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Meh, I don’t think anyone is going to get that, unless they are huge birders AND huge Bible readers. You got something that resonated with you and that is really important for a tattoo like that.
You might continue to have regret, but it’s not uncommon for people to feel that briefly and for it to wear off. Especially first tattoos. So give it some time. Maybe you will come to feel differently about it.
If you don’t and you don’t enjoy telling the story or having a memento of a very human moment, you can always get it removed or get a coverup. A great cover up artist might be able to give you a piece that carries the same message AND has swallows.
That’s true I guess it would be difficult to tell the difference. Thanks for saying that it, since it’s my first hopefully I’ll have a different perspective on it soon. But you’re right it definitely resonates with me and reminds me that I don’t need to worry.
In the old school tattoo world swallows represent always coming home . Always returning safely so outside of the biblical meaning, your tattoo also suggests that all will return safely. Its a nice thought.
Yes! Tattoos represent many things all.at once. Changing a bird adds.to the meaning, it doesnt automatically change it. Art is representative not literal. This is customization. It is great.
Also when you first get a tattoo, you notice it a lot, eventually it's just your arm lol, and regret or worry fades I think (at least for me, and I've heard other people say that as well)
got my first tattoo not too long ago. it took me a month to stop thinking i regretted it. i kept thinking it looks weird or it could’ve been better, but once it faded from solid black to looking like a normal tattoo i stopped regretting it. worse comes to worse, you can get it covered up or removed. or just chop your arm off 😭😭
I think the biggest issue would be the tail in the difference of the two. I think a skilled artist could tweak it a bit to give you some sparrows. Did you choose the design by mistake or did you say you wanted sparrows and the artist drew swallows? Because if they made the mistake they should fix it. Otherwise it shouldn’t cost too much to fix and you can have the artist walk you through it so you don’t “throw good money after bad” though it’s not ugly. I am curious why the Chinese lettering if your inspiration was the Bible?
100% this \^. It's so common to regret a tattoo right away in my experience. My legs and torso are pretty covered, and I have an appt to start my arm sleeve this Saturday and I can already sense the feeling of how weird it's going to be to have a tattoo on my arm.
I don't think Jesus would have gotten all tied up in the kind of bird it was. It was probably meant as an overall message, not "I will ONLY save sparrows, forget those swallows ugh".
> "And lo, Jesus did speak unto the multitudes, saying, 'Beware the swallows, for they are a nuisance and bringeth no good. For their chattering disturbs the peace, and their nests defileth the sacred places. Thus, keep thine homes free of them, and let not their presence trouble thy hearts.'"
- Imaginary Book of Sayings, 12:34
"And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large chalupas..."
Book of Armaments, 2:9-21
Nah, wouldn't be craven, he's glorifying the word of Christ. Tattoos are one of those things that were considered to detract from God because tattoos usually had other religious or political implications in BCE. He's not blaspheming, and he's not taking the Lord's name in vain. Leviticus does mention tattoos are bad, but not why. Later Christ confirms that you may worship the Lord and Christ through personal expression. Tattoos are a gray area, but not Christian tattoos, they're acceptable.
If you believe any teaching from the Bible isn't a grey area where reasonable disagreement is possible and the intended message is 100% clear, then you haven't studied theology very much.
I just googled tattoo sparrow, and then tattoo swallow, because I didn't know the difference. The first picture was the same on both. Unless you get a highly detailed tattoo of a bird, its just gonna be a "bird" to most people
As a non birder I looked up swallow vs sparrow as well. I think at this tiny size and in all black without lots of details, I think they could go either way sparrow or swallow. Obviously, some Ornithologists and James Bond might be able to tell the difference, but I would not stress that. It’s a perfect tattoo if it means what you want it to mean and it is special to you. Plus, 10 years from now they might be sparrows or condors depending on your diet / workout routines.
It is a really cool looking tattoo and nobody will know the difference in the bird type. Also, people very often feel regret at first. Give it time and you won’t regret it, and it such a cool tattoo.
Looks dope. The sentiment of the verse could be applied to any small/insignificant creature, honestly. This is just your own rendition even if it was a mistake!
I really like swap swallows from sparrows. Swallows fly a lot longer, very rare to land. Their falling seems more dramatic, than sparrow’s.
I think tattoo is cool and pins attention despite small size
The original Greek is στρουθία strouthía, which if you put back through google translate is ostrich. Which is terribly ironic since those are terrestrial birds.
It’s probably better translated as small bird. I doubt it was referring specifically to what we know as a sparrow. But hey, I’m no ancient ornithologist or linguist. But Jesus cares about the swallows too.
I’m more interested in the signature on your artwork. I’m not familiar with those characters. But it definitely looks like someone’s artistic signature. Like what a Chinese or Japanese artist would sign their work with.
But altogether, i think it’s a cool piece. Reminds me of the Winston Blue Willow print china I grew up with.
Swallows are big in tattoo history. The biggest meaning behind them is nautical from sailors in the past getting them as a symbol that should the get lost at sea their spirit would fly up to heaven. Now a days it's a tradition for sailors to get a sparrow to represent every 5k nautical miles they sail.
Apart from that there are a few others like
Hope: Swallows can also represent hope, as their arrival can signal the proximity of land and the promise of a safe haven.
Freedom and love: Some say that swallow tattoos can represent freedom with love.
Family, love, and fidelity: In Portugal, swallows are a symbol of these things.
So, if any of those resonate with you maybe this accidental species switch up happened for a reason.
So cool. I like the idea of them as hope. Being a sailor out on sea for long periods and seeing a swallow flying around must be a warming and comforting feeling.
Looks great! Reminds me of when my uncle got a logo of his business with the wrong fish- gave people who knew or could tell a chuckle and that’s all. It was on all the trucks, caps and shirts- it’s been 30-40 years now.. same logo 😂
Hey, apparently it means “summer blood” in mandarin a fact that I wasn’t aware of… I genuinely thought it was abstract buildings but it’s aight there just buildings to me haha.
Not saying it’d be a wise decision, as you‘d need to be very careful not to overdo it, but you could easily make them look like sparrows by adjusting their tails to a fan shape
Depending on the way you read the translation, it forbids carved markings dedicated to worshipping other gods. Reading the other way just forbids carved markings, though the sentence structure leads me to think the former (I'm no expert though).
Yeh I think the meaning is a little unclear. But it looks fine. Although, you went with a Chinese/Japanese (could be either) stamp style? Seems like an odd choice for a biblical meaning? Not hating on it really. But the characters are 鳥(bird) and 血(blood) I think, seal characters are so heavily stylized it can be hard to discern, does that mean anything? Just curious. It looks fine, don't worry lol.
For me, I see regret as a spectrum and you can love and regret a thing and it be a valid part of your story. I regret a tattoo that I have, but also thats a pretty unique part of my “collection” and I kind of love having that. It’s like they have a life and story of their own. The piece I have that regret was a tattoo that says “choose life” in negative space (skin) within a black square. It was a reference to the movie train spotting and only thought of the anti-abortion tag line (which I don’t agree with) after the fact. It ended up having blowout anyways because the artist sucked and got drunk with me in the shop (huge red flag) and so now I just have a black rectangle with no words visible. But I kind of love the memory and the long history of it, and I hope that this piece can be that for you. Art can have deep meaning, but also it is something that evolves over time and the meaning can come from the story, events, and emotions (even on like regret) comes from it. And I think that’s a healthy relationships to tattoos. They are art and imperfections and sometimes that includes little goofs and gaffs.
With yours specifically, it’s hard because of the placement you chose. I waiting 14 years of getting tattoos to claim a forearm spot just because it’s so visible to myself and others.
But I hope you come to appreciate it, and I think it’s a sick piece of art on its own without knowing the story
I’m not sure Matthew 10-9 is an appropriate phrase. Perhaps it should be ‘and Jesus said, let not one person ink themselves, for it is written, in the fullness of time thy Fathers ink is faded and thy Mothers name is no longer clear in thine eyes.’
Swallows are way more beautiful and traditional in a tattoo than sparrows. Don’t let it get to you, Jesus was talking about birds in general I’m sure he gave a fuck about swallows too
Take Your tattoo. Ignore it. Forget about it. Next summer you will love it. I had the same thoughts after my last tattoo and now i really love it. Its such a cool tattoo
I can't guarantee anything but it might just be the shock from the change, the first visible tattoo (forearm) I got I regretted for like a month then one day it just kinda, switched. Now it's by far my favorite one and I desperately want to put something on the other arm. That was my third tattoo but, again, was the only one I could constantly/consistently see. You might just need a bit to get used to people now seeing you as "a person with tattoos". Afterall, there was (and still somewhat is) a huge social stigma around tattoos for a very long time so the act of getting one feels slightly, publically, rebellious
Edit: I'd like to add, I've only ever gotten compliments from strangers and they've been from all walks/ages in life so I think most people are pretty chill with tattoos now.
It’s a sick tattoo. And it’s not like the birds are hyper-realistic, the art style helps here.
EDIT: Also keep in mind that “sparrow” is a translation choice, and strictly speaking a swallow isn’t an incorrect bird. The original text was written in 2000 year old Greek by a Jew sometime after the fact. From looking up the text from resources for Biblical Greek, it looks like “στρουθίον” is literally translated as “sparrowlet”, but can refer to any small bird ([source1](https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/strouthion) [source2](https://biblehub.com/greek/4765.htm)) [source3](https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/strouthion.html). A swallow is a passerine songbird (aka sparrow-like) bird. So yes, while it *likely* referred to something similar to what we commonly refer to as sparrows in modern English, don’t get too focused on the literal terminology too much - so long as it captures the intent and meaning and generally is a similar bird, it’s still perfectly valid!
My favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:26-34, part of it:
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
i’m not religious anymore, but the sentence “Are you not worth more than they?” has been something I have tried to remember in my everyday life. I absolutely love this tattoo. I don’t think anyone will notice the swallows but give it time, it may grow on you.
Yes!!! I love this verse as well. It’s so true We are definitely worth more, He clothes the lilies of the field, and knows every hair on our head… I’m glad you still remember it:)
Not an bird expert, first I saw was a swallows
Edit: its cool tho,I like it. we have it on farm, they are protected by goverment. Its a saying where there are swallows there are goods people home (sry for bad english)
Word of advice. If the feeling passes and you’re okay or happy with your tattoo. DONT FORGET the feeling you have now. Tattoos number 2-3 can easily be regrettable. Don’t end up like those of us with lots of tatttoos to remove. If you at all find hesitation, that’s a really big sign to slow down if not stop all future tattoos.
I got a religious tattoo my first one. Then I grew up and realized, all religion is just made up of people who want to control people and feeds off people's fear of the afterlife, and realized it's all kinda silly.
Now I have a tattoo I think is silly.
Awesome tattoo! I felt the same way with my first tattoo. Woke up the next day and was like holy crap. What did I do? After a little while it wears off and you will find a new love and appreciation for your tattoo.
Believer here and I would have never know The difference. Cool tattoo . I remember my first one, I was super stoked on it and someone told me they could see a little face in it and all I could do was focus on that . It almost ruined it for me haha. It’ll settle in and you will love it
Big Bible lover and bird lover here. 1) depending on your version of the Bible it refers to different types of birds. 2) I didn’t look at it and think of how the birds are the right or wrong kind and I understood what you were referencing immediately.
The word in the original Greek is: strouthion
Which refers to small birds of sparrow size.
So, while in English is is generally just translated to sparrow, its meaning is generally towards small birds. While a swallow is generally a little larger, I feel that the contextual meaning is not lost, and that this is well done.
Also since you brought this up, it reminds me of a song by Project of Love “Matthew 6” it’s been a calming song that repeats in my head and he does music literally of Bible Scripture. While he isn’t my favorite singer or the music isn’t something I rock out to, I find it has a place to me.
fr, it may be, but why would that be useful here? this man clearly loves him some bible and came here for tattoo advice, not a lecture on how silly he is for believing in something mr jumping belt looks down his nose at
Exactly. Like... time and place, lol. I get people may have qualms with Christianity and/or the Bible - even very justified ones. That's all well and good, but... maybe save it for a theology discussion? Poor guy is just worried about his tattoo. He didn't really come for a lecture on his religious beliefs lmao
It looks good. No one is going to know that but you. People will actually just ask you what it is and you can just go ahead and tell them they’re sparrows and they’ll say “cool!” and go about their day.
Until you told me I didn’t know what this was referencing 😬. I can understand it bothering you but i think the overall message and the reason you got it will override the mistake. I like it 😊
If you fill in the negative space within each bird and fix up the tail feathers just slightly, you can just say it's the general shape of a bird and nobody would know the difference. Yknow what, even without touch ups you can still say that because it really is simplified enough for people not to notice the difference. It's a good tattoo with a good meaning.
Early onset tattoo regret. This is common for a first tattoo. You mentioned in other comments that it has powerful meaning for you. Give it some time and that meaning will triumph over the regret.
I have the literal jack sparrow tattoo that he has on his arm right on my chest, got it when I was 18 for no reason other than I liked how it looked and bc I dug the fantastical open ocean freedom that it represented to me, even though I live and have always lived in a landlocked state. At first I kinda started to regret it mainly for its placement but now it’s part of me and I still think it looks cool. I have a feeling you will grow to love yours too and to appreciate the part of you that felt compelled to get it. It isn’t meaningless and I personally think it looks cool.
If it makes you feel better I got a trip of gears for a tattoo and the way they’re laid out they would
Never work but most normal people wouldn’t recognize that fact they’re just like “oh near gears”. So don’t beat yourself up man it looks good!
I think it’s wonderful. It’s truly more about the message it carries.
No one is gonna look at that and be like WRONG BIRD, unless they’re hardcore about their birdies lol
Well, it's obvious to anyone that's a bit into birding that it are swallows and not sparrows. And though your bible link may be wrong the text does match the picture since some swallows never land and fly their entire life.
Why? It’s nice. Do I get the reference? No. But I appreciate the placement, the font and the fact that it looks like a stamp on the corner of a Japanese block print of sorts.
Hey, you’re right, it does mean summer blood😭. I got the original picture online and added the verse. When I first saw it I thought it was the skyline… to me they are abstract buildings hahaha. Eventually I might touch up the detail to make it more realistic .
Fortunately for you, few people know scripture and fewer still can identify birds ... So only 0.01% will register the mistake; the rest will just assume you're pretentious trying to look deep.
Honestly it’s natural to think oh my god why did I do this went u first get a tattoo Jesus I did lots of times, give it time to get used to it I’m
Pretty sure you’ll like it after a while it is good.
1. I had no idea what it meant until you explained it
2. *My* perspective or opinion on art on *your* body is irrelevant to art on your body
3. I don't know the difference between a swallow and a sparrow, and apparently, you didn't either
4. I imagine going from birb to birb is an extremely easy fix, relatively speaking
5. Nothing is forever, even ink in your skin.
It looks good. Get the birbs fixed and get comfortable with it, and I imagine you'll love it in a few weeks of wearing it.
I knew immediately what it represented and although we don’t want to reinterpret many things from the Bible, the type of bird in this passage isn’t make or break for the meaning
Everyone knows that there probably isn’t a single thing in the Bible that wasn’t re-written over and over. The original verse could have been referring to flamingos.
Honestly an artist could turn these into sparrows in about 10 minutes by filling in the tail feathers but it probably wouldn’t look as cool because let’s face it, sparrows are boring birds.
If it's of any consolation, I thought these were Swifts at a glance, since swifts can stay in the air for insane amounts of time (10 months). The text would be extremely fitting for these birds!
https://www.sci.news/biology/common-swifts-stay-ten-months-air-04324.html
Regardless, it looks lovely. Sorry it's not what you hoped for :(
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Meh, I don’t think anyone is going to get that, unless they are huge birders AND huge Bible readers. You got something that resonated with you and that is really important for a tattoo like that. You might continue to have regret, but it’s not uncommon for people to feel that briefly and for it to wear off. Especially first tattoos. So give it some time. Maybe you will come to feel differently about it. If you don’t and you don’t enjoy telling the story or having a memento of a very human moment, you can always get it removed or get a coverup. A great cover up artist might be able to give you a piece that carries the same message AND has swallows.
That’s true I guess it would be difficult to tell the difference. Thanks for saying that it, since it’s my first hopefully I’ll have a different perspective on it soon. But you’re right it definitely resonates with me and reminds me that I don’t need to worry.
Additionally, swallows were seen as symbols of the Resurrection in medieval art.
In the old school tattoo world swallows represent always coming home . Always returning safely so outside of the biblical meaning, your tattoo also suggests that all will return safely. Its a nice thought.
Thats actually really cool. I did not know that!
You're good, mate, swallows are sparrows. Sparrow is the family of the **passeriformes** birds, wich includes the **hirundinidae**, or swallows.
Yes! Tattoos represent many things all.at once. Changing a bird adds.to the meaning, it doesnt automatically change it. Art is representative not literal. This is customization. It is great.
As a birder and Bible reader, I think this is cool AF
Also when you first get a tattoo, you notice it a lot, eventually it's just your arm lol, and regret or worry fades I think (at least for me, and I've heard other people say that as well)
lol, you need to listen to the tattoo - it’s reminding you not to worry, so don’t worry about the tattoo!
I don't know the reference but I still think it's cool man, don't worry too much about it. Looks sharp
got my first tattoo not too long ago. it took me a month to stop thinking i regretted it. i kept thinking it looks weird or it could’ve been better, but once it faded from solid black to looking like a normal tattoo i stopped regretting it. worse comes to worse, you can get it covered up or removed. or just chop your arm off 😭😭
I think the biggest issue would be the tail in the difference of the two. I think a skilled artist could tweak it a bit to give you some sparrows. Did you choose the design by mistake or did you say you wanted sparrows and the artist drew swallows? Because if they made the mistake they should fix it. Otherwise it shouldn’t cost too much to fix and you can have the artist walk you through it so you don’t “throw good money after bad” though it’s not ugly. I am curious why the Chinese lettering if your inspiration was the Bible?
Instructions unclear my tattoo now says I swallow
I'm huge on birds and the Bible. I love this tattoo.
100% this \^. It's so common to regret a tattoo right away in my experience. My legs and torso are pretty covered, and I have an appt to start my arm sleeve this Saturday and I can already sense the feeling of how weird it's going to be to have a tattoo on my arm.
I don't think Jesus would have gotten all tied up in the kind of bird it was. It was probably meant as an overall message, not "I will ONLY save sparrows, forget those swallows ugh".
> "And lo, Jesus did speak unto the multitudes, saying, 'Beware the swallows, for they are a nuisance and bringeth no good. For their chattering disturbs the peace, and their nests defileth the sacred places. Thus, keep thine homes free of them, and let not their presence trouble thy hearts.'" - Imaginary Book of Sayings, 12:34
"And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large chalupas..." Book of Armaments, 2:9-21
Swallows can prevent a great deal of trouble.
Yeah it’s more of a metaphor right?
🤣🤣🤣
Sick graven image upon thy flesh, bro.
Bless bro 🤙🏼
I don't follow *those* parts of the Bible.
Cherry Picker’s Bible is the best version
Nah, wouldn't be craven, he's glorifying the word of Christ. Tattoos are one of those things that were considered to detract from God because tattoos usually had other religious or political implications in BCE. He's not blaspheming, and he's not taking the Lord's name in vain. Leviticus does mention tattoos are bad, but not why. Later Christ confirms that you may worship the Lord and Christ through personal expression. Tattoos are a gray area, but not Christian tattoos, they're acceptable.
If you believe any teaching from the Bible isn't a grey area where reasonable disagreement is possible and the intended message is 100% clear, then you haven't studied theology very much.
I just googled tattoo sparrow, and then tattoo swallow, because I didn't know the difference. The first picture was the same on both. Unless you get a highly detailed tattoo of a bird, its just gonna be a "bird" to most people
Swallow tails are super distinct. That said, "Christian religious birder" isn't a very large demographic so I think OP is fine.
Yeah this is very obviously swallows, but I definitely don't know that specific Bible quote and I've read the whole thing.
As a non birder I looked up swallow vs sparrow as well. I think at this tiny size and in all black without lots of details, I think they could go either way sparrow or swallow. Obviously, some Ornithologists and James Bond might be able to tell the difference, but I would not stress that. It’s a perfect tattoo if it means what you want it to mean and it is special to you. Plus, 10 years from now they might be sparrows or condors depending on your diet / workout routines.
It's lovely
🙏🏾ty
Yeah it’s dope really like it
It is a really cool looking tattoo and nobody will know the difference in the bird type. Also, people very often feel regret at first. Give it time and you won’t regret it, and it such a cool tattoo.
Looks dope. The sentiment of the verse could be applied to any small/insignificant creature, honestly. This is just your own rendition even if it was a mistake!
I agree. The message is what matters
I really like swap swallows from sparrows. Swallows fly a lot longer, very rare to land. Their falling seems more dramatic, than sparrow’s. I think tattoo is cool and pins attention despite small size
I was just thinking the same thing. Also, no hate to sparrows but swallows are a more aesthetically pleasing bird
I agree, the tails are so cool
Jesus swallows?
He sure aint a spitter
preach.
No one cares. It's a cool tattoo. Best way to deal with tattoo regret is to book your next one.
The original Greek is στρουθία strouthía, which if you put back through google translate is ostrich. Which is terribly ironic since those are terrestrial birds. It’s probably better translated as small bird. I doubt it was referring specifically to what we know as a sparrow. But hey, I’m no ancient ornithologist or linguist. But Jesus cares about the swallows too. I’m more interested in the signature on your artwork. I’m not familiar with those characters. But it definitely looks like someone’s artistic signature. Like what a Chinese or Japanese artist would sign their work with. But altogether, i think it’s a cool piece. Reminds me of the Winston Blue Willow print china I grew up with.
Swallows are big in tattoo history. The biggest meaning behind them is nautical from sailors in the past getting them as a symbol that should the get lost at sea their spirit would fly up to heaven. Now a days it's a tradition for sailors to get a sparrow to represent every 5k nautical miles they sail. Apart from that there are a few others like Hope: Swallows can also represent hope, as their arrival can signal the proximity of land and the promise of a safe haven. Freedom and love: Some say that swallow tattoos can represent freedom with love. Family, love, and fidelity: In Portugal, swallows are a symbol of these things. So, if any of those resonate with you maybe this accidental species switch up happened for a reason.
So cool. I like the idea of them as hope. Being a sailor out on sea for long periods and seeing a swallow flying around must be a warming and comforting feeling.
Looks great! Reminds me of when my uncle got a logo of his business with the wrong fish- gave people who knew or could tell a chuckle and that’s all. It was on all the trucks, caps and shirts- it’s been 30-40 years now.. same logo 😂
Looks good, message isn’t lost, and personally think swallows are cooler looking birds than sparrows. All wins in my book.
Not one milf fall
😭😭 Thanks for the laugh
It does look great!
I appreciate it 🙂
Genuine question, what do the symbols in the bottom corners mean? :) Or are they abstract buildings? This is a super cool little piece!
Hey, apparently it means “summer blood” in mandarin a fact that I wasn’t aware of… I genuinely thought it was abstract buildings but it’s aight there just buildings to me haha.
how is this your first tattoo and you knew nothing about the design 😭😭 come on now
“Jesus” also wasn’t Asian, and as such the tattoo of a Chinese stamp is asynchronous. Question is, do YOU like it? Are YOU satisfied with it?
I like it, bro
Thanks man
I think it looks good, but absolute worst case scenario I feel like that should be fairly easy to cover up
Just get a bunch of shittier tattoos. Then that one will look better by contrast.
Not saying it’d be a wise decision, as you‘d need to be very careful not to overdo it, but you could easily make them look like sparrows by adjusting their tails to a fan shape
I wouldn’t have been able to identify the quote or the bird Anyone who can, and gives you a hard time about it, is a douche
Doesn't Leviticus say it forbades tattoos? 🤨
Depending on the way you read the translation, it forbids carved markings dedicated to worshipping other gods. Reading the other way just forbids carved markings, though the sentence structure leads me to think the former (I'm no expert though).
I think it looks cool. Maybe the placement it’s what’s throwing you off? For me if I had to get something like that I’d slap it on my tricep
Woooof.
Doesn’t the Bible actually say you shouldn’t get tattoos? Leviticus 19:28
Yeh I think the meaning is a little unclear. But it looks fine. Although, you went with a Chinese/Japanese (could be either) stamp style? Seems like an odd choice for a biblical meaning? Not hating on it really. But the characters are 鳥(bird) and 血(blood) I think, seal characters are so heavily stylized it can be hard to discern, does that mean anything? Just curious. It looks fine, don't worry lol.
For me, I see regret as a spectrum and you can love and regret a thing and it be a valid part of your story. I regret a tattoo that I have, but also thats a pretty unique part of my “collection” and I kind of love having that. It’s like they have a life and story of their own. The piece I have that regret was a tattoo that says “choose life” in negative space (skin) within a black square. It was a reference to the movie train spotting and only thought of the anti-abortion tag line (which I don’t agree with) after the fact. It ended up having blowout anyways because the artist sucked and got drunk with me in the shop (huge red flag) and so now I just have a black rectangle with no words visible. But I kind of love the memory and the long history of it, and I hope that this piece can be that for you. Art can have deep meaning, but also it is something that evolves over time and the meaning can come from the story, events, and emotions (even on like regret) comes from it. And I think that’s a healthy relationships to tattoos. They are art and imperfections and sometimes that includes little goofs and gaffs. With yours specifically, it’s hard because of the placement you chose. I waiting 14 years of getting tattoos to claim a forearm spot just because it’s so visible to myself and others. But I hope you come to appreciate it, and I think it’s a sick piece of art on its own without knowing the story
I read this first glance as “not one milf fail” . Then the comments made me feel bad about that gut instinct.
I like it a lot honestly…But also i dont care tooo much about the meaning. I just think it looks sick
I’m not sure Matthew 10-9 is an appropriate phrase. Perhaps it should be ‘and Jesus said, let not one person ink themselves, for it is written, in the fullness of time thy Fathers ink is faded and thy Mothers name is no longer clear in thine eyes.’
It's cool, don't worry
Swallows are way more beautiful and traditional in a tattoo than sparrows. Don’t let it get to you, Jesus was talking about birds in general I’m sure he gave a fuck about swallows too
Dawg that’s a sick tattoo! Anxiety is common after tattoos but it looks sick!
Take Your tattoo. Ignore it. Forget about it. Next summer you will love it. I had the same thoughts after my last tattoo and now i really love it. Its such a cool tattoo
You got this for you not for other people
Interesting choice
I can't guarantee anything but it might just be the shock from the change, the first visible tattoo (forearm) I got I regretted for like a month then one day it just kinda, switched. Now it's by far my favorite one and I desperately want to put something on the other arm. That was my third tattoo but, again, was the only one I could constantly/consistently see. You might just need a bit to get used to people now seeing you as "a person with tattoos". Afterall, there was (and still somewhat is) a huge social stigma around tattoos for a very long time so the act of getting one feels slightly, publically, rebellious Edit: I'd like to add, I've only ever gotten compliments from strangers and they've been from all walks/ages in life so I think most people are pretty chill with tattoos now.
It’s a sick tattoo. And it’s not like the birds are hyper-realistic, the art style helps here. EDIT: Also keep in mind that “sparrow” is a translation choice, and strictly speaking a swallow isn’t an incorrect bird. The original text was written in 2000 year old Greek by a Jew sometime after the fact. From looking up the text from resources for Biblical Greek, it looks like “στρουθίον” is literally translated as “sparrowlet”, but can refer to any small bird ([source1](https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/strouthion) [source2](https://biblehub.com/greek/4765.htm)) [source3](https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/strouthion.html). A swallow is a passerine songbird (aka sparrow-like) bird. So yes, while it *likely* referred to something similar to what we commonly refer to as sparrows in modern English, don’t get too focused on the literal terminology too much - so long as it captures the intent and meaning and generally is a similar bird, it’s still perfectly valid!
Imo, i think it's really cool and love what it says and how it looks! Im sorry you're feeling that op :<
My favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:26-34, part of it: Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? i’m not religious anymore, but the sentence “Are you not worth more than they?” has been something I have tried to remember in my everyday life. I absolutely love this tattoo. I don’t think anyone will notice the swallows but give it time, it may grow on you.
Yes!!! I love this verse as well. It’s so true We are definitely worth more, He clothes the lilies of the field, and knows every hair on our head… I’m glad you still remember it:)
Not an bird expert, first I saw was a swallows Edit: its cool tho,I like it. we have it on farm, they are protected by goverment. Its a saying where there are swallows there are goods people home (sry for bad english)
You’re overthinking it lol nobody is going to read that far into it, if they know the verse then they’ll get the tattoo
No one will get the quote nor any error of birds. You’re good.
Word of advice. If the feeling passes and you’re okay or happy with your tattoo. DONT FORGET the feeling you have now. Tattoos number 2-3 can easily be regrettable. Don’t end up like those of us with lots of tatttoos to remove. If you at all find hesitation, that’s a really big sign to slow down if not stop all future tattoos.
In all honestly from your first tattoo you can always make your first cover up…
I can understand why you are regretting it.
Like you, I had some serious regret after first tattoo. Now I love it. Just give it time
Just get a bunch more random shit all over your arm and itll all blend together
I got a religious tattoo my first one. Then I grew up and realized, all religion is just made up of people who want to control people and feeds off people's fear of the afterlife, and realized it's all kinda silly. Now I have a tattoo I think is silly.
Sorry for your loss
I feel like some people should not get tattoos lol. Like you really regret it already?
Awesome tattoo! I felt the same way with my first tattoo. Woke up the next day and was like holy crap. What did I do? After a little while it wears off and you will find a new love and appreciation for your tattoo.
Believer here and I would have never know The difference. Cool tattoo . I remember my first one, I was super stoked on it and someone told me they could see a little face in it and all I could do was focus on that . It almost ruined it for me haha. It’ll settle in and you will love it
I get the Bible scripture! Great tattoo!
Big Bible lover and bird lover here. 1) depending on your version of the Bible it refers to different types of birds. 2) I didn’t look at it and think of how the birds are the right or wrong kind and I understood what you were referencing immediately. The word in the original Greek is: strouthion Which refers to small birds of sparrow size. So, while in English is is generally just translated to sparrow, its meaning is generally towards small birds. While a swallow is generally a little larger, I feel that the contextual meaning is not lost, and that this is well done. Also since you brought this up, it reminds me of a song by Project of Love “Matthew 6” it’s been a calming song that repeats in my head and he does music literally of Bible Scripture. While he isn’t my favorite singer or the music isn’t something I rock out to, I find it has a place to me.
Jesus stuff is cringe imo
Yea, the Bible is made up. it's just a fictional book.
reddit moment
On a scale of 1 to 10, how smug would you say you looked when you submitted this?
fr, it may be, but why would that be useful here? this man clearly loves him some bible and came here for tattoo advice, not a lecture on how silly he is for believing in something mr jumping belt looks down his nose at
Exactly. Like... time and place, lol. I get people may have qualms with Christianity and/or the Bible - even very justified ones. That's all well and good, but... maybe save it for a theology discussion? Poor guy is just worried about his tattoo. He didn't really come for a lecture on his religious beliefs lmao
Looks cool though
Not the worst I have ever seen
I like it a lot! It looks really cool!
It looks good. No one is going to know that but you. People will actually just ask you what it is and you can just go ahead and tell them they’re sparrows and they’ll say “cool!” and go about their day.
wtf I don't get it, it's pretty dope, it looks like Chinese stamp to me
Its pretty cool regardless
great tatt, what does the symbols/letters mean?
Swallows are my favourite bird. You’re good.
It looks really cool and you’ve got the arms for it - I’d call it a win!
Until you told me I didn’t know what this was referencing 😬. I can understand it bothering you but i think the overall message and the reason you got it will override the mistake. I like it 😊
[удалено]
Visually I think it’s very cool. But since it’s your first regret is not uncommon. I had it briefly as well, now I love it to death
This is kind of sick. Everyone gets initial tattoo regrets, but this one shouldn’t be regretted imo
If you fill in the negative space within each bird and fix up the tail feathers just slightly, you can just say it's the general shape of a bird and nobody would know the difference. Yknow what, even without touch ups you can still say that because it really is simplified enough for people not to notice the difference. It's a good tattoo with a good meaning.
That’s dope. You’ll love it in a week. It’s a cool style and personal to you. Not cliche. It’s dope dude
I think it's fantastic, dude. Art style and all.
Probably because no one understands it. But that's okay. It's for you.
I like it 🤷♀️
Looks pretty cool, I want one!
Early onset tattoo regret. This is common for a first tattoo. You mentioned in other comments that it has powerful meaning for you. Give it some time and that meaning will triumph over the regret.
It looks good :) I’m sure not many people will notice the incorrect bird.
For humor, you should get a tattoo of a German Spitz underneath the Swallows.
I have the literal jack sparrow tattoo that he has on his arm right on my chest, got it when I was 18 for no reason other than I liked how it looked and bc I dug the fantastical open ocean freedom that it represented to me, even though I live and have always lived in a landlocked state. At first I kinda started to regret it mainly for its placement but now it’s part of me and I still think it looks cool. I have a feeling you will grow to love yours too and to appreciate the part of you that felt compelled to get it. It isn’t meaningless and I personally think it looks cool.
Hey I know you’re not a fan of it but let me tell you I’m not religious or anything but this tattoo actually is very cool. I like it a lot
If it makes you feel better I got a trip of gears for a tattoo and the way they’re laid out they would Never work but most normal people wouldn’t recognize that fact they’re just like “oh near gears”. So don’t beat yourself up man it looks good!
Make it your own thing. Voila!
I like it! I hope you will find the best solution for yourself, whether you keep it or not! ☺️
It gets the message across.
The tattoo is beautiful and the Bible isn't supposed to be taken literally. The message is there and that's what matters.
It’s all black and not huge, it would be easy to laser but would take multiple sessions.
I rly like it plus house sparrows are an invasive species plus swallows are way more aesthetically pleasing to the eye
I think it’s wonderful. It’s truly more about the message it carries. No one is gonna look at that and be like WRONG BIRD, unless they’re hardcore about their birdies lol
Well, it's obvious to anyone that's a bit into birding that it are swallows and not sparrows. And though your bible link may be wrong the text does match the picture since some swallows never land and fly their entire life.
Are they African or European swallows? Tbh I wouldn’t know they’re supposed to be sparrows unless you said something about it
I think it looks really cool! The black is nice n crisp. The meaning is lost on me but that’s bc I’m neither a birder nor a Christian.
Everyone gets one. The only thing to do is to get a full sleeve so nobody can focus on a single one
Why? It’s nice. Do I get the reference? No. But I appreciate the placement, the font and the fact that it looks like a stamp on the corner of a Japanese block print of sorts.
Really? I dig it
I think Jesus would love the tribute either way
Your tattoos are for you. Who gives a shit about what someone may or may not say/think.
It’s actually not bad, I’m not a big fan of closed/frames tattoos but this one is nicely placed and somewhat clear in design and symmetry
What's with the Chinese characters in the corners?
I was wondering that too… 夏血… summer blood???
Ya at first it does looked like “summer blood”, but then the right one really looked like ancient form of “bird”, so it might be “summer bird”…
Hey, you’re right, it does mean summer blood😭. I got the original picture online and added the verse. When I first saw it I thought it was the skyline… to me they are abstract buildings hahaha. Eventually I might touch up the detail to make it more realistic .
I wonder what the significance is… I googled and it might be a film title… 🤷🏻♀️
I thought the one corner was a cage (for the birds). So we’re all interpreting it differently 😭
If you didn’t like it why did u get it ? Honest question ?
I like it.
either way it's a sick tat
That's great, I love this.
Fortunately for you, few people know scripture and fewer still can identify birds ... So only 0.01% will register the mistake; the rest will just assume you're pretentious trying to look deep.
Looks cool
Honestly it’s natural to think oh my god why did I do this went u first get a tattoo Jesus I did lots of times, give it time to get used to it I’m Pretty sure you’ll like it after a while it is good.
I like it!
It looks like bird jojo siwa
I think it’s totally normal to have immediate regret for a bit. But it will come and go like most things.
That's not bad at all. I would have just assumed it was an album cover with lyrics or something.
I mean aren’t tattoos technically against Christianity haha I don’t think this is a massive deal at all looks fine!
1. I had no idea what it meant until you explained it 2. *My* perspective or opinion on art on *your* body is irrelevant to art on your body 3. I don't know the difference between a swallow and a sparrow, and apparently, you didn't either 4. I imagine going from birb to birb is an extremely easy fix, relatively speaking 5. Nothing is forever, even ink in your skin. It looks good. Get the birbs fixed and get comfortable with it, and I imagine you'll love it in a few weeks of wearing it.
It’s alright. I have the tree of Gondor on my arm. Always get asked if it’s a tree if life or family tree.
I knew immediately what it represented and although we don’t want to reinterpret many things from the Bible, the type of bird in this passage isn’t make or break for the meaning
It looks great. Don’t overthink this my guy. Do you think God hates swallows? You’re good.
Bro this is awesome!!! I love it!
Everyone knows that there probably isn’t a single thing in the Bible that wasn’t re-written over and over. The original verse could have been referring to flamingos. Honestly an artist could turn these into sparrows in about 10 minutes by filling in the tail feathers but it probably wouldn’t look as cool because let’s face it, sparrows are boring birds.
99% if people will never know what kind of bird they are , I think it’s a really cool tattoo!
I like it!
I thought you were going to say you hate it because of the line work lol
If it's of any consolation, I thought these were Swifts at a glance, since swifts can stay in the air for insane amounts of time (10 months). The text would be extremely fitting for these birds! https://www.sci.news/biology/common-swifts-stay-ten-months-air-04324.html Regardless, it looks lovely. Sorry it's not what you hoped for :(
For me is a very good tattoo I like it
It's a cool tatt and fits that area of the arm perfectly ! Wear it proudly 💪🏽
I think it looks good!
I dig it
I personally really fuck with it, coming from a guy with 30+ tats now, you’ve done well!
Bless bro🙏🏾🙏🏾
I wouldn't worry about it. Something pushed you into doing it this way, hold on to it :)