13 Bible Verses about Childlessness

But Sarai was barren; she did not have a child.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not borne him any children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See here, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. I am asking you to go in to [the bed of] my maid [so that she may bear you a child]; perhaps I will obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to Sarai and did as she said.

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was unable to conceive children; and the Lord granted his prayer and Rebekah his wife conceived [twins].

Now when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He made her able to bear children, but Rachel was barren.

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was infertile and had no children. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are infertile and have no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.

He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children. Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly, to irritate and embarrass her, because the Lord had left her childless.

He makes the barren woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

“Shout for joy, O barren one, she who has not given birth;
Break forth into joyful shouting and rejoice, she who has not gone into labor [with child]!
For the [spiritual] sons of the desolate one will be more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.

But they were childless, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both far advanced in years.

And listen, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have never nursed.’