'Children' in the Bible

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.

“A voice was heard in Ramah,Weeping and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children;And she refused to be comforted,Because they were no more.”

and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,

There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant

asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”

And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,

but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.

But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.

and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.”

For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’

When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.”

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also.

Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—

This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

For it is written,“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;For more numerous are the children of the desolateThan of the one who has a husband.”

And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.

So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,

But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity

Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.

but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;

namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

And again,“I will put My trust in Him.”And again,“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.