Blog Four, August 29, 2025
Sparrows and Hair
There is an old gospel hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” which includes these lyrics:
I sing because I’m happy—
I sing because I’m free—
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
The message of the hymn is the sovereign protection and presence of God, our Father in Matthew, where Jesus employs diverse images, the sparrow and human hair:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31 ESV).
The sparrow makes a few appearances in Scripture, the Matthew passage the most prominent; the sparrow seems to symbolize a weak or vulnerable being in need of protection: “I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop” (Psalm 102:7 ESV). “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God” Psalm 84:3 ESV). Why did Jesus use the example of a sparrow?
Sparrows are actually a group of bird species. The common House Sparrow is one of the most common and recognizable species worldwide, known for its adaptable nature and ability to live in human-inhabited areas. These traits provide some answer to our question. Sparrows are found throughout the world, they live comfortably near people, and they are common throughout the world. When Jesus says you are of more value than many sparrows, readers from every continent can absorb the meaning.
As further evidence of their wide-ranging presence, the sparrow’s taxonomy is divided into “Old World sparrows” (family Passeridae) and “New World sparrows” (family Passerellidae). These are distinct biologically, but in general sparrows are smaller in size and similar in appearance. The House Sparrow is common, found in a variety of environments, both forests and cities. Sparrows are often social and live in groups or colonies. They are adaptable and are known for their ability to thrive in human-altered environments. Sparrow species inhabit all continents and diverse habitats such as residences, wetlands, forestlands, and open areas.
Sparrows are not as aggressive the crow or the blue jay (species known for their competitive instincts). The point? Sparrows leave a generally favorable impression. Jesus models His omnipresence using a bird familiar and acceptable to all. This is a treasured promise: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
However, Jesus gets more personal to drive His point home: But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Most of us have sparrows living nearby, but everyone knows about hair. As one stops and ponders this, His promise is more amazing: We are always losing hair, either naturally or due to mechanical breakage. We lose hair with age, when we comb it, and in myriad other ways. Only an omniscient God could keep such a count.
Here’s the Google AI summary of hair count:
“The average human head has between 90,000 and 150,000 hairs, with variations primarily depending on hair color and genetics. Blondes typically have the most hairs, averaging around 150,000, while redheads generally have the fewest, with about 90,000. Brown-haired individuals average around 110,000 hairs, and those with black hair usually have about 100,000 hairs.”
The seemingly simple assertion of Jesus can be deepened and enriched by the biology of sparrows and hair. The good news is that we are not required to comprehend any of this – only rest in the Kingdom presence of an all-present and all-knowing God who watches the sparrows and counts the hairs on our head. As the psalmist David remarked: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Psalm 139:6).
D. E.