What Does the Bible Say About Stillborn Babies?

Psalm 139:13-16 ESV / 10 helpful votes

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Galatians 1:15 ESV / 9 helpful votes

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 ESV / 8 helpful votes

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

Ecclesiastes 6:3-5 ESV / 5 helpful votes

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.

Job 3:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light?

Job 3:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?

Exodus 21:22-23 ESV / 4 helpful votes

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,

Luke 1:41 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Mark 10:13-16 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Hosea 9:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Give them, O Lord— what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Isaiah 49:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.

Genesis 2:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

John 10:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Luke 1:44 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Matthew 18:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 1:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Psalm 139:1-24 ESV / 2 helpful votes

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. ...

Psalm 58:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Job 3:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said: “Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’ Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it. Let gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. ...

1 Kings 17:21 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.”

Ruth 4:16-22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, ...

Exodus 23:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

Exodus 21:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.

Genesis 4:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”

Genesis 1:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Revelation 20:5 ESV / 1 helpful vote

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

Revelation 19:1 ESV / 1 helpful vote

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

Hebrews 11:6 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 9:27 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Philippians 1:23-24 ESV / 1 helpful vote

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Ephesians 2:1 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Acts 17:24-27 ESV / 1 helpful vote

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

John 15:16 ESV / 1 helpful vote

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 3:16 ESV / 1 helpful vote

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 10:28 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 5:21 ESV / 1 helpful vote

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’

Jeremiah 19:5 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—

Isaiah 45:9-12 ESV / 1 helpful vote

“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’” Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands? I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.

Psalm 143:2 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Psalm 51:5 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:1-19 ESV / 1 helpful vote

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. ...

Job 10:8-12 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Your hands fashioned and made me, and now you have destroyed me altogether. Remember that you have made me like clay; and will you return me to the dust? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

Job 5:1-27 ESV / 1 helpful vote

“Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple. I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling. His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them. The hungry eat his harvest, and he takes it even out of thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. ...

Job 4:15 ESV / 1 helpful vote

A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.

Job 3:8 ESV / 1 helpful vote

Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan.

Job 3:3 ESV / 1 helpful vote

“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’

Joshua 6:22-25 ESV / 1 helpful vote

But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Numbers 12:4-15 ESV / 1 helpful vote

And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” ...

Leviticus 17:11 ESV / 1 helpful vote

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

Bible Verses about Stillborn Babies