13 Bible Verses about Childlessness
Most Relevant Verses
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him.
Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless.
There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the Danite tribe. His wife was infertile and childless. The Lord's angelic messenger appeared to the woman and said to her, "You are infertile and childless, but you will conceive and have a son.
He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children. Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children.
"Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth! Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one are more numerous than the children of the married woman," says the Lord.
But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.
"And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age -- although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month!
For this is certain: The days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!'
From Thematic Bible
Childlessness » A reproach
Leah said, "How happy I am, for women will call me happy!" So she named him Asher.
Seven women will grab hold of one man at that time. They will say, "We will provide our own food, we will provide our own clothes; but let us belong to you -- take away our shame!"
"This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people."
So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him.
So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now."
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Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. Peninnah would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the Lord's house, Peninnah would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat.
When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children or I'll die!"
