When Does Each Human Life Begin?: The Answer of Scripture

“The babies [Jacob and Esau] jostled each other within her [Rebekah].” (Genesis 25:22)

“In the womb he [Jacob] grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God.” (Hosea 12:3)

Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.” (Job 10:8-12)

“Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:15)

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

“Surely I was sinful at birth; sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5)

Note: Only a person can have a sin nature. David’s statement clearly shows he was a person at the point of conception.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

“His mother Mary . . . was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit . . . [the angel said] ‘what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” (Matthew 1:18-20)

“But the angel said to Mary ‘you will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. . . . The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:30-31, 35)

Summary of Luke 1:39-44: After the angel left, Mary “hurried” (v. 39) to get to Elizabeth. Unborn John the Baptist (in his 6th month after conception) responded to the presence of the unborn Jesus inside Mary. Allowing for travel, Jesus was no more than 8-10 days beyond conception when they arrived. Implantation doesn’t begin until 6 days after conception and isn’t complete until 12—most likely Jesus was not yet fully implanted in his mother’s womb when unborn John responded to his presence.

For more information on this subject, see Randy Alcorn's book ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons by Nina Sesina, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixty books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries

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