what does the bible say
As you begin to dive into the references below, be mindful of your own offense and defenses that may begin to surface.
- • multiplied pain
- • hard
- • stress affects labor and birth
- • there's specific pain related to labor
- • trembling and anguish
- • pangs and agony
- • writhing and crying out
- • caused by God
- • specific experience relating to first time birthers
- • gasping for breath
- • stretching out hands
- • "woe is me"
- • faint/ weak
- • hands fall helpless
- • panic, terror, no peace, pale
- • feeble, sorrows
- • groan
- • progression in pain
- • an appointed time for birth
- • joy is coming
- • it's a sign of hope, it's purposeful
- • an appointed end to the pain
- • suddenly comes upon, no escape until the appointed end
Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.”…
Genesis 35:16
Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.
1 Samuel 4:19
Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.
Job 39:3
They kneel down, they bring forth their young, they get rid of their labor pains.
Psalm 48:6
Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
Isaiah 13:8
They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.
Isaiah 21:3
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
Isaiah 26:17-18
Like a pregnant woman
who writhes and cries out in her pangs
when she is near to giving birth,
so were we because of you, O LORD;
we were pregnant, we writhed,
but we have given birth to wind.
We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,
and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
Isaiah 66:7-12
“Before she was in labor
she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
For as soon as Zion was in labor
she brought forth her children.
Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”
says the LORD;
“shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”
says your God.
Jeremiah 4:31
For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.”
Jeremiah 6:24
We have heard the report of it; our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in labor.
Jeremiah 13:21
What will you say when they set as head over you those whom you yourself have taught to be friends to you? Will not pangs take hold of you like those of a woman in labor?
Jeremiah 22:23
O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!
Jeremiah 30:5-6
Thus says the LORD: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace.
Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale?
Jeremiah 48:41
the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized. The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains;
Jeremiah 49:22-24
Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains.
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are confounded, for they have heard bad news; they melt in fear, they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet.
Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in labor.”
Jeremiah 50:43
The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands fell helpless; anguish seized him, pain as of a woman in labor.
Hosea 13:13
The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for at the right time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb.
Micah 4:9-10
Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
Matthew 24:7-8
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Mark 13:8
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Luke 2:6
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
John 16:21-22
When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Galatians 4:19
my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Revelation 12:2
She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
heart check
Are you finding offense begin to well up inside you?
Are you challenged by these verses?
Does this outlook on labor/birth breed fear?
let's talk about it
“I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” – YHWH (Jeremiah 31:13)
If YHWH God exchanges our mourning for joy, should we seek to escape the mourning?
Doesn’t our mourning make our joy that much sweeter, eliciting greater rejoicing?
birth is a picture of future joy
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
– Jesus (John 16:20-22 ESV)
