sparrow

A term that may refer to any small, brown bird that flits and twitters. Both the Greek and Hebrew words are frequently translated “bird” in the NRSV (Ps 11:1; Ps 102:7; Ps 104:17; Ps 124:7; Eccl 12:4; Lam 3:52). Sparrows are mentioned as nesting near the Temple altar (Ps 84:3). They were sold in the marketplaces of the Middle East as inexpensive food for the poor, and Jesus used them as a symbol for something of minimal value (Matt 10:29; Matt 10:31; Luke 12:6; Luke 12:7).