

**Do not fear.** The command not to fear rests on a statement of worth: "ye are of more value than many sparrows." Value is not something the disciples must prove; it is declared by Jesus.

**Worth grounded in the Father.** Human value here is not measured by usefulness or strength. It flows from the Father's care. See [Biblical Dignity](/codex/biblical-dignity/).

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Atheist Upbringing Devalues the Child Argument](/codex/atheist-upbringing-devalues-the-child-argument/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 10.5-42](/codex/matthew-10-5-42/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.