Women in the Bible
Q: What does the Bible say about women?
A: The Bible describes a lot of evil women, just like it describes a lot of evil men. But there are also a lot of passages that talk about heroic, virtuous and important women.
Matthew 26:10
But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me."
Bad Women
Women have taken quite a beating in the Bible. Some people remind you that “First came Adam,” and that Eve committed the first sin. They’ll tell you about Delilah betraying Samson, and Jezebel being a slut.
In Old Testament times, women were little more than slaves. By the time the New Testament came along, things weren’t much better. Several letters claiming to be written by the Apostle Paul (most biblical scholars doubt that he wrote all of them) are hard on women. Here’s a sample:
1 Corinthians 11
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ. Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head disgraces his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled disgraces her head -- it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off, or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. For a man ought not to have his head veiled, since he is the image and reflection of God; but woman is the reflection of man. Indeed, man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
1 Timothy 2:9, 11-14
also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes ... Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Actually, Genesis 1:27 says that Adam and Eve were formed at the same time (although Genesis 2:18-19 disagrees), and Genesis 3:6 says they were both deceived. But some people condemn all women because one woman was “the first transgressor.” If we follow that logic, should we not also condemn …
- all farmers, because Cain, the first farmer, made an offering of grain to God, and God had no regard for it (Genesis 4:3-5);
- all farmers, because Cain was also the first murderer (Genesis 4:8);
- all military men, because the Philistine soldier Goliath mocked and killed the Israelites;
- all military men, because of the Roman soldiers who mocked and flogged Jesus;
- all male leaders because Pharoah oppressed the Jews in Egypt;
- all men because of the gang rapists in Gibeah (Judges 19) and attempted gang rapists in Sodom (Genesis 19:4);
- all men because of Sheba (“a scoundrel,” 2 Samuel 20:1);
- all men because of Amnon, who raped his sister (2 Samuel 13);
- all men because of Thomas the disciple, who doubted;
- all men because of Peter the disciple, who denied Jesus three times;
- all clergymen because the Pharisees and Sadducees who plotted against Jesus were male;
- and finally, all men because Judas Iscariot, the ultimate betrayer, was a man?
None of that would make much sense. Besides, the book of Ezekiel disagrees:
Ezekiel 18:19-20
“Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Most modern-day Christians would agree that Ezekiel’s statement about blame makes more sense. You are judged by what you do, not what your parent or ancestor did. To us, this is better justice.
Good Women
It is not widely known that the Bible has a lot of good things to say about women too:
Judges 4:1-4
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor ... he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
At that time, Israel didn’t have a king. A series of judges exerted the leadership (hence the name of the book). Samson was one of these judges, but before him came Deborah, a woman who led Israel. She comes up with a plan to eliminate their oppressors. She summons a guy named Barak and tells him to assemble an army.
Judges 4:7
“And I [Deborah] will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.”
She’s got it all planned out, and sounds pretty confident. But Barak protests. He doesn’t want to go without her.
Judges 4:9
And she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.”
So the two armies confront each other, and Deborah gives the order.
Judges 4:14, 16
And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” ... And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak at the edge of the sword; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot.
God works through Deborah, a strong leader of Israel, to throw off their oppressors. Sisera sneaks away, and hides in the tent of a woman named Jael, wife of Heber. Jael welcomes him, gives him milk to drink, and keeps watch at the door to see if any of Sisera’s enemies are coming. She says nobody is coming, so he goes to sleep.
Judges 4:21
But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, till it went down into the ground, as he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.
Deborah defeats the enemy army, and Jael assassinates the enemy general. Two women are the key to victory.
Judges 4:23
So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.
When God subdues Jabin and the enemies of Israel, he uses two women to do it. Judges chapter 5 is a song of victory, and includes the following verses:
Judges 5:7, 12, 24-27
The peasantry ceased in Israel, they ceased until you arose, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.
Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song!
Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl. She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen’s mallet; she struck Sisera a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet; at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead.
Judges 5:31
... And the land had rest for forty years.
The New Testament
Luke 1:30-48
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ... And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” ... And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
Mary becomes more honored than any other human being in history.
When Jesus was presented in the temple as a child, Luke describes a woman named Anna:
Luke 2:36-38
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Jesus often defends women, including this passage:
Matthew 26:6-13
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, "Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor." But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."
In the following passage, Jesus uses a woman to illustrate true spirituality.
Mark 12:41-44
He [Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
In the following passage, Jesus again uses a woman to show what true devotion and spirituality is:
Luke 7:36-38
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.
The host, and the other men at the table, grumble about her, but Jesus defends her:
Luke 7:44
… "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ... And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Women are also the source of salvation for many people:
John 4:24-26, 39
[Jesus says] "God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." ... Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony.
THE RESURRECTION
Of course, we have to talk about the resurrection of Jesus Christ – the central, defining moment in all of Christianity. The resurrection changed everything, and women were major players in it. Check it out:
Matthew 28:1-10
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Some people say, “FIRST came Adam!” Well, after the resurrection, FIRST two women were told. Then Jesus appears to them and tells them to spread the news.
Mark 16:1-7
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”
Mark’s version has three women get the news, as well as the instruction to spread the word of his Resurrection.
Luke 24:1-10
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. zaThe women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.
Luke’s version doesn’t specify how many people were there, but verse 5 says they’re all women, and they go and tell everyone else.
John 20:11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
So in all four Gospels, women are told first, and are instructed to tell the world about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Women in the rest of the New Testament
I mentioned this earlier, but why do scholars think that some of the Letters of Paul weren’t really written by Paul? There are lots of reasons, but one of them is this: the 'Paul' who forbade women from participating in services was clearly not the same Paul who wrote stuff like this:
Romans 16
[Paul says], I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well ...
Romans 16:6
Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you ...
Romans 16:14
Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
In these verses, Paul talks about women being a deacon of a church, and a saint. Mary and Julia are also female names, and Nereus’ sister is too, and Paul calls them all saints.
Acts 9:36
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
Peter doesn’t raise many people from the dead, but one of them was Tabitha who was clearly worth his time and spiritual power.
Acts 16:13-15
On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.
The Lord opens this woman’s heart, and uses her to save her entire household. Then all of the apostles come to stay with her for awhile.
Acts 16:16-17
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”
Eventually Paul commands the spirit to leave her. But this woman was proclaiming the news of God’s salvation, so I’m including it.
Paul and Silas go to Thessalonica, where Paul argues with the local priests and talks about the Messiah. What happens?
Acts 17:4
Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
From there, Paul and Silas go to Beroea, and preach again:
Acts 17:12
Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing.
The women of high standing seemed to be counted as seriously as the men.
Acts 17:32-34
When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” At that point Paul left them. But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Acts 18:24-26
Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.
Priscilla corrects a man so he can speak about Jesus more accurately, and Acts reports it admiringly.
Acts 21:8-9
The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
God gave the divine gift of prophecy to four women.
1 Corinthians 11:4-5
Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head disgraces his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled disgraces her head -- it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved.
We read this before. But if we look at it carefully, we see that the writer didn’t have any problem with a woman praying or prophesying. He just says she should cover her head while she does it.
Philippians 4:2-3
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
“Help those women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the Gospel.”
Colossians 4:15
Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Nympha had a church in her house, and Paul appreciated it.
2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.
How could Paul know of that sincere faith unless Timothy’s grandmother and mother had talked to men about it?
Philemon 1-3
... To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
OK, let’s turn to the letters of John. He writes to “the elect lady” in his second letter.
2 John 1:1
The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.
2 John 1:13
The children of your elect sister send you their greetings.
Scorecard
We’ve looked at some biblical passages that condemn women as inferiors, and there are many more. But there are also a lot of passages that talk about women as contemporaries, equals, leaders and heroes -- people of considerable spiritual importance. [There are other women, like Ruth and Esther, who have their own books in the Bible.]
And, most important, women are God's choice to spread the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.