Complete Bible Study Guide

What Does the Bible Say About Childlessness?

16 Scripture references with full text and commentary

Understanding Childlessness in the Bible

Discover 10 powerful Bible verses about childlessness. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential love & relationships topic.

16
Total Verses
12
Old Testament
4
New Testament

Top 10 Verses About Childlessness

  1. 1
    Genesis 16:2
    And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. obtain: Heb. be built by her
    KJV
  2. 2
    Genesis 29:32
    And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. Reuben: that is, See a son
    KJV
  3. 3
    Genesis 30:1
    And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
    KJV
  4. 4
    Genesis 30:2
    And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
    KJV
  5. 5
    Genesis 30:3
    And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. have: Heb. be built by her
    KJV
  6. 6
    Genesis 30:13
    And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher. Happy: Heb. In my happiness Asher: that is, Happy
    KJV
  7. 7
    Leviticus 20:21
    And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. an: Heb. a separation
    KJV
  8. 8
    Psalms 5:4
    For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
    KJV
  9. 9
    Psalms 127:3
    Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
    KJV
  10. 10
    Isaiah 4:1
    And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. let: Heb. let thy name be called upon us to take: or, take thou away
    KJV

Subtopics of Childlessness

A reproach

Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Childlessness? (12 Verses)

And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. obtain: Heb. be built by her
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. Reuben: that is, See a son
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. have: Heb. be built by her
And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher. Happy: Heb. In my happiness Asher: that is, Happy
And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. an: Heb. a separation
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. let: Heb. let thy name be called upon us to take: or, take thou away
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.

New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Childlessness? (4 Verses)

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

How to Study What the Bible Says About Childlessness

  1. 1

    Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.

  2. 2

    Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about childlessness. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.

  3. 3

    Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.

  4. 4

    Memorise at least one key verse about childlessness and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.

Practical Application

Studying what the Bible says about childlessness is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:

  • Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on childlessness needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.

  • Share what you have learned about childlessness with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.

  • Pray through the key verses about childlessness, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.

How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Childlessness?

You have studied 16 verses about childlessness. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about childlessness?
Discover 10 powerful Bible verses about childlessness. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential love & relationships topic. The Bible contains 16 key verses about childlessness spanning both Old and New Testaments.
How many Bible verses about childlessness are there?
There are 16 key Bible verses about childlessness compiled in this study guide, drawn from books across both the Old and New Testaments.
What is the best verse about childlessness?
One of the most well-known and frequently cited verses about childlessness is Genesis 16:2 — "And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children..."
Where in the Bible does it talk about childlessness?
Childlessness is discussed throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. You can find 16 references to this topic across multiple books including the Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles.

Continue Studying Childlessness

Topics Included

This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics:

childlessness