100 Bible Verses About Loving Animals

The Bible reveals God’s deep care for all His creatures, from the smallest sparrow to the mightiest lion. Throughout Scripture, we find verses that teach us about compassion, stewardship, and kindness toward animals. 

God entrusted humanity with the responsibility to care for His creation, including every living creature. These verses remind us that animals matter to God and should matter to us too. They show us how treating animals with love reflects our character and faith. 

100 Bible Verses About Loving Animals

1. Genesis 1:24-25 – “And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”
2. Genesis 1:30 – “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.”
3. Genesis 2:19 – “Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them.”
4. Genesis 6:19-20 – “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.”
5. Genesis 7:2-3 – “Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.”
6. Genesis 8:1 – “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”
7. Genesis 9:9-10 – “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.”
8. Exodus 23:11 – “But during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left.”
9. Exodus 23:12 – “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”
10. Leviticus 25:7 – “As well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land yields may be eaten.”

11. Exodus 20:10 – “But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals.”
12. Deuteronomy 5:14 – “But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals.”
13. Deuteronomy 22:4 – “If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet.”
14. Deuteronomy 22:6-7 – “If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go.”
15. Deuteronomy 22:10 – “Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.”
16. Deuteronomy 25:4 – “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”
17. Proverbs 12:10 – “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”
18. Proverbs 27:23 – “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.”
19. Numbers 22:32 – “The angel of the Lord asked him, ‘Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.'”
20. Jonah 4:11 – “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

21. Job 38:41 – “Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?”
22. Job 39:1-2 – “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?”
23. Psalm 104:10-11 – “He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.”
24. Psalm 104:14 – “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth.”
25. Psalm 104:21 – “The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.”
26. Psalm 104:27-28 – “All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.”
27. Psalm 145:9 – “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
28. Psalm 145:15-16 – “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
29. Psalm 147:9 – “He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.”
30. Matthew 6:26 – “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

31. Genesis 1:21 – “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
32. Genesis 1:28 – “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'”
33. Job 12:7-10 – “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
34. Psalm 8:6-8 – “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”
35. Psalm 50:10-11 – “For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.”
36. Psalm 148:7-10 – “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds.”
37. Isaiah 11:6 – “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”
38. Isaiah 11:7 – “The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.”
39. Isaiah 11:9 – “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
40. Hosea 2:18 – “In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.”

41. Proverbs 6:6-8 – “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”
42. Proverbs 30:24-28 – “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.”
43. Job 35:11 – “Who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?”
44. Isaiah 1:3 – “The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
45. Jeremiah 8:7 – “Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.”

46. Numbers 22:28 – “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?'”
47. 1 Kings 17:4 – “You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
48. 1 Kings 17:6 – “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”
49. Daniel 6:22 – “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
50. Jonah 1:17 – “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
51. Matthew 21:2 – “Saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.'”
52. Luke 2:7 – “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
53. Luke 2:16 – “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.”
54. Acts 10:12 – “It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.”
55. 2 Kings 2:24 – “He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”

56. Psalm 69:34 – “Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them.”
57. Psalm 96:11-12 – “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”
58. Psalm 98:7-8 – “Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.”
59. Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
60. Revelation 5:13 – “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'”

61. Matthew 10:29 – “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”
62. Luke 12:6 – “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.”
63. Job 38:39-40 – “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket?”
64. Job 39:5-6 – “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes? I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat.”
65. Job 39:26-27 – “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?”
66. Psalm 84:3 – “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.”
67. Psalm 104:17-18 – “There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.”
68. Psalm 104:25-26 – “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.”

69. Genesis 2:15 – “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
70. Luke 12:48 – “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
71. 1 Corinthians 4:2 – “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
72. Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
73. Leviticus 25:23 – “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”
74. Colossians 1:16 – “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”
75. Romans 8:19-21 – “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

76. Genesis 22:13 – “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”
77. Exodus 12:5 – “The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.”
78. Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
79. Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
80. Matthew 9:13 – “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

81. Isaiah 65:25 – “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.”
82. Ezekiel 34:25 – “I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.”
83. Job 5:22-23 – “You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals. For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.”
84. Mark 1:13 – “And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”
85. Leviticus 26:6 – “I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.”

86. Job 40:15 – “Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.”
87. Psalm 104:24 – “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”
88. Nehemiah 9:6 – “You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”
89. Ecclesiastes 3:19 – “Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.”
90. Acts 17:25 – “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”

• Proverbs 11:17 – “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.”
• Luke 14:5 – “Then he asked them, ‘If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?'”
• 1 Timothy 5:18 – “For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.'”
• Psalm 36:6 – “Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.”
• Job 38:26-27 – “To water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?”
• Ecclesiastes 3:21 – “Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
• Genesis 9:3-4 – “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.”
• Psalm 104:30 – “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.”
• Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
• Romans 1:20 – “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Bible say we should love animals? 

Yes, the Bible teaches that God cares for all His creatures and expects us to treat them with kindness and compassion as part of our stewardship.

What do Proverbs say about caring for animals? 

Proverbs 12:10 states that “a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,” showing that how we treat animals reflects our character.

Did God create animals for us to care for? 

Yes, in Genesis, God created animals and gave humanity the responsibility to care for and have dominion over them with wisdom and love.

Are animals important to God? Absolutely, 

God provides for animals, knows when even a sparrow falls, and includes them in His covenant and promises of redemption.

Will animals be in heaven? 

While the Bible doesn’t give complete details, passages like Isaiah 11 describe animals in God’s restored creation, suggesting His eternal care for them.

Conclusion

The Bible clearly shows that animals matter deeply to God and should matter to us as well. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s provision for creatures, His commands for their humane treatment, and His inclusion of them in His covenant promises. 

As followers of Christ, we’re called to reflect God’s compassion by treating animals with kindness and respect. Caring for animals isn’t just about being nice—it’s about honoring God’s creation and fulfilling our role as faithful stewards.