What Does the Bible Say About Fathers? 8 Verses and What Each One Means
The main Bible verses for fathers are Proverbs 20:7, Psalms 103:13, Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6. Proverbs 20:7 ties integrity to legacy: "A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him". Psalms 103:13 uses a father as the image of God's compassion. Ephesians 6:4 gives the most direct instruction: "don't provoke your children to wrath". Proverbs 22:6 speaks of formation that lasts a lifetime. This page collects 8 Bible verses for fathers with the full text, the reference and a one-line explanation for each.
The Bible calls God Father and, in doing so, also says what it expects from a father: compassion ("Like a father has compassion on his children"), presence, patient teaching and correction without provoking to anger. Proverbs praises the man of integrity whose children are blessed after him and describes the joy of a father who sees his son grow in wisdom. Deuteronomy asks that teaching happen at home and on the road, at bedtime and at rising. The verses on this page are for Father's Day, for the father who has just held his first child, for the grandfather, for the stepfather who took on the task and for those who grew up without a father and found that figure in God. Choose one and read it aloud at the table: fathers tend to listen more than they show.
A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.
Proverbs 20:7Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.
Psalms 103:13You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
Proverbs 23:24These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7If 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 24:15Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
Proverbs 4:1
Frequently asked questions
Which verse is for Father's Day?
Proverbs 20:7 ("a righteous man walks in integrity; blessed are his children after him") and Psalm 103:13 are the most used.
What does the Bible say about being a father?
It asks for teaching (Deuteronomy 6:6-7), discipline with love and without provoking to anger (Ephesians 6:4), provision (1 Timothy 5:8) and an example of integrity (Proverbs 20:7).
Which verse is for someone who has no father?
Psalm 68:5 calls God "a father of the fatherless", and Psalm 27:10 says that even if father and mother forsake, the Lord takes us in.
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.