19 Verses · World English Bible
19 Bible Verses About Children
Scripture’s view of children begins long before parenting advice: it begins with delight. Children are called a heritage from the Lord, a reward, a crown to the aged. God tells Jeremiah he knew him before he was formed in the womb, and the psalmist marvels at being knit together in his mother’s womb, words that give every child, born into any circumstance, a dignity no one can revoke. And when parents brought little ones to Jesus and the disciples tried to wave them off, Jesus would have none of it: let the children come to me. These Bible verses about children gather that whole picture in one place, whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or someone praying faithfully for a child you love.
The nineteen passages below move through five themes: children as God’s gift, Jesus’ tenderness toward little ones, the calling to raise children in the Lord, verses written for children themselves, and God’s promises that reach to the next generation. Scripture is honest that raising children is neither simple nor guaranteed. Proverbs offers wisdom, not warranties, and many faithful parents carry private grief over a child’s path. But the Bible keeps insisting that God’s love runs from everlasting to everlasting, to our children’s children. As you read, consider choosing one verse to pray over a specific child by name this week. Few habits will shape your home more quietly or more deeply.
Children Are a Gift
Before the Bible says anything about raising children, it stops to celebrate them. These verses call children a heritage and a reward, describe God’s intimate involvement in forming every child in the womb, and even claim that he draws praise from the mouths of infants. In a hurried world, this is a call to look at the children around us with wonder.
“Behold, children are a heritage of the LORD.The fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,so are the children of youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”
“For you formed my inmost being.You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you,for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Your works are wonderful.My soul knows that very well.”
““Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.””
“From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength,because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.”
Jesus and the Little Children
The disciples assumed children were an interruption; Jesus treated them as the illustration. He took them in his arms and blessed them, said the kingdom belongs to such as these, and warned against despising even one little one. Then he turned the lesson on the adults: unless you become like a child, dependent and trusting, you will miss the kingdom.
“But Jesus said,“Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.””
“They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation and said to them,“Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.” He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”
“Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them and said,“Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
Raising Children in the Lord
Faith is meant to be handed down at kitchen tables, not just taught in classrooms. These verses picture parents impressing God’s words on their children in the ordinary rhythms of the day, telling the next generation what he has done, and training children gently, with a pointed warning to fathers not to exasperate the hearts entrusted to them.
“Train up a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
“These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
“You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
“We will not hide them from their children,telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.”
Verses for Children Themselves
Scripture speaks directly to children, and it takes them seriously. It calls them to obey and honor their parents, to hold on to a father’s instruction and a mother’s teaching, and, in Paul’s charge to young Timothy, to let no one look down on their youth. These are good verses to help a child memorize and make their own.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
“Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.”
“My son, listen to your father’s instruction,and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching; for they will be a garland to grace your head,and chains around your neck.”
“Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.”
Promises for the Next Generation
Parenting runs on promises more than certainties, and these are strong ones. Isaiah pictures children taught by the Lord and settled in peace. John says there is no greater joy than hearing that our children walk in the truth. And the psalmist stretches the horizon: God’s steadfast love reaches from everlasting to everlasting, to our children’s children.
“All your children will be taught by the LORD,and your children’s peace will be great.”
“I have no greater joy than this: to hear about my children walking in truth.”
“But the LORD’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him,his righteousness to children’s children,”
A Prayer About Children
Father, thank you for the children you have placed in our lives, each one formed by your hands and known by name. Give us patience when we are tired, wisdom when we are unsure, and gentleness that reflects your own. Guard the children we love, draw them to Jesus early, and let our homes be places where your words are spoken naturally and often. We entrust to you the outcomes we cannot control. Amen.
Common Questions
What does the Bible say about children?
Scripture consistently presents children as a blessing and a sacred trust. Psalm 127:3 calls them a heritage from the Lord, and Jesus welcomed children warmly when his own disciples tried to turn them away (Matthew 19:14). The Bible calls parents to teach and train their children in God’s ways, calls children to honor their parents, and promises that God’s love extends to future generations.
What does “train up a child in the way he should go” mean?
Proverbs 22:6 urges parents to start children early on the path of wisdom and godliness, shaping habits and hearts while they are young. It is a proverb, a general principle about how life usually works, not an unconditional guarantee, and faithful parents of wandering children have not necessarily failed. Its point is direction: what children absorb early tends to stay with them for life.
What did Jesus say about children?
Jesus said more about children than almost any teacher of his era. He commanded that children be allowed to come to him, declared that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Mark 10:14), and held up childlike humility and trust as the requirement for entering the kingdom at all (Matthew 18:3-4). He also gave one of his sternest warnings to anyone who would harm or despise a little one.
What is a good Bible verse for a child to memorize?
Start short and concrete. Psalm 139:14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” gives a child language for their God-given worth. Ephesians 6:1 is brief and directly addressed to them. Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 56:3, and John 3:16 are also classic first verses. Choose one, say it together at bedtime for a week, and celebrate when it sticks; memory grows best with warmth attached.
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