Women

 Women 
     in the Bible 

 

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE: for ye are all one in Jesus Christ" Gal 3:28   No doubt still some foolish fellows and silly women, but we are "new creatures" in Christ!                                                                                           

The role examples of 188 named  Women in the Bible, and a host of others left unnamed, identify prominent queens, prophetesses, judges, and military leaders.  Just as half of the world's population is female, the same was true in biblical times.        

      

Abigail - Adah - Anna - Athaliah - Bathsheba - Deborah - Delilah - Dinah - Elisabeth - Esther - Eve - Hagar - Hannah - Herodias - Huldah - Jael - Jezebel - Keturah - Leah - Martha - Mary - Michal - Miriam - Naomi - Noah - Phoebe - Priscilla - Rachel - Rahab - Rebekah - Ruth - Sarah - Salome -Sapphira - Tabitha - Tamar - Vashti - Zeruiah - Zippora            

Abigail - means "source or cause of delight" - She interceded with David to dissuade him from killing her slob husband Nabal. 1 Sam 25. This wise woman became wife to David after Nabal's drunkeness led to his own death. When David proposed marriage, "she quickly went with five damsels" to become his wife. 1 Sam 25:42. Consider/Compare to ten virgins of Matthew 25.   *The other Abigail was David's sister.

 

Adah - means "pleasure" - Only two (2) with this name:

wife of Lamech I, Gen 4:19, and wife of Esau, Gen 36:12.

 

Anna - means "grace", Lk 2:36 - One of the six women called "Prophetess" in the Bible: Deborah, Judg4:4 - Huldah, 2K22:14 - Mirium, Ex15:20 - 'Mrs.' Isaiah, Isa8:3 - Noadiah, Neh6:14.   Rev2:20 speaks of someone named Jezebel who "calls herself a prophetess".
Athaliah - "Jah is strong". This wicked daughter of Jezebel and Omri, King of Israel, became the wife to King Jehoram of Judah. Their son Ahaziah reigned for one year, and after his death she had others of the royal family murdered and reigned herself. (As Queen). 2Chr22:12.
Bathsheba - means "daughter of the covenant" - Becomes David's wife after he has her husband Uriah murdered. The baby born of that clandestine affair also dies, but their fourth son, Solomon, eventually succeeds to the throne after Bathsheba intercedes on his behalf to the king. 1Kings1.
Deborah - means "bee, wasp". Judges 4:4 says: "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time". She is one of about twenty persons who "judged Israel" in that time period between Joshua and Saul: the era leading to the Prophet Samuel.   Deborah's only recorded prophecy concerned the outcome of the battle between Barak and Sisera. Judg4:9.     (No other mention of Lapidoth)

The first "two wives" in the Bible were Adah & Zillah (A - Z)   (Gen4:19)

Delilah - means "languishing". Like the way Hedy Lamar acted towards Victor Mature. You don't hear this name much, and maybe it's because the woman is an overt liar who made a mockery of Samson in her quest for money. He'd already been "played the fool" earlier by the woman pestering him for his Riddle -- surely he knew better than to give up his Secret?
Dinah - means "justice" (No doubt it's for all...) She's the only daughter in Jacob's family of twelve sons -- curious how 'the father' had such great love for the two younger boys, but barely a mention of Dinah other than her rape in Gen34. Her mother, Leah the unloved, had six of those sons and two of them, Simeon and Levi, avenged their sister by killing all the men of that city.
Elisabeth - means "God of the Covenant" (or oath) -- [Heb: berith, Grk: diatheke, Eng: contract/agreement/pledge/promise] - Mother of John the Baptist, wife of Zacharias the priest, and cousin of Mary, mother of Jesus.  Elisabeth was barren until late in life, as were Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, etc. Her name comes from the wife of the non-celibate high priest Aaron: Elisheba had four sons: Ex6:23.

BARREN: but finally had a son!   Sarah - Rachel - Hannah - Elisabeth - Shunammite
See the pattern? It takes the "incorruptible seed" (Jesus; 1Pet1:23) to make us fruitful!

 

Esther - means "Star". One of just two books named after women. She's the young Jewish beauty selected to replace the disobedient Queen Vashti.   Her next of kin Mordecai believed it was "for such a time as this" that she was instrumental in providing a Way for the saving of her people from annihilation, and deliverance from the prideful Haman. (Satan)
 

Eve - means "living" - When the serpent came with questions, she only knew what Adam had told her, and he had several things wrong; like about not touching the tree, and "maybe" it would cause death -- and did she know which tree was which?   Rebellious Adam and the wily serpent got a "because" from God, but Eve was deceived and suffered (shared) the consequences, including the pain of childbirth.   And so it is today...
Hagar - means "wandering", cp Jude 1:13, Dt27:18 - Egyptian mother of Ishmael, Gen16, and the Arab nations, Gen25:12, who bore Abram's first son because Sarai was still barren. Her name spelled 'Agar' in Galatians 4:24 re allegory of the Two Covenants.
Hannah - means "grace". One of two wives, Hannah was the one with no children until she prayed fervently and went to the house of the Lord. The priest there "marked her mouth" and thought she was drunk (cp Acts2), but in time she gives birth to Samuel the Prophet. They are of the tribe of Ephraim, and only the Levites were allowed to be priests. 1Sam1.
Herodias - means "fem.of Herod". A wicked woman who had left Philip for Herod; she advised her daughter to have John the Baptist beheaded on that occasion after she had danced at Herod's birthday party. Herod had made the daughter an extreme promise, but kept his word. Matt14:6
Huldah - means "weasel". 2Chr34:22 says she was a prophetess who lived at the college in Jerusalem and was consulted by the great King Josiah (he'd always been a follower of the Lord) who "found a lost book" and now realized they'd been disobedient to what had been written.   2K22:14
Jael - means "chamois". Don't mess with this lady. She offered Sisera buttermilk when he'd only asked for water--"she brought forth butter in a lordly dish". (COVENANT OF SALT) - Deborah had prophesied the outcome:   Jael offered the protection of "the" tent, but he had cowardly crawled into "her tent" (OFF LIMITS to men) and fallen asleep, so she killed him with a tent peg to the head. Judg4:22

"Whatsoever things that were written aforetime were written FOR OUR LEARNING!" * Rom15:4

Jezebel - means "w/o cohabitation". This wife of wimpish King Ahab is the most notorious woman in the Bible, and perhaps the stupidest, too, for her attempt on the life of Elijah. In the end, she was eaten by dogs as Elijah had prophesied. The "Jezebel" spoken of in Revelation 2:20 is probably not her given name, but rather characterizes those ungodly ways.
Keturah - means "fragrance". She married Abraham after Sarah died, and gave him six sons! No disrespect to Sarah, but it was the second wife who was more "fruitful", with an older Abraham! Gen25 The romantic triangle with Sarah vs Hagar has shifted the fact/truth of Keturah to the dusty archives.
Leah - means "weary". She's the older sister of Rachel, whom Jacob had planned to marry after 7 yrs. labor. The surprising switch was made on the wedding night and he found himself married to Leah instead. In the end he serves 14 years for the two wives, but it was Leah "the unloved" who gave him six sons and a daughter, and with whom he was buried. Gen49:29

Martha - means "lady". Jesus said "Martha, Martha" (FIG. OF SPEECH) to this sister of Mary and Lazarus who lived in Bethany. Luke 10:41. Martha had complained that her sister wasn't helping with the chores, but Jesus took up for Mary who was attentive to his words . Later, it was Martha who met Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, while Mary stayed home until called.John 11:28.
Mary, mother of Jesus - means "bitter", just as Naomi said to call her "Mara" instead. The "Blessed Virgin" may have been (figuratively) a "daughter of Zelophehad", Numb26:33, meaning her father, Joseph (son of Jacob II), had no sons. So she was required to marry within her own tribe. Nu36.

Seven (7) Marys!   1. Mother of Jesus - *  2. Mary Magdalene - Mt27:56 *  3. Mother of James, Joses - Mt27:56 *  4. Sister of Martha - John 11:1 *  5. Wife of Cleopas - John 19:25 *  6. Mother of John Mark - Acts 12:12 *  7. Saint Mary of Romans 16:6. (Maybe not all 7 were Saints?)   [#1 & #3 could be the same person.]

Mary called Magdalene was among the women healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Luke8:2, including Joanna and Susanna.   Jesus had cast seven devils out of this Mary, who saw him crucified (Mk15:40) and three days later accompanied Salome and the mother of James with spices to anoint the body. She was the one who ran to tell Peter about the empty tomb, and who later saw the two angels, and Jesus telling her to "touch me not..." John20:17
Michal - fem. of Michael --"Who is like God?". David's first wife; the younger daughter of Saul, and sister of Jonathan. She loved David (maybe unrequited), and saved him from her father's wrath using a dummy in the bed, but later despised him for dancing, (2Sam6:16) so perhaps was "an unbeliever", to snare David as Saul intended. She died childless (w/o "fruit"), but raised her sister's five 5 sons for hanging.   2Sam21:8.

Man's name? Woman's name? What makes them different? Most appear to be obvious, but Noah the daughter of Zelophehad, Numb26:33, and Joanna of Lk3:27, 8:3, and 24:10 (only in Luke, and only those chapters)[3x8=24] gives us pause to reflect.

 

Miriam - means "rebellious". Sister to Moses & Aaron, who became leprous and was ejected from the camp for seven (7) day period for her criticism of Moses marrying the Ethiopian woman. God said: "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed?.." Numb 12:14
  No reason given for why Aaron escaped similar punishment.
Naomi - means "pleasant". She left Bethlehem with a husband and two sons, but they all died in that foreign land, and she returned to the "House of Bread" empty. This mother-in-law to Ruth led her to Boaz in fashion as the Holy Spirit leads us to Christ. When we glean in his fields, he'll drop some "bread" special for us, and become our bridegroom covering. Ruth 1:9
Noah - One of the five(5) daughters of Zelophehad: he had no sons. Numb26:33. Marriage and Inheritance involved here. Numb36:6
Precepts of how a Son carries on the "The Name", but daughters inherit too. Now we "whosoevers" are joint heirs with Christ! Rom8:17
Phoebe - means "bright". Spelled Phebe, w/o the "o" in Romans 16:1 (KJV) where Paul commends her, and seems to qualify her as a 'deaconess' (per NIV).   Other likely woman names in this chapter include Priscilla, Mary, Persis, Julia, Tryphena, and Tryphosa.
Priscilla also spelled Prisca - Wife to Aquila (eagle); this New Testament couple had accompanied the Apostle Paul, and so they took Apollos (who was very learned in O.T. theology) aside to explain things more fully. Acts 18:24. Paul called them his "helpers in Christ", Rom16:3, and referred to the Church in their house with the mystery "Mary" who labored in the Lord.

 

Jephthah's daughter (unnamed) was NOT burned to death as some teach. She bewailed her virginity (never married) as a type of Nun who marries Christ. "Burnt-offering" a precept of the new and true baptism with Holy Ghost and FIRE (of the tongue).

 

Rachel - means "Ewe". Jacob saw her first and wanted her to wife and served 7 yrs. for her -- Like the O.T. is God's first wife, his Chosen People -- who finally birthed the "Lamb of God", Jesus. The "7 spiritual years" is become a literal 2,000. Instead of the Jews coming into their kingdom, behold, it was the Gentiles turn! We are the second wife, like Keturah and Leah, and we're supposed to be fruitful!
Rahab - means "proud". Called a harlot in Joshua 2 & 6, and twice in the N.T., besides being used poetically in the Psalms and Isaiah. Only her name to justify that occupation, and in this day and age we'd be more apt to call her a traitor to her own people for making the salvation deal with Israel.
She hid the two un-named spies--so reflect on how we hide the Word in our heart, and how Jesus said "I and my Father are One".

Psalm 68:11 - "The Lord announced the Word, and great was the company of those who published it".   The KJV translators of this verse failed to mention that this company is a FEMALE company!   (cp NEV, NASV or TLB)

 

Rebekah - means "flattering". Wife of Isaac, and mother of Esau and Jacob who had "two nations in her womb". Gen25:23. She had been watering the camels (think Living Water to the unsaved) when the un-named servant came looking for a wife for Isaac. Like the Holy Spirit has now come looking for a bride for the bridegroom Jesus.
Ruth - means "Friend". Think Truth with a capital "T". Her first mother-in-law is Naomi, but her second is Rahab who marries into the tribe of Judah, and bears a son named Boaz: the Redeemer-Husband! Isa54:5 Ruth is a Gentile: the scripture foretelling concerning the Bride of Christ, the Church or part thereof, and how we achieve the victory by gleaning in His fields only.

Salome - means "happy, friendly". Her name appears only twice: Mk15:40, 16:1, both times in connection with Jesus' death. She's sister to
James-the-less and Joses (Mt13:55), so she may be half-sister to Jesus.
Sarah - means "princess". Sarai ("JAH is prince") must've been a beauty because she was over 65 when Abimelech took her into his harem (but quickly returned her).   Abraham called her his sister; considered a half-truth because they really did have the same father and now Jesus says the same spiritual "father" as well.   God told Abraham: "I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations", Gen17:16.     A miracle birth which preceded the main futuristic MIRACLE BIRTH! So Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100 when Isaac, the son of their own flesh was born -- son of the promise, like Jesus.
Sapphira - means "Sapphire" (a blue gem). Together with her husband Ananias, Acts5, they conspired to "lie to the Holy Spirit". It didn't seem a crime worthy of the death penalty when they withheld some of the voluntary contribution they had promised. Nevertheless, they died within a 3 hr. period after it was revealed to Peter what they had done. First the man--then the woman. This couple are associated with Peter's Ministry to the Jews, in contrast to the way Priscilla and Aquila are associated with Paul's Ministry to the Gentiles.
Tabitha - AKA"Dorcas" (doe or roe), Acts9:36. Raised from the dead by the Apostle Peter, this woman from Joppa "was full of good works and almsdeeds.."  Peter had a special ministry to the Jews, Gal2:7, so "notified" the Gentile beginning with Cornelius, and the "dying" of Ananias & Sapphira, as well as this "raising" of the good female.   More precepts for our learning.
Tamar - means "Palm". She had been widowed twice when she "played the harlot" because Judah's third son had not married her (IAW Deut25:5) The Saducees built upon this story in Gen38 to inquire about the hypothetical instance of seven who had had the same wife. Judah acknowledged that Tamar "had been more righteous than himself", and one of her twins (Pharez) born of that act carried on the generations to Christ.   MORE?

The daughters of Job (42:15) were the fairest in the land! His seven sons aren't named, but his three daughters were Jemima, Kezia, and
Keren-happuch.   Interesting how the 3rd daughter seems to have a hyphenated name, isn't it?
Tamar, David's daughter. This contemptible story is told in 2Sam13, long after the Law against incest had been given. Tamar was wearing a garment "of divers colors, for wearing by the king's daughters that were virgins" when the rape by her brother Amnon occurred. The act brought on the hatred of another brother, Absalom, who then plotted and carried out Amnon's death, and later named his own daughter 'Tamar'.
Vashti - Persian for 'beautiful woman' - We applaud her for not appearing at that drunken party, Esther 1:12, but that perspective blurs the allegory of how Israel & Judah were "wives", Jer3:8, as were Rachel & Leah, and so Vashti represents the Old Covenant and Esther the New.
Zeruiah - means "balm". David's sister (like Abigail), 1Chr2:16. Her 3 sons: Joab, Asahel, and Abishai, were among David's "mighty-men". 2Sam23:23. Initially we hadn't been aware that David had sisters.
Zipporah - means "little bird". Wife to Moses, and one of the seven daughters of Jethro, 'Priest of Midian'. She circumcised one son under difficult circumstances (Ex4:24) but they had two, Gershom and Eliezer, and perhaps the "second-born" had been trying to slip through unscathed.

Two husbands!   Women of the Bible with two or more husbands were: Abigail (Nabal-David ) - Bathsheba (Uriah- David) - Ruth (Mahlon- Boaz) - Tamar (Er- Onan) - Herodias (Philip-Herod) and, of course, the nameless woman-at-the-well in John 4.

 188 Names of Women in the Bible

The Bible is an historic record of real people and places. Learn who's who, their relationships, and the meaning of their names.

 


 

Abigail
Abihail
Abijah
Abishag
Abital
Achsah
Ada
Adah
Ahinoam
Ahlai
Aholah
Aholiamah
Aholibah
Aholibamah
Anammelech
Anna
Apphia
Asenath
Asherah
Ashtoreth
Atarah
Athaliah
Azubah

 

Bashemath
Bath-sheba
Bathshua
Bernice
Bilhah
Bithiah

 

Candace
Chloe
Claudia
Concubine
Cozbi
Cushite

 

Damaris
Daughter
Deaconess
Deborah
Delilah
Diana
Diblaim
Dinah
Dorcas
Drusilla

 

Eglah
Elect lady
Elisabeth
Elisheba
Elizabeth
Ephah
Ephratah
Ephrath
Esther
Esther (Book of)
Ethiopian woman
Eunice
Euodia
Euodias
Eve

 

There were no “F” names.

 

Gomer

 

Hadassah
Hagar
Haggith
Hammoleketh
Hamutal
Handmaid
Hannah
Harlot
Hazelelponi
Hazzelelponi
Heifer
Helah
Hephzibah
Herodias
Hodesh
Hoglah
Huldah

 

Iscah
Ishtar

 

Jael
Jecoliah
Jedidah
Jehoaddan
Jehosheba
Jemima
Jerioth
Jerusha
Jewess
Jezebel
Joanna
Jochebed
Judith
Julia
Junia(s)

 

Keren-happuch
Keturah
Kezia

 

Lapidoth
Leah
Lois
Lo-ruhamah
Lydia

 

Maachah
Magdalene
Mahalath
Mahlah
Mara
Martha
Mary
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ
Mehetabel
Merab
Meshullemeth
Michaiah
Michal
Midwife
Milcah
Miriam
Mrs. Noah

 

Naamah
Naarah
Nagge
Naomi
Nehushta
Noadiah
Noah (female)
Noah's wife
Nymphas

 

Oholibamah
Orpah

 

Peninnah
Persis
Pharaoh's daughters
Phebe
Priscilla
Prophetess
Prostitute
Puah

 

Queen
Queen of Heaven

 

Rachab
Rachel
Rahab
Rebecca
Rebekah
Reumah
Rhoda
Rizpah
Ruhamah
Ruth
Ruth's book

 

Salome
Sapphira
Sara
Sarah
Sarai
Serah
Sheerah
Shelomith
Shelomoth
Sherah
Shimeath
Shimrith
Shiphrah
Shomer
Shua
Shulamite woman
Spouse
Succoth-benoth
Susanna
Syntyche
Syrophenician

 

Tabitha
Tahpenes
Tamar
Taphath
Timna
Tirza
Tirzah
Tryphena and Tryphosa 
 

 

Old Testament

   New Testament SOME WOMEN WRITE HISTORY!!   

 
 

 

 SOME WOMEN READ    

          HISTORY!!!!

   
 
 

 
 

SOME WOMEN MAKE HISTORY!!!!! 

BUT GUESS WHAT?
 

SOME WOMEN CHANGE HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

WHICH WOMAN DO YOU WANT TO BE IN LIFE BEFORE YOU SEE GOD FACE TO FACE? 
    

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

some of the sources of the above material is from bible, cswnet. com, christiananswers.net,wilkepedia,etc.