13 Bible Verses about Childlessness
Most Relevant Verses
Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children. But she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 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.
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?"
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.
And there was a man in Zorah of the kindred of the Danites, named Manoah, whose wife was barren and bare not. And the Angel of the LORD appeared unto his wife and said unto her, "Behold, thou art barren and bearest not: But thou shalt conceive and bear a son.
which had two wives, the one called Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren. And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren.
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.
And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren; And both were well stricken in age.
And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age. And this is her sixth month, though she be called barren,
For behold, the days will come, when men shall say, 'Happy are the barren and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.'
From Thematic Bible
Childlessness » A reproach
Then said Lea, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed." And called his name Asher.
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."
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.
And Lea conceived and bare a son, and called his name Reuben, for she said, "The LORD hath looked upon my tribulation. And now my husband will love me."
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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.
When Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, she envied her sister and said unto Jacob, "Give me children, or else I am but dead."