6 Bible Verses about Children

What does the Bible have to say about children, that is, sons or daughters (including teenagers and adult children)? Read on to find out more.

1. Exodus 20:12

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days can be long on the land that Yahweh your God is giving you. Read Exodus 20:12

2. Psalm 127:3–5

Look, children are the heritage of Yahweh; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. They shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies at the gate. Read Psalm 127:3–5

3. Proverbs 17:25

A grief to his father is the child of a fool, and bitterness to her who bore him. Read Proverbs 17:25

4. Matthew 18:2–6

And calling a child to himself, he had him stand in their midst and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven! Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, this person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever welcomes one child such as this in my name welcomes me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a large millstone be hung … Read Matthew 18:2–6

5. 1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside the things of a child. Read 1 Corinthians 13:11

6. Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Read Ephesians 6:1

Bonus: 3 Famous Christian Quotes About Children, Adult Children, Teenagers, Youth

1. Being Born Is the Supreme Adventure

Falling in love has been often regarded as the supreme adventure, the supreme romantic accident. In so much as there is in it something outside ourselves, something of a sort of merry fatalism, this is very true. Love does take us and transfigure and torture us. It does break our hearts with an unbearable beauty, like the unbearable beauty of music. But in so far as we have certainly something to do with the matter; in so far as we are in some sense prepared to fall in love and in some sense jump into it; in so far as we do to some extent choose and to some extent even judge—in all this falling in love is not truly romantic, is not truly adventurous at all. In this degree the supreme adventure is not falling in love. The supreme adventure is being born. There we do walk suddenly into a splendid and startling trap.

—G. K. Chesterton

2. Care About Children More Than Their Inheritance

We take care of our possessions for our children, but of the children themselves we take no care at all. What an absurdity this is! Form the soul of your son aright, and all the rest will be added afterward. If that is not good, he will derive no advantage from his wealth, and if it is formed to goodness he will suffer no harm from poverty. Do you want to leave him rich? Teach him to be good; for so he will be able to acquire wealth, or if not, he will not fare worse than those who possess it. But if he is wicked, though you leave him boundless wealth, you leave him no one to take care of it, and you render him worse than those who are reduced to extreme poverty.

—John Chrysostom

3. “We Reject Everything Which Rests Upon Human Opinion”

With us there is no desire of self-importance, nor do we indulge in a variety of opinions. For having renounced the popular and earthly, and obeying the commands of God, and following the law of the Father of immortality, we reject everything which rests upon human opinion. Not only do the rich among us pursue our philosophy, but the poor enjoy instruction gratuitously; for the things which come from God surpass the reward of worldly gifts. Thus we admit all who desire to hear, even old women and youths; and, in short, persons of every age are treated by us with respect, but every kind of licentiousness is kept at a distance.

—Tatian