Breastfeeding is a fundamental, natural experience shared among mothers and their newborns. The practice dates back to the biblical era, with several passages in the Bible addressing and implying its significance and sanctity. Appreciating the tender bond between a mother and her child, these verses provide wisdom, comfort, and understanding about the importance and virtue of breastfeeding in shaping life.
What the Bible says about a mother’s love
The Bible encapsulates the power of a mother’s love in various places, reflecting on how mothers nourish their children with their own bodies. This act of feeding isn’t just about food, but it is about providing love, comfort, security, and bonding. The love of a breastfeeding mother is demonstrated as being compassionate, nurturing, sacrificial, loyal, and persistent. It paints the picture of a mother’s comfort when she draws her children close, paralleling the affectionate nature of God and His tender care for His children.
Why breastfeeding stands as a symbol of abundance and prosperity
The Bible uses breastfeeding as a metaphor to display the blessings and abundance of God. It proffers images of breastfeeding to promise prosperity, peace, and happiness. These metaphoric means speak of God’s provision, likened to how a mother sustains her child through breastfeeding. The image presents an enriched understanding of God’s desire to bless and sustain His people just as a mother would to her child.
Where nurturing and providing are hereditary
Bible verses also invoke an understanding that the nurturing propensity reflected in breastfeeding is not just confined to a biological mother. It expands to incorporate a community-oriented, collective responsibility. Just as a mother nurses her child, taking care of one another, especially the younger generation, got encouraged. Compassionate nurturing is expressed as a learnt and hereditary value in the Bible, passed down from generation to generation.
Who the Bible personifies as a nurturing, breastfeeding mother
Biblical portrayals of mothers – such as Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah – empower the depiction of breastfeeding mothers. Parallels are drawn between these women’s sustaining roles and God’s nurturing character. The Bible invites us to perceive God’s love and compassion mirrored in the love that breastfeeding mothers have for their children. Like a mother who would never forget the child at her breast, the Bible suggests that God would never forget His people.
When physical nurturing signifies spiritual sustenance
The act of breastfeeding, as it appears in the Bible, moves beyond a purely physical act of feeding. It signifies spiritual nourishment, linking the care of a mother to the care of God. As a mother feeds her child, God provides spiritual food to His followers. This analogy helps followers understand the divine love that God has for them. Just as a child yearns for his mother’s milk, followers of God must yearn for the spiritual food He provides.
Below is our full list of bible verses on breastfeeding (King James Version – KJV) provided in ranked order.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Breastfeeding
Isaiah 66:10-13
“10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Luke 11:27
“27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.”
1 Peter 2:2
“2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
Related Themes: Children Glorification Life Maturity Food
Lamentations 4:3
“3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.”
Isaiah 49:15
“15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.”
Related Themes: Children Loneliness Rejection Abandonment Love
Genesis 49:25
“25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:”
Joel 2:16
“16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.”
Psalm 22:9
“9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.”
Related Themes: Education
1 Thessalonians 2:7
“7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:”
Related Themes: Education Gentleness
Genesis 21:8
“8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.”
1 Samuel 1:21-24
“21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.”
Hosea 9:14
“14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.”
Ruth 4:16
“16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.”
Genesis 21:7
“7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.”
Proverbs 5:18-19
“18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.”
Isaiah 49:23
“23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”
Related Themes: Hope
Hebrews 5:12-14
“12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Related Themes: Maturity Discernment
Isaiah 40:11
“11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
Related Themes: Omnipotence Gentleness
Luke 23:26-31
“26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?”
Job 3:12
“12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?”
Numbers 11:12
“12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?”
Psalm 131:1-2
“1 A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.”
Related Themes: Pride Humility Frustration
Luke 23:29
“29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.”
Hosea 1:8
“8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.”
Song of Solomon 8:1
“1 O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.”
Related Themes: Earth Creativity
1 Kings 3:21
“21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.”
Lamentations 4:4
“4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.”
Philippians 4:13
“13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Related Themes: Strength Omnipotence Self Confidence Life Greatness
Isaiah 60:16
“16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
Related Themes: Omnipotence
Jeremiah 29:11
“11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Related Themes: Hope New Beginnings Patience Frustration Life
