WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WOMEN OF FAITH?
Here are some of the best examples of faithful women across the Scriptures.
It is amazing to see how God worked in and through them.
What examples of faithfulness to us all!
Eve - a helper fit for man, taken out of man, the first mother - Genesis 2:18-4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2:13
Genesis 2:18 “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (ESV)
Genesis 2:23 “Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
Genesis 3:20 “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.”
Noah’s Wife - endurance through disaster, faithfulness as a wife and mother for hundreds years (Noah lived until 950 years old) in the midst of an evil generation where “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5) - Genesis 5:28-9
Sarah - obeyed and courageously moved along with her husband into a faraway land at the call of God, wife to Abraham, denied protection by a cowardly Abraham and allowed to be taken by Pharaoh and Abimelech, barren/childless until 90, sinned multiple times in her treatment of Hagar, laughed at God’s promise of a child, yet the Lord blessed her with a child in Isaac and praised her faith, lived until 127 years old - Genesis 11:29-23; Romans 9:9; Hebrews 11:11; 1 Peter 3:6
Genesis 21:1 “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.”
Hebrews 11:11 “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.”
1 Peter 3:6 “as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”
Hagar the Egyptian - mistreated by Sarah, used and cast off by Abraham, mother to Ishmael with Abraham, cared for and protected by the Lord - Genesis 16, 21:8-21
Genesis 16:13 “So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’”
Genesis 21:17 “And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.’” (ESV)
Rebekah - attractive but modest, virgin, selfless servant, kind, hard-working, wife to Isaac, struggled with infertility, seeks the Lord during her pregnancy, husband is cowardly in denying her in front of the people of Gerar (Abimelech), provides sinful advice and favoritism to her son Jacob, yet the Lord chooses and uses Jacob through Rachel - Gen. 24-27, Rom. 9:10-13
Genesis 25:21 “And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.”
Rachel - hardworking shepherdess, beautiful, patiently waits for her husband, Jacob’s wife, loved, barren for many years, envied her sister Leah, mother to Joseph and Benjamin, stole her father’s idols and deceived him, died giving birth to Benjamin - Genesis 29-31, 33, 35
Genesis 30:22–24 “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. [23] She conceived and bore a son and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach.’ [24] And she called his name Joseph, saying, ‘May the LORD add to me another son!’”
Leah - not as beautiful as Rachel, Jacob’s wife, marriage based on deception, hated by Jacob, blessed by the Lord with children, mother to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah - Genesis 29-31, 33, 35
Genesis 29:31 “When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.”
Ruth 4:11 “Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel”
Shiphrah & Puah - Hebrew Midwives in Egypt - feared God more than Pharaoh, disobeyed the evil laws of the government and refused to murder babies, risked their lives and lied to Pharaoh to protecting lives of the babies, blessed by God and the nation of Israel prospered through their faithfulness. Exodus 1:15-22
Exodus 1:17 “But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.”
Jochebed - Moses’ & Aaron's mother, enslaved, courageously protects her baby by hiding him as long as possible then giving him up for adoption when she had no other option, able to nurse - Exodus 1, 2:1-10, 6:20; Numbers 26:59; Hebrews 11:23
Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”
Pharaoh’s Daughter - courageously adopted Moses knowing the danger of disobeying her father - Exodus 2:5-10
Exodus 2:6 “When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
Miriam - prophetess, Moses and Aaron’s sister, protects her baby brother Moses by watching him until he is adopted, bravely speaks to Pharaoh’s daughter so her mom can nurse Moses, leads women rejoicing in song and dance in response to God’s salvation from the Egyptian army when they were drowned by God in the Red Sea, given another chance to serve God after failing in opposing Moses and punished with leprosy - Exodus 2:1-10, 15:20-21, Numbers 12:1-15
Exodus 2:4, 7 “And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. …[7] Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’”
Exodus 15:20–21 “Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. [21] And Miriam sang to them 'Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.’”
Faithful Whole-Hearted Women - generous in giving, skilled in their work, hard-working, passionate heartfelt service for the purpose of providing for and building the Tabernacle to worship God - Exodus 35:20-29
Exodus 35:29 “All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD.”
Rahab - prostitute, believed in God, great-great-grandmother to King David, bravely hid the spies of Israel from the king of Jericho, faith evidenced by her obedience - Joshua 2, 6; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25-26
Joshua 2:11 “for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath”
Hebrews 11:31 “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”
James 2:25–26 “And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
Deborah - faithful and brave when Barak failed to courageously lead Israel against General Sisera, wise prophetess and the 5th Judge of Israel, sang with Barak a song of gratitude to God - Judges 4 & 5
Judges 4:4–5 “Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. [5] She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.”
Jael - clever in defeating General Sisera to lull him to sleep and killed him with a tent peg - Judges 4:17-22
Judges 4:21 “But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.”
Judges 5:24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.”
Samson’s Mother - godly parent with Manoah, humbly shares the angelic appearances with her husband and lets him lead their family, barren, obeys the angel’s command to abstain from alcohol and unclean food, given Samson as a son - Judges 13, 14:1-9; 16:17
Naomi - widowed, lost both sons, honored and blessed God even in her loss, gave wisdom to Ruth, great-great-grandmother to King David - Ruth 1; 4:13-22
Ruth 1:5, 8 “the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. …But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.’”
Ruth - widowed, faithful to her mother-in-law Naomi, believed and trusted in God, great-grandmother to King David - Ruth 1-4
Hannah - loved by Elkanah, suffered from infertility, prayer and dedicated son Samuel to the Lord, endured provocation from Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, over her childlessness, depressed, took her sorrow and anxiety to the Lord in prayer, trusted in God’s promise through Eli, gave and dedicated Samuel over to serve the Lord, beautiful song of praise to the Lord, faithfully committed to the Lord and blessed her son, God gave her five more children - 1 Samuel 1; 2:1-11, 18-21
1 Samuel 1:10 “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.”
1 Samuel 1:27–28 “For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. [28] Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.”
Abigail - discerning and beautiful, married to a to wealthy but wicked man (Nabal), she showed understanding and generosity in providing an avenue for peace for her family, was culturally wise and humble, worked hard to care for others, selflessly and courageously offers to take on the penalty others deserve, trusted in the Lord, patiently endured much suffering, married King David - 1 Samuel 25:2-42
1 Samuel 25:3 “The woman was discerning and beautiful”
Bathsheba - beautiful, raped by King David, grieved over the murder of her husband, lost a son, given and raised a godly son in Solomon, lineage of Jesus, wisely intercedes in a dangerous situation so that her son can become King, well respected - 2 Samuel 11; 12:13-24, 1 Kings 1-2
2 Samuel 12:24–25 “she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him [25] and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.”
1 Kings 2:19 “Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right.”
Widow at Zarephath - hard working, humble, faithful to obey the Lord, hospitable, generously prepared a meal for Elijah out of her last food, Lord provides unending flour and oil, son raised from dead by Elijah - 1 Kings 17:7-24
1 Kings 17:24 “And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”
Widow of a Prophet - faithfully served the Lord alongside her husband, widowed with two sons, poor and overcome with debt, faithfully followed Elisha’s advice, the Lord provided oil to pay off her debt - 2 Kings 4:1-7
2 Kings 4:7 “She came and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.'”
Shunammite Woman - wealthy, generously hospitable with meals and built a guest room for Elisha, she was suffering from infertility and the Lord blessed her with a son through Elisha, her son dies but is raised from the dead by her persistence in seeking healing from God through Elisha- 2 Kings 4:8-37
2 Kings 4:30 “Then the mother of the child said, 'As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So he arose and followed her.”
Huldah - trustworthy, hardworking, encouraged King Josiah to read and believe the Bible (Book of the Law) that was found, courageously proclaimed truth in obedience to God - 2 Chronicles 34:22-33, 2 Kings 22:14-20
2 Kings 22:15 “And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me … “
The Woman Who Fears the Lord (Proverbs 31 Woman) - trustworthy, excellent wife, full of good works, diligent with her hands, wise with finances and a smart businesswoman, wakes up early and is not lazy, physically strong and healthy, generous to the poor, prepares for seasons of difficulty, thinks of the needs of others before herself, builds up the reputation of her husband, dignified, speaks with wisdom and kindness, praised by her husband and children, fears the Lord above all else - Proverbs 31:10-31
Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
Esther - orphaned and adopted, wise learner and submissive, beautiful and favored, though a foriegner, becomes queen, endures racist attacks by Haman, seeks the Lord through fasting and prayer, bravely risks her life and saves tens of thousands of Jewish people across the world
Esther 2:15 “he asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.”
Esther 4:14 “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:16 “hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
Jehosheba - bravely and wisely hides her nephew and future King from a murderous Queen for six years
2 Kings 11:2–3 “But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. [3] And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land.”
Elizabeth - righteous and faithful wife to a priest, childless until old, trusts the Lord’s promise, obedient to God’s commands, mother of John the Baptist, encourager and relative to Mary - Luke 1:5-25, 57-80
Luke 1:6 “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”
Mary - sexually pure, virgin until Jesus is born, raises Jesus, bravely follows and trusts God, widowed, watches son murdered, faithful - Luke 1:26-56; 2; 3; Matthew 1:18-25, 2, John 2:1-12, Luke 8:19-21, John 19:25-27
Luke 1:38 “Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’”
Luke 1:46–47 “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”
Anna - married seven years, widowed for ~50+ years, worships God day and night at the Temple with fasting and prayer, sees Jesus, prophetess, full of gratitude and praise to God, speaks truth - Luke 2:36-38
Luke 2:37–38 “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. [38] And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Samaritan Woman - married multiple times, living with a man, encounters Jesus, tells everyone in her town about Jesus - John 4:4-42
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
Sinful Woman - sinful life, bravely enters the Pharisee’s house, cries at Jesus’ feet, cleans His feet with her hair, anoints His feet with an expensive ointment, sins forgiven by Jesus, loved Jesus greatly - Luke 7:36-50
Luke 7:47 “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Sick Woman - weakened and impoverished by chronic bleeding, goes to Jesus, has faith in Jesus, works hard to get to Jesus in a crowd, touches Jesus and is healed - Mark 5:24-34
Mark 5:27–28 “She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. [28] For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.’"
Mary of Bethany - sits at Jesus’ feet, listening and learning, chooses wisely how to spend her time, pours perfume on Jesus’ feet in gratitude for her brother Lazarus’ resurrection and preparation for Jesus’ death - Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-45; 12:1-8
Luke 10:39–42 “Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. …the Lord answered her, “… one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
John 12:3 “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
Martha of Bethany - sister Mary brother Lazarus dies, loved by Jesus, welcomes Jesus into her home, works hard for Jesus, Jesus encourages her to worry less and listen at his feet - Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-45
Luke 10:38 “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.”
Luke 10:40–41 “But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” [41] But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things’”
Widow with Two Coins - impoverished, lonely, gives sacrificially of everything she has, trust the Lord for His provision - Luke 21:1-4; Mark 12:41-44
Luke 21:3–4 “And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. [4] For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'”
Mary Magdalene - was possessed by demons but set free by Jesus, faithful to Jesus to the end - Luke 8:1-3; 24:1-10; John 19:25; 20:11-18, Matthew 27:55-61; 28:1; Mark 15:40-41; 16:1-11
Mark 16:1 “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.”
Dorcas (Tabitha) - helped others with works and generosity, died, resurrected by Peter - Acts 9:36-42
Acts 9:36 “ Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.”
Lydia - businesswoman, seller of purple cloth, believes in Jesus through Paul at Philippi, hospitable - Acts 16:11-15, 40
Acts 16:14 "One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”
Priscilla - Aquila’s wife, mentors alongside her husband, church in their home - Acts 18:1-3, 18-26, Romans 16:3-4, 1 Corinthians 16:19
Acts 18:26 “He [Apollos] began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
Romans 16:3–4 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, [4] who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.”
Lois & Eunice - grandmother and mother to Timothy, provided godly instruction and example of genuine faith in God - 2 Timothy 1:5, Acts 16:1
2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”
Younger Widows -
1 Timothy 5:14 "So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.”
1 Corinthians 7:39–40 “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. [40] Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.”
Older Women - modeling godliness, teaching and training younger women as wives and mothers
Titus 2:3-5 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, [4 ] and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, [5 ] to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
Phoebe - a servant (sometimes translated “deaconess”)
Romans 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae
Mary - a hard worker
Romans 16:6-7 “Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. … They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.”
Andronicus and Junia - relatives and prisoners with Paul
Romans 16:7 “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.”
In Every Place Women - respectable, modest, self-controlled, humble, doing good, learning, submissive, not teaching or exercising leadership over men in church (rooted in the order of creation and the fall), faithfully enduring as mothers and godly women
1 Timothy 2:8-15 “I desire then that in every place … women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, [10 ] but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. [11 ] Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. [12 ] I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. [13 ] For Adam was formed first, then Eve; [14 ] and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. [15 ] Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”
1 Corinthians 11:3,8, 11-13, 16 - “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. … [8]For man was not made from woman, but woman from man… [11 ] Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; [12 ] for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. [13 ] Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? … [16] If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.”
1 Corinthians 14:33-35 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, [34 ] the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. [35 ] If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church."
In Marriage - Godly Wives - Ephesians 5:22-33 - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 - 1 Peter 3:1-7 - Colossians 3:18-25
www.trustworthyword.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-marriage-roles
Helpmate (Gen 2:18)
Loving and gracious submission to the leadership of her husband (Eph 5:22, Col 3:18)
Not strive/resist the leadership of her husband (Gen 3:16, 1 Pet 3:1)
Respect her husband (Eph 5:33)
Diligent worker, whether at home or in the workplace (Pro 31)
Hospitable towards others and generous towards poor (Pro 31)
Cares for children and household (Prov 31)
Meet sexual needs of husband (1 Cor 7)
Be beautiful on the inside (1 Pet 3:4)