Bible Verses About Family
The Bible sees family as a gift from God and a place where faith is passed on. Joshua 24:15 declares a household's decision to serve the Lord, Psalm 127:1 says a home needs God at its foundation, and Psalm 68:5-6 promises that God places lonely people in families, including the wider family of his people.
Families in scripture are rarely tidy. There are rivalries, reunions, long silences and remarkable reconciliations. Through all of it, the Bible keeps returning to love, honour, faithfulness and forgiveness. These verses are for every kind of family, including the one God gathers from people who feel they have none.
A home built on faith
Joshua made a public choice for his whole household, and the psalmist warns that a house built without God is built in vain. Faith at home is mostly ordinary: talked about over meals, on the road and at bedtime. These verses are about laying that foundation.
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”
Joshua 24:15 (BSB)
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the Lord protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
Psalm 127:1 (BSB)
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways! For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.
Psalm 128:1-3 (BSB)
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.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (BSB)
Parents and children
Scripture gives instructions in both directions: children are asked to honour and obey, and parents are asked not to exasperate or discourage their children. Children are described as a heritage and a reward. These verses hold up a picture of respect flowing both ways.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4 (BSB)
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (BSB)
Children are indeed a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
Psalm 127:3-5 (BSB)
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.
Colossians 3:20-21 (BSB)
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
Proverbs 17:6 (BSB)
Love under one roof
A simple meal shared in love is better than a feast full of tension. The father in Jesus' parable runs to welcome his returning son, and Joseph forgives the brothers who sold him. These stories show that family can be a place of grace, even after real hurt.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!
Psalm 133:1 (BSB)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
Romans 12:10 (BSB)
Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.
Proverbs 15:17 (BSB)
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Luke 15:20 (BSB)
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this - to preserve the lives of many people. Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:20-21 (BSB)
Belonging to God's family
Not everyone has a family that feels safe or close. Scripture promises that God is a father to the fatherless and that he sets the lonely in families. Jesus said those who do God's will are his brothers, sisters and mother. Whoever you are, there is room for you here.
A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation. God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
Psalm 68:5-6 (BSB)
... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Ephesians 3:14-15 (BSB)
For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:35 (BSB)
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:15-16 (BSB)
Behold 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.
1 John 3:1 (BSB)
A prayer
Father God, thank you for my family, with all its joys and complications. Be the foundation of our home. Teach us to speak kindly, forgive quickly and honour one another. Where there is hurt between us, bring healing and the courage to reconcile. Bless the children in our care and give wisdom to every parent. And for anyone who feels alone today, set them in a family where they are loved and known. Amen.
Questions people ask
What is a good Bible verse about family?
Joshua 24:15 is one of the best known, often displayed in homes as a family's commitment to serve the Lord. Psalm 127:1 and Psalm 133:1 are also popular, along with Ephesians 6:1-4 for parents and children. For a family going through a hard time, Colossians 3:13 on forgiveness is a gentle choice.
What does the Bible say about family conflict?
Scripture is honest about family conflict, from Cain and Abel to Jacob and Esau to Joseph and his brothers. It also shows reconciliation is possible, as when Joseph forgave his brothers in Genesis 50. The Bible calls families to patience, honesty and forgiveness, while wisdom may also mean setting healthy boundaries where there has been harm.
What does the Bible say about children?
Psalm 127:3 calls children a heritage from the Lord. Jesus welcomed children when his disciples tried to send them away, and said the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Proverbs 22:6 encourages parents to train children in the way they should go.
What if I do not have a close family?
Many people do not, for all kinds of reasons. Psalm 68:5-6 says God is a father to the fatherless and places lonely people in families. Jesus described his followers as his brothers and sisters, and the church is meant to be that kind of family. A local church community can be a good place to find belonging.
Keep reading
A verse for how you feel, every morning
FaithGuide asks how you are feeling, then gives you a verse, a short reflection and a prayer for exactly that. Anxious, weary, grateful or hopeful, there is scripture for it. Free to start on iPhone and Android.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.