15 Bible Verses about Barrenness
Most Relevant Verses
A fruitful land into a plain of salt, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
And I will remove far off from you him that cometh from the north, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, his face toward the eastern sea, and his rear toward the hinder sea; and his stench shall come up, and his ill odour shall come up, for he hath exalted himself to do great things.
And he spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit upon it and did not find any. And he said to the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree and find none: cut it down; why does it also render the ground useless? But he answering says to him, Sir, let it alone for this year also, until I shall dig about it and put dung,read more.
and if it shall bear fruit but if not, after that thou shalt cut it down.
Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. Go in, I pray thee, to my maidservant: it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land; the number of thy days will I fulfil.
Thou shalt be blessed above all the peoples; there shall not be male or female barren with thee, or with thy cattle;
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, as a joyful mother of sons. Hallelujah!
Exult, thou barren, that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and shout for joy, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah.
For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break out and cry, thou that travailest not; because the children of the desolate are more numerous than those of her that has a husband.
From Thematic Bible
Barrenness » Barrenness of soil as a result of sin
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield thee its strength; a wanderer and fugitive shalt thou be on the earth.
and your strength shall be spent in vain, and your land shall not yield its produce; and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.
and Jehovah's wrath kindle against you, and he shut up the heavens, that there be no rain, and that the ground yield not its produce, and ye perish quickly from off the good land which Jehovah is giving you.
Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah.
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; should it sprout, it would yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
Barrenness » A reproach
And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, God has taken away my reproach.
And her adversary provoked her much also, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, as often as she went up to the house of Jehovah, she provoked her thus; and she wept and did not eat.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exulteth in Jehovah, my horn is lifted up in Jehovah; my mouth is opened wide over mine enemies; for I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like our God. Do not multiply your words of pride, let not vain-glory come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. read more.
The bow of the mighty is broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and the hungry are so no more: Even the barren beareth seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low, also he lifteth up: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy, To set him among nobles; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory; For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, and he hath set the world upon them. He keepeth the feet of his saints, but the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; in the heavens will he thunder upon them. Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the boy ministered to Jehovah in the presence of Eli the priest.
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own garments will we be clothed; only let us be called by thy name; take away our reproach!
Thus has the Lord done to me in these days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Sarai
And God said to Abraham, As to Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son also of her; and I will bless her, and she shall become nations: kings of peoples shall be of her. And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear? read more.
And Abraham said to God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall indeed bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him, for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. And for Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will very greatly multiply him; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year.
Barrenness » Sent as a judgment
And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife and his handmaids, and they bore children. For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Hannah
And her adversary provoked her much also, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, as often as she went up to the house of Jehovah, she provoked her thus; and she wept and did not eat. And Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons? read more.
And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk; (now Eli the priest sat upon the seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah;) and she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Jehovah, and wept much. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; and Eli thought she was drunken. And Eli said to her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before Jehovah. Take not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my grief and provocation have I spoken hitherto. And Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thy bondwoman find grace in thy sight. And the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more as before. And they rose up early in the morning and worshipped before Jehovah, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her. And it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of Jehovah.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Elisabeth
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. read more.
And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled, seeing him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to the thoughts of just men, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people. And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years? And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee; and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple. But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb. And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house. Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus has the Lord done to me in these days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Rebecca
And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren; and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Manoah's wife
Deserts » Illustrative of » Barrenness
And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; and he led them through the deeps as through a wilderness.
He maketh the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into water-springs;
Topics on Barrenness
Attitudes To Barrenness
Proverbs 30:16Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.
Barrenness, Examples Of
Genesis 21:2And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
Reasons For Barrenness
Genesis 17:17And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?