Complete Bible Study Guide
What Does the Bible Say About Taking Care Of Animals?
19 Scripture references with full text and commentary
Understanding Taking Care Of Animals in the Bible
Discover 19 powerful Bible verses about taking care of animals. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential life circumstances topic.
Top 10 Verses About Taking Care Of Animals
- 1Genesis 1:26
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
KJV - 2Genesis 1:28
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. moveth: Heb. creepeth”
KJV - 3Genesis 2:15
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. the man: or, Adam”
KJV - 4Genesis 9:1
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
KJV - 5Exodus 20:10
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:”
KJV - 6Exodus 23:4
“If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.”
KJV - 7Exodus 23:11
“But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. oliveyard: or, olive trees”
KJV - 8Deuteronomy 22:6
“If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:”
KJV - 9Deuteronomy 25:4
“Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. treadeth: Heb. thresheth”
KJV - 10Job 12:7
“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:”
KJV
Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Taking Care Of Animals? (15 Verses)
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. moveth: Heb. creepeth”
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. the man: or, Adam”
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:”
“If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.”
“But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. oliveyard: or, olive trees”
“If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:”
“Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. treadeth: Heb. thresheth”
“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:”
“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
“He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.”
“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. tender: or, bowels”
“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. look: Heb. set thy heart”
“And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”
New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Taking Care Of Animals? (4 Verses)
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. farthing: it is in value halfpenny farthing in the original, as being the tenth part of the Roman penny”
“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?”
“For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind : kind: Gr. nature mankind: Gr. nature of man”
How to Study What the Bible Says About Taking Care Of Animals
- 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 taking care of animals. 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 taking care of animals 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 taking care of animals 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 taking care of animals needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.
Share what you have learned about taking care of animals 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 taking care of animals, 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 Taking Care Of Animals?
You have studied 19 verses about taking care of animals. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.