The Bible's core Father's Day command is "Honour thy father and thy mother" (Exodus 20:12). A wise son "heareth his father's instruction" (Proverbs 13:1), and for anyone missing a father, Scripture says of God, "thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer" (Isaiah 63:16).
Father's Day falls on the third Sunday of June in the US (June 20, 2027). People look for Bible verses for Father's Day cards, church bulletins, a toast at a family meal or a social media post, and for comfort when the day is painful. These twelve King James verses show how to honor a father, offer blessings and prayers for dads, grandfathers, stepdads and fathers-in-law, and point to God our Father, who never fails. For more on fatherhood, see dad; for daughters and their fathers, see father and daughter.
Honor your father
1. Proverbs 13:1
"A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke."
Honoring a father starts with listening. Proverbs keeps returning to a father's instruction because wisdom is passed from one generation to the next. Telling your dad which of his lessons stuck with you is a meaningful Father's Day gift.
2. Proverbs 4:3-4
"For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live."
Solomon remembers being his father's tender and only beloved son, and how David taught him: Let thine heart retain my words. Many grown children can still quote what their father told them. Write one of those sayings in a card.
3. Genesis 46:29
"And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while."
After more than twenty years apart, Joseph, now a ruler in Egypt, rode out to meet his father Jacob and wept on his neck a good while. Power and distance did not stop him from honoring his father. A visit or a call can say the same today.
4. Exodus 18:7
"And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent."
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law Jethro, bowed, kissed him and asked about his welfare, and later took his advice (Exodus 18:24). Father's Day is a good day to honor fathers-in-law, stepdads and grandfathers too.
Blessings and prayers for dads
5. Job 1:5
"And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."
Job rose up early to pray and offer sacrifices for each of his children, in case they had sinned, and thus did Job continually. A father's faithful prayers are one of the greatest gifts he can give. See praying for others.
6. 1 Chronicles 29:19
"And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision."
This is David's prayer for his son: give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, a whole heart devoted to God. The palace in the verse is the temple Solomon would build. It is a model prayer for fathers to pray over their children, and for children to pray over their fathers.
7. Isaiah 38:19
"The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth."
King Hezekiah wrote this after recovering from a deadly illness (Isaiah 38:9): the father to the children shall make known thy truth. Fathers pass on not only rules but stories of what God has done for them.
8. Genesis 48:15-16
"And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
Old Jacob blessed his grandsons by naming the God which fed me all my life long. A grandfather's blessing points to God's faithfulness over a whole lifetime, which makes this a beautiful verse for a grandfather on Father's Day.
God our Father
9. Deuteronomy 1:31
"And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place."
Moses reminded Israel that God had carried them through the wilderness as a man doth bear his son. The picture is of a father carrying a tired child the whole way home. God's care is the model for every good dad.
10. Hosea 11:3
"I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them."
God says, I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms, like a father teaching a toddler to walk. Even when His children did not notice, He was healing them. Patient, unseen care is part of fatherhood.
11. Psalms 89:26
"He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation."
God promised that David's line would cry, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Jesus taught all His followers to pray Our Father (Matthew 6:9), so through Christ anyone can call God Father.
12. Isaiah 63:16
"Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting."
Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us. Even when earthly fathers do not know us, are absent or have died, God remains our Father and redeemer. This is a comforting verse for a hard Father's Day.
A short prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the fathers, grandfathers, stepdads and father figures in our lives. Bless them with wisdom, patience and hearts devoted to You. Help us to honor them with our words and our time. For everyone who misses a father or carries painful memories, be the Father who never fails and who carries us all the way home. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Give Dad a daily study habit with the SOAP Bible Study Journal · Memorize a verse together with the Scripture Memory Cards · Print our free Bible verse bookmarks to tuck into a Father's Day card
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Bible verse for a Father's Day card?
Short options include "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him" (Proverbs 20:7), "A wise son maketh a glad father" (Proverbs 15:20) and "the father to the children shall make known thy truth" (Isaiah 38:19). For a grandfather, use Genesis 48:15: "the God which fed me all my life long unto this day". Add one specific thank-you, such as a lesson he taught you or a time he showed up.
What does the Bible say about honoring your father?
The fifth commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother" (Exodus 20:12), is repeated in the New Testament as "the first commandment with promise" (Ephesians 6:2). Honor means respect, gratitude and, as parents age, practical care (1 Timothy 5:4). Honoring a father does not mean pretending he was perfect or obeying him if he asks you to do wrong (Acts 5:29). See parents.
What if Father's Day is hard for me?
Father's Day can hurt if your father has died, was absent or hurt you, or if you long to be a father. The Bible is honest about broken families, and it calls God "A father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5) and promises, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up" (Psalm 27:10). You can honor good memories, keep healthy boundaries with a hurtful parent and still thank God for the father figures He has given you. See comfort and strength.
When is Father's Day 2027?
In the US, the UK and Canada, Father's Day is the third Sunday of June, which is June 20, 2027. Australia and New Zealand celebrate it on the first Sunday of September. Churches often honor fathers in the Sunday service, so a verse in the bulletin or on a small card works well.
Honoring a father never requires staying in danger. If someone at home is hurting you, in the US, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about dad · Bible verses about father and daughter · Bible verses about parents · Bible verses about family · Bible verses about husbands · Bible verses for Mother's Day · Bible verses about pastor appreciation · Bible verses about comfort and strength
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
