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What the Bible Says About Family

Overview

The Bible addresses family across 44 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Acts, Genesis and Deuteronomy. Closely related themes include Criminals, Paul, Philippi and Prisoners. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Paul, Abraham, Cornelius and Silas.

Key Bible verses about family

Old Testament

Genesis

Genesis 2:23

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Woman: Heb. Isha Man: Heb. Ish

Genesis 2:24

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 12:7

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Genesis 12:8

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 13:3

And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

Genesis 13:4

Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Genesis 17:12

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. he that is eight: Heb. a son of eight days

Genesis 17:13

He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Genesis 17:14

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:9

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Deuteronomy 4:10

Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

Deuteronomy 11:19

And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 11:20

And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:

Deuteronomy 12:5

But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

Deuteronomy 12:6

And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Deuteronomy 12:7

And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

Deuteronomy 12:11

Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD: your choice: Heb. the choice of your vows

Deuteronomy 12:12

And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

New Testament

Acts

Acts 10:1

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

Acts 10:2

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Acts 10:3

He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

Acts 10:4

And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Acts 10:5

And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

Acts 10:6

He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

Acts 10:47

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Acts 10:48

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 16:25

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Acts 16:26

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

Acts 16:27

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

Acts 16:28

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Acts 16:29

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

Acts 16:30

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Acts 16:31

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Acts 16:32

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

Acts 16:33

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Acts 16:34

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

People in the Bible and family

Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.

In the Bible dictionary

Studying family for yourself

  • Begin with Genesis 2:23, then read the passages below in canonical order.
  • Compare how Acts, Genesis and Deuteronomy each treat the theme.
  • Consider the lives of Paul, Abraham and Cornelius and how their stories intersect with it.
  • Widen the study to related themes: Criminals, Paul, Philippi and Prisoners.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about family?

The Bible addresses family across 44 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Acts, Genesis and Deuteronomy. Closely related themes include Criminals, Paul, Philippi and Prisoners. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Paul, Abraham, Cornelius and Silas.

How many Bible verses are about family?

The Bible references family in 44 verses (King James Version).

Where does the Bible first mention family?

In canonical order, the first of these passages is Genesis 2:23: “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Woman: Heb. Isha Man: Heb. Ish”

Which people in the Bible are associated with family?

Paul, Abraham, Cornelius, Silas and Adam.

Preach & teach

Outline a sermon or build a study series on family.

Preach a series on Family