'Children' in the Bible

There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was unable to conceive and had no children.

The Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are unable to conceive and have no children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son.

They prepared to leave, putting their small children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.

The congregation sent 12,000 brave warriors there and commanded them: “Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, including women and children.

both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband.

He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife: “May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she has given to the Lord.” Then they would go home.

Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword—both men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.

but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”

but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.

“March on,” David replied to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and the children who were with him.

‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well!’”

The messengers then returned and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent messengers to you, saying: You are to give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.

Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said, “Think it over and you will see that this one is only looking for trouble, for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t turn him down.”

One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.”

However, he did not put the children of the murderers to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded, “Fathers must not be put to death because of children, and children must not be put to death because of fathers; instead, each one will be put to death for his own sin.”

the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim.

These nations feared the Lord but also served their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue doing as their fathers did until today.

They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were Azubah’s sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.

Nadab’s sons: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.

The sons of Jada, brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.

Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole family did not become as numerous as the Judeans.

Amram’s children: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Along with them, they had 36,000 troops for battle according to the genealogical records of their ancestral houses, for they had many wives and children.

These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

All Judah was standing before the Lord with their infants, their wives, and their children.

However, he did not put their children to death, because—as it is written in the Law, in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded—“Fathers must not die because of children, and children must not die because of fathers, but each one will die for his own sin.”

He burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.

and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every brave warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.

I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions.

While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly.

Let us therefore make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the law.

All of these had married foreign women, and some of the wives had given birth to children.

We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy. The women and children also celebrated, and Jerusalem’s rejoicing was heard far away.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.

Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.

The king’s edict gave the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate every ethnic and provincial army hostile to them, including women and children, and to take their possessions as spoils of war.

Whenever a round of banqueting was over, Job would send for his children and purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought: Perhaps my children have sinned, having cursed God in their hearts. This was Job’s regular practice.

His children are far from safety.They are crushed at the city gate,with no one to rescue them.

Since your children sinned against Him,He gave them over to their rebellion.

If a man informs on his friends for a price,the eyes of his children will fail.

He has no children or descendants among his people,no survivor where he used to live.

My breath is offensive to my wife,and my own family finds me repulsive.

His children will beg from the poor,for his own hands must give back his wealth.

Their children are established while they are still alive,and their descendants, before their eyes.

They let their little ones run around like lambs;their children skip about,

God reserves a person’s punishment for his children.Let God repay the person himself, so that he may know it.

Like wild donkeys in the desert,the poor go out to their task of foraging for food;the wilderness provides nourishment for their children.

Even if his children increase, they are destined for the sword;his descendants will never have enough food.

when the Almighty was still with meand my children were around me,

Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

Because of Your adversaries,You have established a strongholdfrom the mouths of children and nursing infantsto silence the enemy and the avenger.

With Your hand, Lord, save me from men,from men of the worldwhose portion is in this life:You fill their bellies with what You have in store;their sons are satisfied,and they leave their surplus to their children.

Come, children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

I have been young and now I am old,yet I have not seen the righteous abandonedor his children begging for bread.

He is always generous, always lending,and his children are a blessing.

For the Lord loves justiceand will not abandon His faithful ones.They are kept safe forever,but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.

We must not hide them from their children,but must tell a future generationthe praises of the Lord,His might, and the wonderful worksHe has performed.

He established a testimony in Jacoband set up a law in Israel,which He commanded our fathersto teach to their children

so that a future generation—children yet to be born—might know.They were to rise and tell their children

Let Your work be seen by Your servants,and Your splendor by their children.

Your servants’ children will dwell securely,and their offspring will be established before You.”

As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Let his children be fatherlessand his wife a widow.

Let his children wander as beggars,searching for food far from their demolished homes.

Let no one show him kindness,and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.

He gives the childless woman a household,making her the joyful mother of children.Hallelujah!

Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,children, a reward.

and will see your children’s children!Peace be with Israel.

For He strengthens the bars of your gatesand blesses your children within you.

Let Israel celebrate its Maker;let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidenceand his children have a refuge.

The one who lives with integrity is righteous;his children who come after him will be happy.

A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth,for the Lord has spoken:“I have raised children and brought them up,but they have rebelled against Me.

Oh sinful nation,people weighed down with iniquity,brood of evildoers,depraved children!They have abandoned the Lord;they have despised the Holy One of Israel;they have turned their backs on Him.

Here I am with the children the Lord has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts who dwells on Mount Zion.

Their children will be smashed to death before their eyes;their houses will be looted,and their wives raped.

Their bows will cut young men to pieces.They will have no compassion on little ones;they will not look with pity on children.

For when he sees his children,the work of My hands within his nation,they will honor My name,they will honor the Holy One of Jacoband stand in awe of the God of Israel.

They are a rebellious people,deceptive children,children who do not want to obey the Lord’s instruction.

They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.

The living, only the living can thank You,as I do today;a father will make Your faithfulness known to children.

“So now hear this, lover of luxury,who sits securely,who says to herself,‘I exist, and there is no one else.I will never be a widowor know the loss of children.’

These two things will happen to yousuddenly, in one day:loss of children and widowhood.They will happen to you in their entirety,in spite of your many sorceriesand the potency of your spells.

Look up, and look around.They all gather together; they come to you.As I live”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“you will wear all your children as jewelry,and put them on as a bride does.

Yet as you listen, the childrenthat you have been deprived of will say,‘This place is too small for me;make room for me so that I may settle.’

Then you will say within yourself,‘Who fathered these for me?I was deprived of my children and unable to conceive,exiled and wandering—but who brought them up?See, I was left by myself—but these, where did they come from?’”

For this is what the Lord says:“Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken,and the prey of a tyrant will be delivered;I will contend with the one who contends with you,and I will save your children.

There is no one to guide heramong all the children she has raised;there is no one to take hold of her handamong all the offspring she has brought up.

Your children have fainted;they lie at the head of every streetlike an antelope in a net.They are full of the Lord’s fury,the rebuke of your God.

“Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;burst into song and shout,you who have not been in labor!For the children of the forsaken one will be morethan the children of the married woman,”says the Lord.

Then all your children will be taught by the Lord,their prosperity will be great,

Who is it you are mocking?Who is it you are opening your mouthand sticking out your tongue at?Isn’t it you, you rebellious children,you race of liars,

who burn with lust among the oaks,under every green tree,who slaughter children in the wadisbelow the clefts of the rocks?

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.

Yes, the islands will wait for Mewith the ships of Tarshish in the lead,to bring your children from far away,their silver and gold with them,for the honor of the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel,who has glorified you.