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The words abortion, fetus and embryo do not appear in the World English Bible or the King James Version (0 verses each), so Scripture never addresses abortion by name. People who see it as wrong point to passages that speak of God forming and knowing a person in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:41-44) and to the command not to murder (Exodus 20:13). The one legal text that involves a pregnant woman is Exodus 21:22-25, and readers split on whether it treats the unborn child as a life equal to the mother's, which is why Christian traditions disagree on its application. The word womb appears in 75 verses of the World English Bible. The verses below are the ones most often cited on every side of the question.
Counts from this page's curated collection (13 books of Scripture).
"For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them."
"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow. But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
"If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."
“You shall not murder.
"Thou shalt not kill."
"Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?"
"Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?"
“‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me. Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again? Haven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese? You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.
"Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit."
"But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts. I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me."
"But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly."
"I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you."
"By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee."
"Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother he has mentioned my name."
"Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name."
"Now Yahweh says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am honorable in Yahweh’s eyes, and my God has become my strength."
"And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength."
"This is what Yahweh who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: “Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen."
"Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen."
"Yahweh, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: “I am Yahweh, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;"
"Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;"
"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb."
"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb."
"When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."
"And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:"
"For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!"
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
"The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.”"
"And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
"But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,"
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,"
"Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image."
"Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."
"Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward."
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
"As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all."
"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants;"
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"
"There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;"
"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,"
"Behold, I was born in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me."
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
"See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."
"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."
"In the womb he took his brother by the heel; and in his manhood he contended with God."
"He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:"
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 5, 2026.
No. Neither the World English Bible nor the King James Version contains the word abortion, fetus or embryo. Churches that oppose abortion reason from verses about God's care for life before birth (Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5) and the command against murder (Exodus 20:13). Others point out that no verse addresses the question directly and read Exodus 21:22-25 differently.
It sets the penalty when men fighting hurt a pregnant woman. If she gives birth prematurely and no harm follows, the man pays a fine. If harm follows, the penalty is life for life, eye for eye. Readers differ on whether the harm is to the woman only or also to the child, and on whether 'gives birth prematurely' means a live birth or a miscarriage.
Psalm 139:13-16 says God formed the psalmist's inward parts and wove him together in his mother's womb, and that God's eyes saw his unformed body. Many Christians read this as God's personal care for a person before birth. It is a poem about God's knowledge, not a statement about when personhood starts, and the verses do not mention conception.
The Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches oppose abortion. Most evangelical denominations oppose it with varying exceptions, while some mainline Protestant bodies allow it in certain circumstances. This page lists the verses; it does not ask you to take a side.
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