Complete Bible Study Guide
What Does the Bible Say About Infanticide?
18 Scripture references with full text and commentary
Understanding Infanticide in the Bible
What does the Bible say about infanticide? Browse 20 carefully selected verses that illuminate this biblical theme.
Top 10 Verses About Infanticide
- 1Exodus 1:15
“And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:”
KJV - 2Exodus 1:16
“And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.”
KJV - 3Exodus 12:29
“And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon ; and all the firstborn of cattle. dungeon: Heb. house of the pit”
KJV - 4
- 5Numbers 31:17
“Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. him: Heb. a male”
KJV - 6Psalms 135:8
“Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. both: Heb. from man unto beast”
KJV - 7
- 8Psalms 137:8
“O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. destroyed: Heb. wasted rewardeth: Heb. recompenseth unto thee thy deed which thou didst to us”
KJV - 9Psalms 137:9
“Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. the stones: Heb. the rock”
KJV - 10Isaiah 13:16
“Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished .”
KJV
Subtopics of Infanticide
Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Infanticide? (14 Verses)
“And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:”
“And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.”
“And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon ; and all the firstborn of cattle. dungeon: Heb. house of the pit”
“Thou shalt not kill.”
“Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. him: Heb. a male”
“Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. both: Heb. from man unto beast”
“To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:”
“O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. destroyed: Heb. wasted rewardeth: Heb. recompenseth unto thee thy deed which thou didst to us”
“Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. the stones: Heb. the rock”
“Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished .”
“Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.”
“As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.”
“Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.”
“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: ripped: or, divided the mountains”
New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Infanticide? (4 Verses)
“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.”
“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,”
“In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”
“The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.”
How to Study What the Bible Says About Infanticide
- 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
Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about infanticide. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.
- 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
Memorise at least one key verse about infanticide 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 infanticide 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 infanticide needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.
Share what you have learned about infanticide 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 infanticide, 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 Infanticide?
You have studied 18 verses about infanticide. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.
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Topics Included
This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics: