Animals

Animals appear from the first chapter of the Bible. This page lists verses on animals created by God, God's care for animals, treatment of animals, human dominion, lessons from animals, and peace among animals.

Created by God

• Genesis 1:24-25
  ²⁴And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. ²⁵And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
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• Genesis 2:19-20
  ¹⁹And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. ²⁰And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
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• Psalm 50:10-11
  ¹⁰For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. ¹¹I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
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God's care for animals

• Psalm 104:21
  The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
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• Psalm 145:15-16
  ¹⁵The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. ¹⁶Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
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• Psalm 147:9
  He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
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• Job 38:41
  Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
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• Matthew 6:26
  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?
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• Luke 12:6
  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
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Treatment of animals

• Proverbs 12:10
  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
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• Deuteronomy 25:4
  Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
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• Exodus 23:12
  Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
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• Exodus 23:4-5
  ⁴If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. ⁵If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
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• Deuteronomy 22:4
  Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
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Human dominion

• Genesis 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.
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• Genesis 9:2-3
  ²And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. ³Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
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• Psalm 8:6-8
  ⁶Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: ⁷All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; ⁸The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
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Lessons from animals

• Proverbs 6:6-8
  ⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: ⁷Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, ⁸Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
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• Job 12:7-10
  ⁷But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: ⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. ⁹Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? ¹⁰In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
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• Proverbs 30:24-28
  ²⁴There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: ²⁵The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; ²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; ²⁷The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; ²⁸The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
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Peace among animals

• Isaiah 11:6-9
  ⁶The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. ⁷And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ⁸And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. ⁹They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
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• Isaiah 65:25
  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.
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See also

• Creation
• Stewardship of creation

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.