Pregnancy and babies

Pregnancy and babies are gifts of the Lord: children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. God forms each child in the womb and knows them before birth, and parents brought their children to be presented and dedicated to the Lord.

Children are 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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• 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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• 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 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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Formed in the womb

• Psalm 139:13-16
  ¹³For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. ¹⁵My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
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• Jeremiah 1:5
  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
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• Job 10:10-12
  ¹⁰Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese? ¹¹Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. ¹²Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.
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• Ecclesiastes 11:5
  As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 11 →

Pregnancy and birth

• Genesis 3:16
  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
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• John 16:21
  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
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• Luke 1:41-44
  ⁴¹And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
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• Luke 2:6-7
  ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
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Dedicating a child to the Lord

• 1 Samuel 1:27-28
  ²⁷For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, ²⁸Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
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• Luke 2:22
  And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
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• Mark 10:13-16
  ¹³And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.
  Show context · Read Mark 10 →

Upheld from the womb

• Psalm 22:9-10
  ⁹But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast. ¹⁰I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.
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• Psalm 71:6
  By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You.
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• Isaiah 46:3-4
  ³Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. ⁴And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.
  Show context · Read Isaiah 46 →

See also

• Children
• Mothers
• Parenting
• Abortion
• Infertility

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.