The Bible is full of stories and verses related to widows. In fact, there are over a hundred references to widows in the Bible, and each holds a word of encouragement for women today.
Though society in the days of the Old and New Testament did not always value widows, God was always making sure to watch out for them. He gave laws and advice for the care of widows and provided stories that show how much God loves widows. From these stories, we get a glimpse into how much He loves us as well.
Laws For Widows and Orphans
After God gave Moses the ten basic commandments, he went on to deliver laws concerning servants, violence, animal control, property, moral and ceremonial principles, and in Exodus 22:22-24 He gave laws for orphans and widows, “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” (ESV)
Moses reiterates the sentiment in Deuteronomy 10:18 when he says that God administers justice for the fatherless and the widows. In Deuteronomy 14:29 God provided for widows by requiring that every third year the Israelites were to bring out the tithe of their produce, and it would be for the Levites, the fatherless, the widows, and any strangers in the land.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 covers the provision for childless widows. Moses explained that if a man died leaving a widow with no son, then the man’s brother was to marry her. Her firstborn son with the brother would bear the name of her dead husband so that he wouldn’t be forgotten.
It’s easy to skim over the multitude of Old Testament laws, but they reveal to us the character of God. God is an advocate for victims. He protects the weak and speaks out for the voiceless. We can find comfort in knowing that whatever our situation, we are not alone. God is with us, watching out for us, protecting us, and providing for us.
Read about orphans and widows in Scripture: Exodus 22:22-24, Deuteronomy 10:18, 14:29, 25:5-10
Tamar
Judah found a wife for his son Er. Her name was Tamar. But soon after their marriage, God killed Er due to his wickedness.
So as was the custom, Tamar was given to Judah’s second son, Onan, so that he might pass along Er’s line. But Onan had a problem with that. If he had heirs, he wanted them to be his, not his brother’s, so he made sure that Tamar didn’t get pregnant. This displeased God, so He killed him as well.
Judah had a third son, but he was afraid to give him to Tamar for fear of what might happen, so he sent Tamar back to her family to wait for Shelah, the last son, to grow up. He had no intention, however, of bringing Tamar back.
Unfortunately, this put Tamar is a difficult situation. As a widow promised to a brother of her dead husband, she was unable to marry anyone else. When she realized that Judah had reneged on his promise, she took matters into her own hands.
All Tamar wanted was to have a son. She was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen, even risking death.
Regardless of her motivation, God used Tamar to get the attention of Judah, and in his mercy, allowed Tamar, a Canannite woman, to hold a coveted spot in the lineage of Jesus.
It’s hard for us to imagine why God chose Judah and Tamar to be part of His son’s lineage. But they show us His grace. His lineage is not filled with perfect souls but rather flawed individuals who were undeserving yet redeemed.
Read about Tamar in Scripture: Genesis 38
Naomi
In the beginning of the book of Ruth, we meet Naomi, an Israelite woman from Bethlehem blessed with a husband and two sons, living the good life.
Then famine hits their beloved land and her husband Elimelelch moves the family to the pagan land of Moab.
Within a short period of time, her husband dies. But at least she still has her sons.
Then her sons each marries Moabite women. While she would have preferred they marry Hebrew women, she accepts the foreign wives, looking forward to the grandchildren who are sure to follow.
But before long, both her sons die, leaving her in a foreign country with two foreign daughters-in-law and no grandchildren to pass along the family name.
It seemed a hopeless situation. Naomi changed her name to Mara because God had dealt bitterly with her.
Naomi made plans to return to her hometown of Bethlehem, and her daughter-in-law Ruth accompanied her. They arrived at the beginning of barley harvest, and Ruth offered to go to the fields and glean grain to support the two of them.
One thing led to another, and Ruth found a second chance at love with Naomi’s kinsman redeemer, Boaz. They married and had a child.
Naomi was a woman who lived a roller coaster life. At one point she thought God had abandoned her and left her with nothing to look forward to. But God, in His infinite mercy, brought her a surprise plot twist that was better than anything she could have expected. He gave her a grandson to treasure, and that grandson would be the father of Jesse, the grandfather of David, and, ultimately, in the direct lineage of Jesus.
Read about Naomi in Scripture: Ruth 1-4
Ruth
The Bible tells us very little about Ruth. All we know about her past is that she was a Moabite woman who married Mahlon, one of Naomi’s sons. The name Mahlon means sickly, so most likely Ruth went into the marriage knowing that he had health issues and might require caregiving. She also likely knew that she could end up a young widow, which of course, turned out to be the case.
The Moabites were a rough group of people. They were the descendants of Lot’s oldest daughter through her incestuous relationship with Lot. Moabite worship was lewd and grotesque to the extent of even having human sacrifice. They detested Israelites.
And yet, in the midst of this corrupt environment arose a young Moabite woman with a pure heart who fell in love with a sickly Israelite.
We don’t know how long Ruth and Mahlon were married. The Bible tells us Naomi and her sons dwelt in Moab for ten years and during that time Elimelech died and the sons got married. So their marriage was short lived.
Ruth chose to leave the vileness of Moab and follow her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem. She left behind her old life to embark on a journey with an unforeseen future. The journey alone was fraught with dangers. Settling in a foreign country with no guarantees that she’d ever be accepted by the Israelites, was a risk that Ruth took. But it paid off.
Ruth found love with Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of Naomi. They married and had a son, and Ruth, the pagan widow, ended up being included in the lineage of Jesus.
If we truly want to be women of God, we must leave behind our past life and follow Him, serving Him however He calls us.
Read about Ruth in Scripture: Ruth 1-4
Widow of Zarephath
We meet the Widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. At the beginning of the chapter Elijah announces to Ahab that there will not be rain until he proclaims it. God tells Elijah to get away to the Brook Cherith where he drinks from the brook and ravens feed him. But after awhile, the drought causes the brook to dry up.
God directs Elijah to head to Zarephath and dwell there with a widow who will provide for him. He gets to the city gates, and indeed, there is a widow gathering sticks.
He asks her for a cup of water, and as she’s going to get it, he also requests a cake of bread. She explains to him that she doesn’t have any bread, that in fact, all she has is a handful of flour and a tiny big of oil in a jar. In fact, she was gathering the sticks so that she might prepare a last meal for her and her son before they die from starvation.
Elijah says to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”
She did what Elijah requested, and she and her son and Elijah ate for many days, and her flour and oil didn’t give out.
Elijah had received word from God that he was to go to Zarephath and stay with a widow. He was expecting her and knew she was part of God’s plan to provide for his needs.
The widow didn’t have that advantage. She had no way of knowing that the scruffy looking stranger was a prophet sent by God to take care of her and her son. Imagine her joy when he said, “thus says the Lord God of Israel” and proceeded to tell her that God would provide for her. Even when we feel all hope is gone, God is still watching out for us and will provide for our needs.
Read about the widow of Zarephath in Scripture: 1 Kings 17
The Prophet’s Widow
God rose up prophets like Elisha who held prophecy schools where they trained other prophets in the ancient Law. The prophet’s widow in 2 Kings 4 was one of the wives of the prophecy school trainees.
These were difficult times. The people of Israel were struggling. The prophet had to take out a loan in order to provide for his family. Then he died, leaving his helpless widow owing money and having no way to pay off the debt.
The widow went to Elisha and pleaded her case. She reminded him that her husband had studied with him and that he had feared the Lord, but now he was dead and the creditor was threatening to take her two sons as slaves if she didn’t pay off the loan.
Elisha asked her what she had in her house. She had nothing to offer but a jar of oil. Elisha told her to go to her neighbors and borrow empty vessels from them. He encouraged her to gather as many as she could. Once she had the pots collected, she was to shut the door behind her and she and her sons would pour the oil they had into the vessels they’d gathered. As they filled up the vessels they were to set aside the ones that were full.
The widow did exactly as he instructed. Her sons would hand her an empty jar. She’d fill it with oil from her original container. They continued until all the vessels were full.
She went back to Elisha to ask what she was to do next. He told her to sell the oil, pay back the debt, and she and her sons could live off of whatever remained.
What an amazing lesson the widow and her sons witnessed to see how God provided for them. For the rest of their lives, they would always remember when they were facing being sold into slavery but God interviewed by multiplying a pot of oil.
Read about the prophet’s widow in Scripture: 2 Kings 4
Anna
How old is too old to serve God? At what point do you decide it’s time to let the young people do the serving?
Anna was a prophetess of the tribe of Asher. When we meet her in Luke 2, she was of a great age. She had lived with a husband seven years and was a widow of about eighty-four years.
Whereas many might have grown bitter, Anna grew better. Morning and night she devoted herself to prayer and fasting. As a woman who had suffered much, she understood the suffering of those around her.
She lived at the temple, serving God 24 hours a day. And because she was at the temple, she was able to witness when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem for his baby dedication. She happened to be walking by when Simeon held Jesus in his arms and acknowledged him as the long awaited Savior. She gave thanks to God for being allowed to witness such a special moment then processed to she about Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
At times Anna must have felt like life was passing her by.
Surely, in her darkest moments she must have questioned if she was still useful to God, if He still needed her. Nonetheless, she continued faithfully serving, trusting that God would let her know when her time was up. And then, on that day when she was quietly going along about her business, and she saw Simeon holding a baby and declaring Him as the Redeemer, it all came together. All those years of service were rewarded.
Read about Anna in Scripture: Luke 2
Widow of Nain
Jesus and His followers arrived near the city gate, they met up with a funeral procession leaving the city and heading to the burial grounds. The deceased was the only son of a widow woman. A large crowd was with her. When Jesus saw the widow of Nain, he flet compassion for her, and told her not to cry.
Everyone stopped in their tracks as they watched Jesus walk over to the open coffin and touch it. They all knew He was a religious leader. Religious leaders stayed away from the dead for fear of becoming unclean.
He called out in a clear voice, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And immediately, the dead man sat up and began to speak. Jesus presented the resurrected man to his mother and continued on His way.
It was no accident that Jesus happened to be entering the town at the exact moment that the funeral procession was leaving. He knew this woman needed Him to come to her.
This woman was at her depths. She’d already lost her husband. Now, she’d lost her only son. It was a frightening situation to be in, and Jesus had compassion on her.
Jesus knows your hurts better than anyone, and in your time of need, He feels compassion for you. You may think it’s too late, but just as Jesus was not too late for the Widow of Nain, He’s not too late to work His miracle in your life.
Read about the widow of Nain in Scripture: Luke 7.
Widow With Two Mites
While Jesus was teaching at the temple, He sat across from the treasury, the box where everyone would drop off their tithes and offerings. He watched the rich put in their grand amounts. Then He saw a poor widow quietly place in the box two mites. Together, they equalled less than a penny, but when Jesus witnessed her act, He was touched.
Mark 12:43 says, “He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.’ ” (NKJV)
Jesus stopped what He was doing to pull His disciples to His side to make sure they didn’t miss what happened. Then He moved on.
Unlike other incidents where Jesus publicly addressed individuals or personally confronted them, in this case, Jesus whispered what was going on to His disciples and never approached the widow herself.
This woman never knew that Jesus used her as an example. She did the right thing when she thought no one else was looking. She gave her all, even though little was expected of her. She trusted that even if she gave her very last coin, that God would provide for her needs. And you know what? I’m pretty sure He did.
Read about the widow with two mites in Scripture: Mark 12, Luke 21
Dorcas
Dorcas was a Greek woman full of good works and charitable deeds, but then she got sick and died. Peter was in Lydda, which was about eight miles away, so fellow Joppa disciples sent two men to call for Peter to come immediately, which he did.
When Peter arrived at her house, he was surrounded by weeping women showing him the beautiful garments that Dorcas had sewn for them. Peter ushered them all out of the upper room where Dorcas laid, then he knelt down beside her and prayed. When he finished praying he called out, “Tabitha arise.” And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
Peter helped her up, called to the saints and widows downstairs, and presented her alive. As a result of her resurrection, many in Joppa believed in the Lord.
We can only assume that Dorcas continued on with her charitable work of making beautiful garments for the poor and widowed. In fact, in the early 1800’s, ministry groups, inspired by her story, created Dorcas Societies, charities dedicated to providing clothing and other needs for the poor. At least one of those continues on today.
If your life were summed up in a sentence or two, what would that sentence be? Would it praise your good works like Dorcas? Do you have those whose lives have been affected by what you’ve done for them? Are you leaving behind a legacy for future generations?
Read about Dorcas in Scripture: Acts 9
Read about more widows in the Bible.
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