15 Bible Verses about Barrenness
Most Relevant Verses
A fruitful land maketh he barren, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
Again, as for him of the North, I shall drive him far from you: and shoot him out into a dry and waste land, his face toward the east sea, and his hinder parts toward the utmost sea. The stink of him shall go up, and his filthy corruption shall fall upon himself, because he hath dealt so proudly."
He put forth this similitude, "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, 'Behold, this three years have I come and sought fruit in this fig tree, and find none. Cut it down. Why cumbereth it the ground?' And he answered and said unto him, 'Lord let it alone this year also, till I dig round about it, and dung it,read more.
to see whether it will bear fruit: and if it bear not, then after that, cut it down.'"
There be three things that are never satisfied, and the fourth sayeth never, "Hoo." The hell, a woman's womb, and the earth hath never water enough. As for fire, it sayeth never, "Hoo."
Wherefore she said unto Abram, "Behold the LORD hath closed me, that I can not bear. I pray thee go in unto my maid, peradventure I shall be multiplied by means of her." And Abram heard the voice of Sarai.
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
"Moreover there shall be no woman childless or unfruitful in thy land, and the number of thy days I will fulfill.
Thou shalt be blessed above all nations; there shall be neither man nor woman unfruitful among you, nor anything unfruitful among your cattle.
Which maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise the everlasting! Hallelujah!
Therefore be glad now, thou barren that bearest not. Rejoice, sing and be merry, thou that art not with child: For the desolate hath more children, than the married wife, sayeth the LORD.
For it is written, "Rejoice thou barren, that bearest no children: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not. For the desolate hath many more children, than she which hath a husband."
From Thematic Bible
Barrenness » Barrenness of soil as a result of sin
For when thou tillest the ground she shall henceforth not give her power unto thee. A vagabond and a renegade shalt thou be upon the earth."
And so your labour shall be spent in vain. For your land shall not give her increase, neither the trees of the land shall give their fruits.
and then the wrath of the LORD wax hot upon you and shut up the heaven that there be no rain and that your land yield not her fruit, and that ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
And ten acres of vines shall give but a quart, and thirty bushels of seed shall give but an ephah.
They have sown wind, therefore shall they reap a whirlwind. Their seed shall bear no corn, there shall no meal be made of their increase: though they reap, yet shall strangers devour it up.
Barrenness » A reproach
And God remembered Rachel, heard her, and made her fruitful: so that she conceived and bare a son, and said, "God hath taken away my rebuke."
And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren. And so did she year by year, as oft as she went up to the house of the LORD. And so chafed her: wherefore Hannah wept and ate not.
And Hannah prayed and said, "Mine heart rejoiceth in the LORD. Mine horn is high in the LORD and my mouth is wide open over mine enemies, for I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none so holy as the LORD: no, there is none save thou. Neither is there any strength like unto our God. Let go your great boasting of high things, let go out of your mouth that old byword: for the LORD is a God that knoweth all things, and judgeth the thoughts. read more.
The bows of the strong are broken: and the weak are endued with strength. They that were full, have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry cease so to be: insomuch that the barren hath borne seven, and she that had many children is waxed feeble. The LORD killeth and maketh alive; bringeth down to hell and fetcheth up again. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich; bringeth low, and heaveth up on high. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill: to set them among princes, and to inherit them with the seat of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the round world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints but the wicked shall keep silence in darkness. For in his own might shall no man be strong. The LORD's adversaries shall be made to fear him: and out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give might unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed." And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house, and the lad did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
Then shall seven wives take hold of one man, and say, "We will lay all our meat and clothing together in common, only that we may be called thy wives, and that this shameful reproof may be taken from us."
"This wise hath God dealt with me, in the days when he looked on me, to take from me the rebuke that I suffered among men."
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Sarai
And God said unto Abraham, "Sarai, thy wife, shall no more be called Sarai: but Sara shall her name be. For I will bless her and give thee a son of her; and will bless her so that people, yea and kings of people, shall spring of her." And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sara, that is ninety years old, bear?" read more.
And Abraham said unto God, "O that Ishmael might live in thy sight!" Then said God, "Nay. Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac. And I will make my covenant with him, that it shall be an everlasting covenant unto his seed after him. And as concerning Ishmael also, I have heard thy request: lo, I will bless him and increase him, and multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make a great nation of him. But my covenant will I make with Isaac, which Sara shall bear unto thee: even this time, twelve month."
Barrenness » Sent as a judgment
And so Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidens, so that they bare. For the LORD had closed to all the matrices of the house of Abimelech, because of Sara, Abraham's wife.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Hannah
And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren. And so did she year by year, as oft as she went up to the house of the LORD. And so chafed her: wherefore Hannah wept and ate not. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, "Hannah why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thine heart so troubled? Am not I better to thee, than ten sons?" read more.
Then Hannah rose up after that they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And Eli the priest sat upon a stool by one of the side posts of the temple of the LORD. And she was troubled in her spirits, and prayed unto the LORD and wept sore, and vowed a vow and said, "LORD of Hosts, if thou wilt look on the wretchedness of thine handmaid and shalt remember me and not forget thine handmaid, and shalt give unto thine handmaid a man child I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life and there shall neither razor or shears come upon his head." And as she continued praying before the LORD, Eli marked her mouth - For Hannah, she spake in her heart; and her lips did but move only, but her voice was not heard. And therefore Eli took her for drunken, and said unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away from thee the wine that thou hast." Hannah answered, and said, "Not so, my lord. I am a woman sorrowful in mine heart, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid to be like a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my meditation and grief have I spoken hitherto." Eli answered, and said, "Go in peace, the God of Israel shall grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him." Then she said, "Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight." And so the woman went her way, and did eat and looked no more so sad. And they rose up early and bowed themselves before the LORD, and then returned and went to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah lay by his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. And in process of time she conceived and bare a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of the LORD.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Elisabeth
In the time of Herod, the king of Jewry, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron: And her name was Elizabeth. Both were perfect before God, and walked in all the laws and ordinances of the Lord, that no man could find fault with them. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren; And both were well stricken in age. read more.
And it came to pass, as he executed the priest's office before God as his course came, according to the custom of the priest's office his lot was to burn incense. And he went into the temple of the Lord, and the whole multitude of the people were without, in their prayers, while the incense was a burning. And there appeared unto him, an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was abashed, and fear came on him. And the angel said unto him, "Fear not Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard: And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: And thou shalt have joy and gladness: And many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the holy ghost, even in his mother's womb: and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to their Lord God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the unbelievers to the wisdom of the just men: to make the people ready for the Lord." And Zacharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know this? Seeing that I am old, and my wife well stricken in years." And the angel answered, and said unto him, "I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee: and to show thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak until the time that these things be performed, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them. Whereby they perceived, that he had seen some vision in the temple. And he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it fortuned, as soon as the time of his office was out, he departed home into his own house. And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, "This wise hath God dealt with me, in the days when he looked on me, to take from me the rebuke that I suffered among men."
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Rebecca
And Isaac made intercession unto the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Manoah's wife
Deserts » Illustrative of » Barrenness
He rebuked the reed sea, and it was dried up: so he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness.
Again, he maketh the wilderness a standing water, and watersprings of a dry ground.
Topics on Barrenness
Attitudes To Barrenness
Proverbs 30:16There be three things that are never satisfied, and the fourth sayeth never, "Hoo." The hell, a woman's womb, and the earth hath never water enough. As for fire, it sayeth never, "Hoo."
Barrenness, Examples Of
Genesis 21:2And Sara was with child and bare Abraham a son in his old age, even the same season which the LORD had appointed.
Reasons For Barrenness
Genesis 17:17And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sara, that is ninety years old, bear?"