A topic that deserts a lot of interest regarding the Bible is the number of women that are mentioned in it, from the Old Testament to the New Testament there are many who appear only mentioned, but others report on their lives and what was their role in history, that's why today we are going to talk about which were the best known Women of the Bible.
The Women of the Bible
The Bible gives us information about many women from whom we can learn many lessons of life, value and courage, that is why we are going to make a brief tour with some of them with whom we can have something in common in life or so that they give us examples of how to get ahead. It was God who considered that these women received blessings and knew that what pleases him most is not whether he is a man or a woman, but rather that he has a spiritual quality.
In our current world where material goods are sometimes more important, giving priority to spiritual matters is not easy, but it does not mean that it is impossible either. There are many women who have that respect and fear of God, who are discreet, hospitable, and who have many virtues just like these women of the Bible. For more examples of their influence and virtues, you can consult more about the women of the bible.
Mary Mother of Jesus
We begin this list with a young Jewish woman, who was a virgin at the time Jesus was born, since her son was conceived by the Holy Spirit and the work of God. As a humble woman, she obeys God, being committed to Joseph. God sends her an Angel to tell her that she would be the mother of the Messiah that they had waited so long for, she accepts this mandate from God.
It is said that after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph had four sons and two daughters, ceasing to be a virgin, and although she had the greatest of privileges, she never asked to be given special treatment, and while Jesus was dictating his ministry, she always was with him in those years.
In her faithfulness, she accepted God's work with great responsibility. She knew God's word, and Luke 1:46 mentions at least 20 references to her in this verse. Many theological scholars believe that Mary was a young teenager when the Angel Gabriel announced her choice to be the mother of Jesus.
Despite being a very young woman, he sent an angel directly with her to give her his message and let her know the extraordinary role she would play in saving the world. MarÃa lived under the tutelage of a tutor, who had to be a man and she was promised to marry José.
At a time when men were the valid authority in women, it was reasonable for the angel to look for the patriarch of Mary's family and give him the news of her choice as the mother of the Messiah, and even more so because of the scandal that would arise in this young woman when her pregnancy situation was known without having married yet.
But she in her humility, with her vocation of life towards God, born without sin, became an exemplary woman for the rest of humanity, which has shown her devotion and love.
Abigail
She was the wife of a rich but rude and bad man named Nabal, she stands out for being a very sensible and humble woman, besides being not only beautiful physically but also in soul. In a moment of great tension, she knew how to act with great wisdom and intelligence.
She lived with Nabal in a place where David, who would be the future king of Israel, was hiding from his enemies. David protected Nabal's flocks from thieves, on one occasion David sent some messengers to Nabal to give him food, but he did not give them anything and treated them rudely. David was upset and decided to go himself to kill Nabal and his men.
Abigail knew what her husband did and took a quick action, she sends her servants to bring food to David, and went behind them, she asked David to have mercy, David saw not only in the gift of food a good deed, but also saw that she was a woman full of humility.
She quickly listened to his advice and realized she was God's instrument to prevent a massacre. Soon, Nabal died, and Abigail married David. From her, we can learn that we must maintain a balance. She was rich and beautiful, but also very intelligent. She apologized for something she hadn't done to maintain peace, and she did so by remaining calm and courageous. To learn more about these characteristics, you can read more about Abigail. women of the bible.
Ana
The wife of Elqaná and mother of Samuel, one of the most important prophets in the Old Testament. She sought comfort in God as she was unable to have children, despite being married for years. Her husband decides to take another wife, Peniná, with whom she was able to have children. She always made fun of Ana, that's why she asked God to comfort her. She asked God that if she gave her a son she would make him her servant in the tabernacle, this was the tent that was taken down and where the Israelites worshiped God.
God heard her prayers and gave her a son, whom she named Samuel, and as promised, she took him to the Tabernacle to serve her. Every year, Ana made Samuel a sleeveless tunic and gave it to him, over time, God blessed Ana and gave her 5 more children, three boys and two girls. Ana knew how to put up with her teasing, because she prayed sincerely and trusted in God, she always kept her faith in him.
Deborah
She was a prophet of Jehovah, God of Israel, she used her to tell the Israelites what they should do and how to solve many of their problems. She supported those who worshiped God, he had her call Barak to lead his army to a fight against the Canaanites, he asks Deborah to accompany them, and she bravely agreed to go with him.
God favored the Israelites and they were victorious. Deborah wrote a song where she and Barak recount what happened, in the song Jael is mentioned, another very brave woman who was important in the defeat of the Canaanites. From her we learn that she makes a sacrifice for others by being brave, encouraging them to do what is right in the eyes of God and giving the recognition that people deserve from her.
Ester
She was a young woman of Jewish origin whom the Persian King Ahasuerus chose to be his queen. As queen, she used influence to prevent the killing of her people. She learned that there was a deadline by which all the Israelites living in Persia would be killed, as a result of a plan by Haman, the Prime Minister of Persia. At the cost of her own life and with the help of her cousin Mordecai, she told her husband about the plan that was going to be carried out. Ahasuerus allowed Esther and her cousin to issue another law that allowed the Jews to defend themselves. They did so and defeated Haman and his men.
From her we can learn that you must be brave, humble and have modesty, since despite being a beautiful woman and having achieved a position in royalty, she knew how to get advice and help from other people, she spoke firmly before her husband but always respecting her authority and was not afraid to be a Jew, at a time of great danger to her people.
Jael
She was the wife of Eber, a man who did not belong to the people of Israel. She was a brave woman who was on the side of God's chosen people. When Sisera, the chief of the Canaanite army, entered the camp where she lived once they had lost the battle, he was looking for a way to hide, she invited him to enter her tent and rest and while he slept he killed him.
She fulfilled the words of the prophetess Deborah, that Jehovah will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman, and for this value she is described in the Bible as a very blessed woman among women. She had the initiative and the courage to fulfill God's prophecy and meet the tests that it imposes.
The Shulammite
She was a young and beautiful peasant woman who appears in the book The Song of Songs, but her name is not mentioned, only her origin. She was in love with a humble shepherd and was very loyal and faithful to him. Because she is so beautiful, King Solomon wanted to conquer her, many people told her that she should accept the king, but she rejected him.
The learning is that beauty is highly sought after, but she was always a modest and humble woman, balanced in her intentions and did not allow herself to be pressured by other people to do the will they wanted, she did not accept wealth or prestige in exchange for her feelings, and morally remained firm and clean in their decisions.
Lea
She was the first wife of Jacob the first patriarch of Israel, and her sister Rachel was the second wife of the same. She had six sons, but in reality Jacob never wanted to marry her, but rather Rachel, but Laban, her father, wanted Leah to marry him. Jacob realized that he was deceived by Laban, and when he looked for an explanation Laban told him that it was not customary for the younger sister to marry before the older one, but a week later he agreed to let him marry Rachel.
Jacob's love for Rachel was greater than for Leah, so the latter's jealousy caused them to compete for Jacob's love. Even so, God blessed Leah with six sons and one daughter. Despite her many worries, Leah trusted God and prayed during this difficult family situation, and He helped her. This situation of two sisters married to the same man teaches us the problems of living in polygamy, something that God tolerated for quite some time, but which was later corrected until the norm of one man for one woman emerged. To discover the impacts and challenges of this dynamic, you can visit outlines of Christian sermons.
Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus
She was one of Jesus' friends, she respected him as the Son of God and believed that Jesus would prevent the death of her brother Lazarus, and in her faith she witnessed his resurrection. Her sister Marta criticized her since she was the one who attended Jesus and her disciples and Mary only dedicated herself to listening to him. But Jesus congratulates her since Mary gave more value to spiritual things than material ones.
She is the one who spills on the head and feet of Jesus a perfumed oil that according to the time was very expensive. Some told her that this was a waste, but Jesus defends her by saying that wherever good news is told, the story of what she had done will always be told. With her action we understand that faith is great, and that she worshiped God before anything else, she in her humility showed respect to Jesus without sparing any expense.
Mary Magdalene
She was one of the most faithful disciples of Jesus, she followed him faithfully along with the male disciples, she was also generous since she used all her possessions to serve them. She followed Jesus until the last of the days in his ministry, she was at his execution and his death, something that none of her male disciples did and she was one of the first to see him risen .
The importance of this woman in the scriptures is very great, especially for being the first person to see the risen Jesus after his crucifixion and death, it was a woman who saw him, Jesus did not appear before Peter or any other of his disciples mens. Maybe she was at the right time and in the right place for her to see the risen Jesus, or maybe it was a divine command.
Many believe that this encounter is not casual but rather an act of redemption by Jesus to bring about the new covenant of life, where equality for all people regardless of their sex would be respected. In a meeting with her, Jesus gives her permission to take several messages to her disciples, those who still believed in him and who were still her friends, but whose hopes had died with him. She went to the disciples and told them that she had seen the Lord and told him the wonderful things that she had commanded to say.
It is for this reason that the Eastern Orthodox Church has named her as the Apostle of the apostles, since her mission was extraordinary, if we also add to this that she never abandoned Jesus at any time in her life and ministry, and that He followed him all the way to Calvary, in his crucifixion and death and even accompanied him to his tomb, something that none of the male disciples who followed him did, since they had hidden out of fear. And it was she and other women who went to his tomb on Sunday to clean his body, to encounter the marvelous work of his resurrection.
Marta
The sister of Lazarus and Mary, who lived in Bethany very close to Jerusalem. She was also a friend of Jesus, in the Bible it is mentioned that Jesus loved Martha, his sister and Lazarus. She was a woman who liked to offer hospitality, and she took care of everything that she had to do with the house. Between her and her sister Maria, they sent for Jesus when Lazarus was sick, since they knew that he could heal him. But
Lazarus dies, and when Jesus arrives, Marta knew that he could resurrect him since she trusted and had a lot of faith in him. Marta is the example of hospitality and of the woman who receives good advice.
Miriam
She was the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the first mentioned in the Bible as a prophetess. She was the one who transmitted the messages of God and had a great importance in Israel, when God destroys Pharaoh's army with the waters of the Red Sea, she sings a song of victory together with the men.
Over time, she and Aaron begin to criticize Moses, more out of pride and envy than anything else. But God listened to them and gave them discipline, Miriam became ill with leprosy, so Moses asked God to heal her and he heard him but she had to be outside the camp for seven days before she was received again.
She accepted her punishment and centuries later is mentioned by God to demonstrate her worth in Israel when she said that she had proceeded to send Aaron and Miriam before Moses. We learn from her that God listens to what we say about our brothers, we must learn to please God avoiding being proud and envious.
Rahab
She was a woman dedicated to prostitution who lived in the city of Jericho and who converted to the Christian faith to worship God. She hid two Israelites who were doing espionage in the region, she did it because she had heard the voice of the God of Israel and how she had saved her people from the Egyptians and the Amorites.
She helped them and asked them to save her and her family when they destroyed Jericho. They agreed, but they set conditions: first, she couldn't tell anyone about her mission. They were also not to leave their house during the attack. They had to hang a red cord in a window so they knew which was their home. She followed all the instructions, and they were saved when the Israelites captured Jericho.
In time she married an Israelite and became an ancestor of David and Jesus. She is one of the examples of how faith shows us that God has mercy for everyone and blesses us in the same way if we have confidence in him regardless of what your past has been. From what you see Rahab was a woman who had good information, she was the one who told the two Israelite spies everything about their exodus from Egypt to Israel, although that had happened 40 years before and she had not been born for that epoch.
She knew of the Israelite victories over the Amorite kings Sihon and Og. She firmly believed that Jehovah would deliver that country to the Israelites, since he was a God who was above in the heavens and below on earth, that is why she learned everything about Jehovah and put all her heart so that he would respond favorably and be able to help her. his side.
It was faith that made her speak and act so that she received these two Israelites in her house and followed the instructions they gave her to save herself from the attack on Jericho, that is why the heart of God rejoiced at her actions. Santiago one of the disciples of Jesus wrote about her and put her name next to Abraham's, so that it would be an example for Christians, he wrote about her that even having been a harlot, she was declared righteous for her actions.
Rahab's reward for her actions was several: first, she saved her and her family's lives, allowed them to live among the Israelites where they were treated as equals, and granted her the honor of being one of Jesus' ancestors.
Rachel
She was the youngest daughter of Laban and the favorite wife of Jacob, the Israelite patriarch. She became his second wife and had two sons with him who became heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. She met him when she was taking care of her father's sheep, and comparing her to Leah, her older sister, she was the most beautiful and the best figured. Jacob was in love with her and agreed to work for Laban for seven years in order to marry her. But at the time of the wedding Laban deceives him and instead of sending Rachel, he sent his eldest daughter Leah.
Later she allows him to marry her, but the love he showed Raquel was greater than the one he felt for Lea, so a great rivalry arose between them. Raquel endured her father's decision, always hoping that God would listen to her prayers. Over time it was understood that polygamy was problematic that a man should only have one woman.
Cardigan
She was the wife of Isaac, with whom he had the twins Jacob and Esau. Rebeca fulfills God's will at times that were not easy. One day, while drawing water from the well, a man asked her for water. She gave it to him and offered to give her camels a drink. The man was one of Abraham's servants who had traveled a long way looking for a wife for Isaac.
The servant asked God to help him, and when he saw a hard-working, humble and above all hospitable woman in Rebeca, he realized that God had answered his prayers and that she was the right woman for Isaac.
When she learned why the man was there, she agrees to accompany him and marry Isaac, eventually she had the twins and God told her that Esau's job was to serve Jacob, being Esau the eldest he was the one who should have Isaac's blessing, but She, remembering the words of God, did everything possible so that Jacob would have the blessing. She was a good mother and wife and a dedicated servant of God.
Business Registration
She was a Moabite woman who left her land and her gods to serve the God of Israel. She loved Naomi, her mother-in-law, they, along with her husband and their children, were living in Moab, since Israel was plagued by a famine, their two children married two Moabite women Ruth and Orpah, with time the husband and Noemi's children died and the three women were widowed.
Naomi goes back to Israel when the drought is over, and Ruth and Orpah wanted to go with them but Naomi told her to go back to her family. Orpah went with her family, but Ruth decided to stay with Naomi since he loved her very much and she wanted to continue worshiping Jehovah by her side. Ruth was a very good and hardworking woman, and she had an excellent reputation in Bethlehem.
A rich man named Boaz was surprised by Don Rut and gave him a lot of food for her and Naomi, and in time he married her, thus becoming one of the ancestors of David and Jesus. We learn from her that a person can give up everything in life just for the love of Jehovah, she was devoted, loyal to Naomi even in times of difficult circumstances.
Sara
She was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac, she left a life of comfort in Ur because she had faith and believed in the promises of God, and that Abraham had received, that she go to the modern city of Ur in the land of Canaan, there he would have many blessings and form a great nation. At that time, Sara would be 60 years old, and they spent their time living from one place to another living in tents.
It was a dangerous life, but she supported her husband and obeyed the word of God, Sara could not have children and this saddened her, but God had promised her that they would have many descendants of her husband. At almost 90 years of age, God blessed her and she became pregnant, she had a boy named Isaac, her husband at that time would have been 100 years old. God always fulfills what he promises and even if you think they are impossible things, he sees how he blessed Sara, who is an example of a wife, loyal and faithful and above all, who respected her marriage.
The important thing about this story of Sara is that Abraham was worried about the promise that God made him to give him a great offspring, he was getting old just like his wife, that's why Sara tells him to take his slave Hagar and make her his second wife to have children and he has a son with her whom he calls Ishmael. But when God tells him that she will have a son by her old wife Sarah, he just laughs, but God tells him that through this son he will establish her eternal covenant with him and her offspring.
In the same way he blessed Ishmael, but his eternal pact would be with Isaac, this birth would be miraculous, that is why God and his word are eternal and for him there is nothing impossible, everything that God wants to be done, will be fulfilled. as he says.
Priscila
She is a woman who considers herself brave because she worked alongside her husband, Aquila was always a spreader of the word of God, she and her husband were friends of Paul and managed to found a church in their house, where they taught and prepared Apollo. to do God's work.
Women of the Bible with authority of spirit
Spiritual authority is linked to the way God is heard and to be part of his service and ministry. At one time it was thought that only men had this ability and only they could be spiritual guides and heads of families, but the The Bible mentions many stories where God, instead of taking the husbands, spoke directly with the women, since they were an important part of the biblical story, if he did not speak with them directly then he did so through the angels. These women managed to act without permission or protection from men.
Samson's Mother
In the book of Judges, chapter 13 there is the story of a woman to whom an angel of God teaches her what God's plan is for the liberation of his people, the woman's name is not mentioned but she was the wife of Manoa He told her that she would have a son, who would be special since he would free Israel from the yoke of the Philistines. The angel confided in her that she should follow a special diet and more than that she should never cut her son's hair.
She tells her husband the news, but he wanted to know what those instructions would be, so he asked her to send an angel again and teach him how to raise the child. God heard her request but the angel appears to the woman, she went for her husband, and the angel again tells her how the child should be raised.
The Wise Woman of Abel Beth Maacah
She was a leading woman of this city through her manner of administering authority and through persuasion she managed to rescue her people from being destroyed by Joab, the commander of King David's army.
King Lemuel's mother
It was a woman who taught her son who was already a man and King to interpret the oracle, his words were recorded in scriptures so that other kings could read them and learn from them.
Lois and Eunice
They are called columns in the temple of God, the time they had to live was not of peace, there women could have independence or have a profession. These two women were Jewish Christians of the first century, in a world dominated by the Romans and where both Jews and Christians were persecuted, made slaves and were relegated in society.
Paul mentions them as the mother and grandmother of Timothy, and that both had a sincere faith. Loida was a woman who feared God especially in those times and taught her daughter to be careful, her faith was very sincere over the years, and they are an example of what it is like to fear God and be a symbol of justice for Timothy. , and his fidelity was reflected in his life later.
Anna the Prophetess
She was a woman who had a life close to God, widowed as a young woman and then only dedicated herself to serving God, at 84 years old she managed to see the arrival of Jesus to the temple when he was a baby and his parents, Mary and Joseph took him for presentation to the Lord on the day of purification. Since she had a special relationship and communication with God, she knew exactly that the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah were fulfilled.
Something extraordinary in a simple woman, since the most respected rabbis and priests of the time did not see Jesus as the Messiah. She knew how to give hope to all the people who were waiting for this arrival of a savior. Her role is similar to the one we have in society, and we can all hear and understand the word and will of God. She worked in the Temple all day and night, and we can do the same today no matter where we are and what we do. God knows how to be with the people who live close to him.
Sifra and Púa
They lived in Egypt during the reign of a tyrannical pharaoh, whose name is not said, fearing that the population of the Hebrews would grow uncontrollably, he ordered both women to kill every Hebrew male who was born, but she They did not obey Pharaoh but stayed with these children, since they were afraid of God.
They sought refuge in God and this was a shield for them since it protected them from the pharaoh's wrath, but it also gave them a reward of having a family of their own and gave them honor by having their names and deeds written in his word so that his actions would be known by future generations, and the pharaoh's name was lost in time and forgotten.
Hulda
This female character is named in Book 2 of Chronicles. It is said that the King of Judah, Josiah, wanted to know more about how he could praise God and that is why he sent a group of women to where the prophetess Huldah was, she told him that he should place certain people in certain positions and make a series of religious reforms, which he implemented for the good of his reign.
The Mourners
In the times of Judah's apostasy, it was normal for many deceptions to occur, and the only people who listened to God, together with the prophet Jeremiah and some women, God told the mourners a message and gave them authorization to reveal this message on his behalf.
Among them was a Shunammite woman, who wanted to make a room for the prophet Elisha to settle in, she was a kind and hospitable woman and this filled her with many blessings for her and her husband, in addition to her son, the vision that this woman had in spirit and strength she was very great and it is because of her that her family is blessed.
Hannah
She is one of the protagonists of a story from Book 1 of Samuel where she prays for a baby making the commitment to take that child with God so that it will be used as a servant in the tabernacle, the husband of this Elcana was a very affectionate person and understanding, he trusts his wife and agrees with her actions and decisions, in these verses it clearly says that her husband had no mediation in his actions.
Women of the Bible with a bad example
Now, in the Bible, some women are also mentioned who are not worthy of following their examples, they were bad women, of bad behavior and reputation who only thought of themselves and their own benefits, which is why they insulted God. Among them we can mention:
Delilah
She was the woman Samson fell in love with, who is considered one of the judges of Israel. She accepted money from the Philistines to discover the secret of Samson's strength and thus betrayed him. God had predestined Samson so that he would be the savior of the Israelites from the Philistines, they could not defeat him since Jehovah had given him extraordinary strength. The Philistines go to Delilah and bribed her so that with her beauty they would discover the secret of her strength.
She accepted and soon fell in love with him and discovered that her secret was in her long hair, so she got him drunk and when he fell asleep she cut his hair. The Philistines are finally able to capture him, imprison him and gouge out his eyes. From her we learn that Greed can dominate people who are selfish and disloyal and end up betraying good people, so her example should not be followed by anyone.
Eva
She was the first woman to be mentioned in the Bible, and she does so by telling us that she disobeys God in one of his commands, and makes her husband Adam do the same. God thought that they were the perfect humans, since he had created them so that they could make their own decisions and in this way they could grow in wisdom and love.
God had told them that if they ate from a specific tree that was in the Garden of Eden, they would die. But Satan in the form of a serpent convinced Eve that it was a lie, and that if she disobeyed God she would have a better life, she ate that fruit and then made Adam do the same. The result, they were expelled from paradise for being disobedient. From her we learn that we should not feed the wrong desires and that getting something that is not ours is disobeying God.
Jezebel
The wife of Abab the king of Israel, who did not belong to the Israelite people and did not worship Jehovah, but her God Baal, the God of the Canaanites. She as queen she was a dominant woman, besides being very ruthless and full of violence. She made her increase the worship of Baal and she liked sexual immoralities, in addition to wanting to eliminate the worship of Jehovah as the only true God.
She had the ability to lie and murder so that her whims were fulfilled, but as God said she died violently and was never buried, in conclusion she was a corrupt woman who had no scruples, her name is associated with the impudence, immorality and unbridled living, so no one should follow their example in life.
lot's wife
His name was never mentioned in the Bible, but it tells us that he had two daughters and that he was with Lot and his family in the city of Sodom. She was disobedient to God's command. When he decides to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their immoral practices, he tells Lot to get his family and people out of there, sending two angels to escort him to a safe place, the angels tell him that no one should look back, and that if they did the wrath of God would kill them.
Lot's wife did not want to leave her life or her goods and disobeying the order she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt, her learning is that we should not value material goods first, we must obey the Lord's commands, in fact Jesus mentions her in one of his speeches when he says "Remember Lot's wife".
Herodias and Salome
Herodias was Herod's wife at the time Jesus began his ministry, and Salome was her daughter. Herodias lived in sin, having married her dead husband's brother. The two plotted to destroy John the Baptist, who proclaimed the sinful and lustful lives of both women to everyone.
Herod has John the Baptist arrested by Herodias and at one of the parties, he asks Salome to dance for them, Herod had a low passion for this young woman who is described as being very beautiful, but a viper just like her mother . Between the two they come to an arrangement and the young woman agrees to dance in exchange for being given what she wanted, but after the dance.
Herod accepts, and the Young Woman does a dance, and at the end asks him to bring the head of John the Baptist on a silver tray. Herod tries to convince her since he thought that John was an enlightened man of God and was afraid of harming him, but in front of everyone's eyes, Salomé rebukes him that he is not going to keep his word, and the word of a king was sacred, so he agrees and has Juan killed.
If you find this article interesting, then be sure to read these others:
Characteristics of a Missionary
