What Does the Bible Say About Family? 8 Verses and What Each One Means
The main Bible verses about family are Joshua 24:15, Psalms 127:1, Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:1-3. Joshua 24:15 is the one most often framed on a wall: "as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh". Psalms 127:1 names who holds the building up — "Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain". Proverbs 22:6 is about forming children over time. Ephesians 6:1-3 carries the command to honor father and mother, described as the first commandment with a promise attached. This page collects 8 Bible verses about family with the full text, the reference and a one-line explanation for each.
The Bible is full of families — and none of them is perfect. There are brothers fighting, parents with favorites, children who leave home and come back. Maybe that is why the verses about family are so practical: they speak of building the house with the Lord, of training children in the way, of honoring father and mother, of bearing with one another in forgiveness. Joshua sums up a decision that still holds: "as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh". The verses below can be read at the table, written on the living-room wall, chosen for family worship or used as a prayer for a family going through a hard season. They do not ask for an ideal family; they ask for a family willing to start again.
If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
Joshua 24:15Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.
Psalms 127:1Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6Children, 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 be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:1-3See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!
Psalms 133:1bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
Colossians 3:13Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children is their parents.
Proverbs 17:6But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timothy 5:8
Frequently asked questions
Which verse should I put on the wall at home?
Joshua 24:15 ("as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh") and Psalm 127:1 ("Unless Yahweh builds the house...") are the most chosen.
What does the Bible say about honoring parents?
It is the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12), repeated in Ephesians 6:1-3 as "the first commandment with a promise": honoring parents brings well-being and long life.
How do I pray for a family in conflict?
Use Colossians 3:13 as a base: ask for patience to bear with one another and courage to forgive, and name each person in the prayer. See also the prayer for the family.
See also
Scripture text: World English Bible (WEB), public domain. Prayers, introductions and reflections: original text by this site, not affiliated with any denomination. Devotional content; it does not replace medical, psychological or legal advice.