Birth control

Birth control is not named in the Bible, and Christian traditions differ on it. Some hold that married love must remain open to children, citing the command to be fruitful and the account of Onan, while others hold that contraception is permitted within marriage, citing marital intimacy that is not tied to conception.

Be fruitful and multiply

• Genesis 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.God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
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• Genesis 9:1
  And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
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Children a gift

• Psalm 127:3-5
  ³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. ⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. ⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
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• Psalm 128:3
  Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.
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• Genesis 33:5
  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
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God opens and closes the womb

• Genesis 29:31
  And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
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• Genesis 30:22
  And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,
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• 1 Samuel 1:5-6
  ⁵But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb. ⁶And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.
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Onan

• Genesis 38:8-10
  ⁸And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.” ⁹And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. ¹⁰And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
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• Deuteronomy 25:5-6
  ⁵If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. ⁶And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
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Intimacy within marriage

• 1 Corinthians 7:3-5
  ³Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife. ⁵Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack of self-control.
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• Proverbs 5:18-19
  ¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: ¹⁹Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.A loving doe, a graceful fawn— may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
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• Hebrews 13:4
  Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
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See also

• Children
• Marriage
• Sex
• Abortion
• Parenting

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.