12:6–7

In 12:4–5 Jesus warned his disciples not to fear people but to fear/respect God. In 12:6–7 he began to encourage his disciples by telling them how much God cares for them. Jesus began this encouragement by talking about sparrows. God remembers each sparrow, though sparrows do not have much value, and God values the disciples much more than sparrows.

In some languages it may be necessary to make the connection between 12:6 and 12:5 more explicit. For example:

⌊Consider also God’s attitude toward sparrows.⌋…

See the note on 12:7b and the General Comment on 12:7a–c at the end of 12:7c for other ways to make the connection between these verses clearer.

12:6a

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?: Here Jesus asked a rhetorical question to state something that everyone already knew. The question expects the answer “yes, five sparrows are sold for only this small amount of money.”

Some ways to translate this question are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Don’t you realize that five sparrows are sold for only two pennies?

• As a statement. For example:

Everyone knows that five sparrows are sold for just two pennies.

Use a way that is natural in your language to express a statement that people already know to be true.

sparrows: The word sparrows refers to a type of small, common bird that poor people ate. In some areas people are not familiar with sparrows or sparrows are not sold in the market. If this is true in your area, you may:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

five small birds

• Use the name of a small local bird. For example:

five rice birds

two pennies: The word pennies refers to certain Roman coins. Each of these coins was worth about one sixteenth of a workman’s daily pay. The point is that the sparrows cost very little. The exact value of two pennies is not important here. Some other ways to translate two pennies are:

• Use a descriptive phrase for a small amount of money. For example:

two copper coins (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
only a few small coins

• Use a local equivalent for a coin of little value. For example:

two cents (God’s Word)

12:6b

Yet: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Yet introduces an unexpected fact that contrasts with 12:6a. In spite of the fact that sparrows are of almost no value, God cares about each one of them. Other ways to introduce this unexpected statement are:

but (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
But/Yet even though that is true

not one of them is forgotten by God: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not one of them is forgotten by God means that God does not neglect or overlook even one sparrow. He knows and cares about each one. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Yet God does not forget a single one of them. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Yet God remembers ⌊and cares for⌋ every one of ⌊those sparrows⌋.

General Comment on 12:6a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 12:6a and 12:6b. For example:

6bDo you think God forgets even one of 6athe small birds that cost less than a penny? ⌊Of course not!⌋

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