Introduction
Children hold a special place in the Bible: they are welcomed, blessed, raised, and sometimes even held up as examples by Jesus himself. These 20 verses, quoted from the World English Bible, explore five facets: children as a gift from God, the welcome Jesus gives them, passing on the faith, the blessing and protection owed to them, and their own walk of faith from a young age.
Children, a Gift and Blessing from God
1. Psalm 127:3
"Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward."
This psalm, attributed to Solomon, describes the household and family as a work that depends on God. It affirms: "children are a heritage of Yahweh." Children are therefore not first a project or an achievement of the parents, but a gift received, to be welcomed with gratitude rather than claimed as a personal success. Read all of Psalm 127.
2. Psalm 128:3-4
"Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house, your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears Yahweh."
This song describes the blessing of the one who fears Yahweh, all the way into his household. Children are compared there to "olive plants around your table," an image of life and shared growth. God's blessing can be seen in simple meals, surrounded by a growing family. Read all of Psalm 128.
3. Genesis 33:5
"He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Jacob meets his brother Esau again after years of tense separation, surrounded by his wives and children. Asked about them, he simply answers: "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." Even in a moment charged with emotion, Jacob credits his children to God's grace, not his own merit. Read all of Genesis 33.
4. 1 Samuel 1:27
"I prayed for this child, and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of him."
Hannah had long prayed for a child, in the deep distress described at the beginning of the book. Once Samuel is born, she testifies: "I prayed for this child, and Yahweh has given me my petition." This long-awaited child will go on to become a great prophet, given back in turn to God's service. Read all of 1 Samuel 1.
Jesus Welcomes the Children
5. Mark 10:14-16
"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."
Parents bring their children to Jesus so he may touch them, but the disciples push them away. Jesus is indignant and orders: "Allow the little children to come to me! Don't forbid them." He then takes them in his arms and blesses them, showing that no child is too small to be welcomed by him. Read all of Mark 10.
6. Matthew 18:2-3
"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."
The disciples wonder who will be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus answers by placing a child in their midst. He declares: "unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." A child's trusting simplicity becomes here a model for adults. Read all of Matthew 18.
7. Mark 9:36-37
"He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me."
While the disciples are discussing greatness, Jesus takes a child in his arms in front of them. He teaches: "Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me." Concretely welcoming a child, with attention and patience, becomes a way of honoring Jesus himself. Read all of Mark 9.
8. Psalm 8:2
"From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger."
The psalmist marvels at the greatness of creation, yet affirms that God draws his glory even from the mouths of the smallest: "From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength." A child's simple faith and spontaneous praise carry a value that learned speeches do not always have. Read all of Psalm 8.
Raising Children and Passing On the Faith
9. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
"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."
Moses reminds the people that God's commandments must first dwell in their own hearts, before being taught to their children. He specifies: you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way. Passing on the faith happens through the ordinary gestures of daily life, more than through occasional big speeches. Read all of Deuteronomy 6.
10. Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
This proverb sums up in one sentence a central conviction of biblical education: "Train up a child in the way he should go." It is not about imposing the same mold on everyone, but discerning the path proper to each child, to lay foundations that last. Read all of Proverbs 22.
11. Colossians 3:21
"Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged."
Paul speaks directly to fathers and warns against an easy excess: "don't provoke your children, so that they won't be discouraged." Raising children with firmness does not mean discouraging them. A parent attentive not to crush their child gives them room to grow without shutting down. Read all of Colossians 3.
12. Psalm 78:5-6
"For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,"
Asaph recalls that God entrusted each generation with the responsibility of telling his deeds to the next, "that the generation to come might know." Stories of lived faith, shared within the family, thus become a heritage passed from child to child, far beyond a single generation. Read all of Psalm 78.
Blessing and Protecting Children
13. Numbers 6:24-26
"Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace."
God gives Moses this formula to bless the people, still often used today over children in families and churches. It asks: "Yahweh bless you, and keep you." Speaking this blessing over a child, out loud, remains a simple and powerful act. Read all of Numbers 6.
14. Matthew 18:5-6
"Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck, and that he were sunk in the depths of the sea."
Right after welcoming a child, Jesus gives a rare, severe warning against anyone who would cause "one of these little ones who believe in me" to stumble. Protecting children is therefore no minor detail in Jesus' teaching, but a responsibility he takes very seriously. Read all of Matthew 18.
15. Isaiah 54:13
"All your children will be taught by Yahweh; and your children’s peace will be great."
Isaiah announces to a restored people a promise turned toward the future of their children: "All your children will be taught by Yahweh." The peace and prosperity promised here come concretely through a generation that knows God, and not only through material goods. Read all of Isaiah 54.
16. Psalm 103:17
"But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children,"
David praises God's goodness toward those who fear him, specifying that it extends beyond a single lifetime: "his righteousness to children's children." A parent's faithfulness before God thus becomes a source of blessing that continues through several generations of children. Read all of Psalm 103.
Growing in Faith from Childhood
17. 2 Timothy 3:15
"From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus."
Paul writes to Timothy, whom he has known since childhood in a believing family, and reminds him: "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures." Faith learned early in life, even simply, lays foundations that remain solid well beyond childhood, into Timothy's adult ministry. Read all of 2 Timothy 3.
18. 1 Timothy 4:12
"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."
Paul encourages Timothy, still young to lead a church, by telling him: "Let no man despise your youth." He invites him instead to become an example through his conduct. A child or a young person does not need to wait until adulthood to have a faith and an example that count. Read all of 1 Timothy 4.
19. Proverbs 20:7
"A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him."
This proverb directly links a parent's integrity to the happiness of their children: "A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him." A parent's concrete, consistent example leaves a lasting mark, often stronger than any speech given about education. Read all of Proverbs 20.
20. 1 Samuel 2:26
"The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men."
The young Samuel grows up at the sanctuary, far from his parents but under the eye of the priest Eli. The text sums up his growth this way: "increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men." Growing in faith, even in an unusual family setting, remains possible when God accompanies a child. Read all of 1 Samuel 2.
Further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about children as a blessing?
Psalm 127:3 is the most quoted verse: "children are a heritage of Yahweh." Psalm 128:3-4 adds the image of children as olive plants around the table. These texts present children as a gift received from God, rather than as a personal achievement of the parents.
What does Jesus say about children in the gospels?
Mark 10:14-16 shows Jesus welcoming children despite the disciples, saying: "Allow the little children to come to me." In Matthew 18:2-3, he makes their trusting simplicity a model for entering the Kingdom of Heaven, overturning the ideas of greatness held by the adults around him.
Which Bible verses should be passed on to children?
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 encourages speaking about God in daily life, at home as well as on the road. Proverbs 22:6 invites us to train each child according to their own path. 2 Timothy 3:15 reminds us that faith learned from childhood, even simply, lays solid foundations for a whole lifetime.
to take notes and ask questions.