40 Notable Bible Verses About Unborn Babies

This verse reflects the sanctity of human life and God’s blessing on it. By creating humanity in His own image, God instills intrinsic value in every individual. The command to “be fruitful” emphasizes His intention for life to multiply, highlighting the sacredness of unborn life as part of God’s creation and purpose.

Jeremiah 1:5

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

This verse affirms that God has a unique plan for each individual even before birth. It emphasizes God’s foreknowledge and intention, suggesting that every unborn child is valued and purposed by Him. Jeremiah’s appointment as a prophet demonstrates that divine purpose is established even before physical formation in the womb.

Psalm 139:13-14

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

David’s praise here reveals the intricate care God invests in creating each person. This passage acknowledges that life’s formation is intentional and profound, inspiring awe. Recognizing God’s hand in creating life within the womb supports the view that each unborn life is a cherished work of God.

Luke 1:41

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

This verse underscores the spiritual awareness and identity of unborn children. The reaction of Elizabeth’s unborn child to Mary’s greeting reveals that life in the womb can respond to the presence and movement of God, highlighting the sacred nature of unborn life.

Job 10:8-12

“Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.”

Job expresses a deep awareness of God’s intricate role in forming life. This passage portrays God as a skillful creator, lovingly shaping and caring for each person from conception. Job’s recognition of God’s careful design affirms the value and significance of life, even before birth.

The Sanctity of Life

Exodus 20:13

“You shall not murder.”

This commandment highlights the value God places on human life and His prohibition against taking it unjustly. It underscores the principle that life is sacred and to be protected, extending this moral imperative to all stages of life, including the unborn.

Psalm 127:3

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

This verse acknowledges children as a gift from God, a blessing and a reward. By identifying children as a heritage, it underscores the honor and responsibility of caring for them, including unborn children, as treasured by God.

Proverbs 24:11-12

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

This passage calls for active protection of the vulnerable. It implies a responsibility to advocate for those who cannot defend themselves, including unborn lives. The emphasis on accountability before God for defending others highlights the value of each life.

Matthew 18:10

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Jesus emphasizes the significance and worth of each child, advocating their protection. The mention of their angels implies divine care for children, underscoring their value and innocence, including those yet to be born.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This verse presents life as a divine choice and blessing. God urges His people to choose life, revealing His desire for life to flourish across generations. This call reinforces the value of life and encourages protection for unborn lives as part of choosing life.

Unborn Babies and Divine Purpose

Isaiah 44:2

This is what the Lord says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

Here, God assures His people of His purpose and care for them from the very beginning. By forming them in the womb, He demonstrates His intimate involvement and plan for each life, emphasizing that every unborn child is known and valued by Him.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This verse describes each person as God’s workmanship, created for a purpose. It implies that from conception, life is filled with divine intent, prepared by God to accomplish meaningful work. This reinforces the value of unborn life as part of God’s purposeful design.

Psalm 22:9-10

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

This passage reflects an innate connection to God from birth. The psalmist acknowledges God’s role in his life from the womb, affirming that even unborn lives are known and cared for by God. This suggests a relationship that begins before birth.

Galatians 1:15

But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased…

Paul acknowledges that God’s call on his life began in the womb. This reinforces the idea that each life has a purpose and is part of God’s plan. The divine calling affirms that unborn lives are intentional and have a significant purpose even before birth.

Psalm 71:6

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

The psalmist’s praise reflects trust in God from the earliest moments of life. This verse highlights God’s nurturing role in each life from birth, underscoring the divine care and purpose for every unborn child.

God’s Care for Unborn Children

Luke 18:15-17

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Jesus’ invitation to children highlights their value in God’s kingdom. By blessing and welcoming them, He emphasizes the innocence and purity of young lives, including the unborn, showing that they are cherished and welcomed in God’s presence.

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Jesus reinforces the significance of children by welcoming them into God’s kingdom. His invitation not to hinder them underscores the sanctity of life at all stages, valuing each child’s place in His kingdom.

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus’ blessing of children reveals His deep care and affection for them. By welcoming them, He illustrates that even the youngest lives are precious to God. This passage affirms the sanctity and value of life from its earliest stages.

Isaiah 49:15

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

This verse highlights God’s unwavering care for His people. The comparison to a mother’s love demonstrates the depth of His compassion for each life, implying that unborn and newborn lives alike are deeply cherished by God and never forgotten.

Matthew 18:14

In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Jesus’ words affirm God’s desire for the protection of all vulnerable lives. His compassion for “little ones” emphasizes the sanctity of life, underscoring that God does not wish for any innocent life, including the unborn, to be harmed or lost.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Proverbs 31:8-9

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

This verse calls for advocacy on behalf of the voiceless. It urges protection for the vulnerable, including unborn lives, suggesting that God values and defends those who are powerless, commanding others to do the same.

Psalm 82:3-4

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

This psalm emphasizes the responsibility to protect and defend the powerless. It encourages believers to care for vulnerable lives, such as unborn children, as God Himself values and protects the weak and defenseless.

Proverbs 6:16-17

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…

The condemnation of “hands that shed innocent blood” underscores God’s stance against harming innocent lives. This passage highlights God’s view of innocence, emphasizing His hatred of violence against the vulnerable, which includes unborn lives.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

This verse calls for justice and advocacy for the vulnerable. It encourages believers to care for the defenseless, suggesting that unborn children also fall under the protection and justice that God values.

Matthew 25:40

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Jesus teaches that caring for the “least of these” is an act of service to Him. This principle can be extended to protecting unborn lives, as they are among the most vulnerable and deserving of compassion and care.

The Value of Unborn Life in God’s Eyes

Psalm 139:16

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

This verse reflects God’s intimate knowledge of every life, even before physical formation. It emphasizes that unborn lives are known and valued by God, with each life’s purpose and destiny carefully recorded and cherished.

Exodus 21:22-25

“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”

This law illustrates the value of unborn life by imposing strict penalties for harm. It demonstrates that God regards unborn life as precious and worthy of protection, mandating justice for any harm done.

Luke 1:36

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.”

This announcement to Mary of Elizabeth’s pregnancy highlights God’s sovereignty over life and His ability to grant life in unexpected circumstances. It shows that every unborn child is part of God’s miraculous design, treasured and purposeful.

Hosea 12:3

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God.

This verse recalls Jacob’s birth, foreshadowing his determined nature. The detail of his actions in the womb reflects that personality and purpose can be evident before birth, illustrating that unborn lives possess unique qualities that God recognizes and values.

Romans 8:29-30

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

This passage reveals that God’s knowledge and purpose for each person begin before birth. It suggests that every unborn life is known and planned by God, underscoring the divine purpose and value inherent in each life from its inception.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

This verse acknowledges the mystery and wonder of life’s formation in the womb, reminding us of God’s creative power. It underscores the idea that human life, even in its earliest stages, is a profound miracle crafted by God, beyond full human understanding.

Unborn Babies as Blessings from God

Genesis 25:21-22

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

This passage demonstrates that each pregnancy is a response to prayer and divine action. The “jostling” within the womb reveals that life, with its unique traits and purposes, begins before birth, affirming the blessing and individuality of each unborn child.

Psalm 127:3-5

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

This psalm celebrates children as blessings and rewards from God. It emphasizes that every child, including those unborn, is a gift meant to bring joy and fulfillment, reinforcing the value and purpose of unborn life in God’s design.

Genesis 29:31

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

In this verse, God’s compassion for Leah is shown through the gift of a child. This act of enabling conception reveals that each unborn child is a special blessing from God, given with purpose and sensitivity to individual needs and situations.

Luke 1:24-25

After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Elizabeth’s response to her pregnancy reflects joy and gratitude, acknowledging it as God’s favor. This passage illustrates that every unborn child is a sign of God’s goodness and purpose, transforming lives and bringing hope and joy to families.

Genesis 30:22-24

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”

This verse captures Rachel’s gratitude for the blessing of a child. God’s answer to her prayer highlights that every unborn life is precious and purposefully given, showing how children are seen as answers to heartfelt petitions and gifts of divine grace.

God’s Covenant with Unborn Generations

Genesis 17:7

I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

This verse affirms God’s ongoing covenant, extending to unborn generations. It illustrates that God’s promises and faithfulness are not limited to the present but include future lives, affirming the importance and value He places on unborn descendants.

Genesis 9:9-10

“I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.”

This passage emphasizes that God’s covenant includes future generations and even all living beings. It underscores the significance of each life in His plan, including unborn children, as part of His everlasting promises and care.

Psalm 22:30

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

Here, the psalmist proclaims that future generations will continue to honor God. This statement reflects God’s care and purpose for unborn generations, valuing them as integral to His plan and ensuring His works and teachings reach all who are yet to come.

Psalm 78:6

so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

This verse highlights the responsibility to pass down faith to future generations, even to children yet to be born. It emphasizes that unborn lives are valuable to God’s purpose, forming a chain of faith that continues beyond the present.

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

This promise of God’s covenantal love across generations shows His commitment to future lives, including the unborn. It reflects His unchanging faithfulness and the significance of each unborn child as part of the divine legacy and relationship with Him.

Praying for the Unborn and Expectant Mothers

1 Samuel 1:27-28

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

This passage captures Hannah’s devotion and gratitude for her child, a direct answer to prayer. It emphasizes the importance of prayer for unborn and newborn lives, showing how they are blessings to be cherished and dedicated to God’s purpose.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James emphasizes the power of prayer, underscoring its role in bringing about healing and change. This encouragement to pray extends to expectant mothers and the unborn, affirming that prayers are effective in safeguarding and supporting new life.

Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

This prayer for spiritual growth and blessing reflects the value of praying over all aspects of life, including for unborn children. It is a reminder of the impact of faithful prayer in nurturing new life and in seeking God’s will and protection.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This passage encourages believers to bring every concern to God in prayer, including those related to the unborn and expectant mothers. It assures peace, suggesting that God’s comfort is present for those awaiting the arrival of new life.

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Paul’s words highlight the support of the Holy Spirit in times of uncertainty, including prayer for unborn lives and expectant mothers. It reassures that God’s Spirit is present, interceding and providing strength and guidance when words are insufficient.

Final Thought

The Bible offers profound insight into the sanctity and value of unborn life, affirming God’s intimate involvement in the formation and purpose of every child in the womb.

These verses not only emphasize the divine plan and care for the unborn but also underscore their inherent dignity and significance in God’s eyes.