What Does the Bible Say About Parental Love?
Here are 19 Bible verses about parental love, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.
- #1Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
BSBFathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
- #2Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
BSBTrain up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
- #3Colossians 3:14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
BSBAnd over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
- #4Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
BSBHonor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- #5Psalms 103:13
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
BSBAs a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
- #61 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
BSBWhoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
- #7Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
BSBBut God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- #8Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
BSBChildren, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- #91 Corinthians 13:1-13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; …
BSBIf I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. …
- #10Proverbs 13:24
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
BSBHe who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
- #11Proverbs 1:8
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
BSBListen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
- #12John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
BSBFor God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- #131 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
BSBAnd love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- #14Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
BSBHear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
- #151 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
BSBSince you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
- #161 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
BSBBehold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
- #17Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
BSBBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- #18Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
BSBThe LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.
- #19Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
BSBA rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).