15 Bible Verses about Barrenness
Most Relevant Verses
A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell in it.
But I will remove far from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea, and his odious scent shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things.
He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit on it, and found none. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering, said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:read more.
And if it shall bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold, now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death.
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: I will complete the number of thy days.
Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband.
From Thematic Bible
Barrenness » Barrenness of soil as a result of sin
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield to thee its strength: A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.
And then the LORD'S wrath shall be kindled against you, and he shall shut up the heaven, that there shall be no rain, and the land shall not yield her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
Yes, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if it shall yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
Barrenness » A reproach
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and rendered her fruitful. And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
And her adversary also provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because the LORD had made her barren. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. read more.
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is become feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days in which he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Sarai
And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also by her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall proceed from her. Then Abraham fell upon 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, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; 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 set time in the next year.
Barrenness » Sent as a judgment
So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, and they bore children. For the LORD had made barren all the females of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Hannah
And her adversary also provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because the LORD had made her barren. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband 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.
So Hannah rose after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give to thy handmaid a male child, then I will give him to the LORD 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 the LORD, that Eli observed her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been 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 drank neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose in the morning early, and worshiped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time had arrived, after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Elisabeth
There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were far advanced in years. read more.
And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priests' office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priests' office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth 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 drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife far advanced in years. And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and secluded herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days in which he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Rebecca
And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Manoah's wife
Deserts » Illustrative of » Barrenness
He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground;
He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs.
Topics on Barrenness
Attitudes To Barrenness
Proverbs 30:16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
Barrenness, Examples Of
Genesis 21:2For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Reasons For Barrenness
Genesis 17:17Then Abraham fell upon 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?