This is definitely not intended to be anything close to a definitive treatment of women in the Bible. There are some wonderful extended works on the subject going back to at least Isaac Williams’ Female Characters of the Holy Scriptures (Rivingtons, London, 1859) and up to Liz Curtis Higgs’ Really Bad Girls of the Bible (WaterBrook Press, Colorado Springs, 2000).
The purpose of this little resource is to point out scripture passages that portray some interesting women of the Bible whose stories provide excellent material for reflections and meditations. The selections are purely the choice of the author and do not claim to be anything more than the result of some personal experience with the subject.
There are many fruitful ways to engage scripture. Probably none are superior to the ancient Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) attributed to St. Benedict of Nursia (ca. 480-ca. 550), founder of the Benedictine religious orders and communities. This approach employs four simple steps.
The lectio or reading is first. In this step, the selected passage is read over once or twice letting the words and images emerge. A more ambitious technique is to read the passage in two or three different translations. Starting with the Authorized (a.k.a., King James) Version gives the perspective of classical Christian scripture. Following that with the Revised Standard Version, the “base-line” for mainstream scripture in the last half of the twentieth century often provides a different view. Then, using one of the latest versions such as Today’s English Version (a.k.a., the Good News Bible), the New American Bible, or the Revised English Bible, brings to light yet further insights. Reading just one version is fine, but trying out others is often very beneficial.
Meditatio (meditation) is next. In this step, one actively ponders the story. Some people like to try to visualize the events. Others like to imagine how the story might have been perceived by the original audience or by other readers throughout the ages. Yet another approach preferred by those of a scholarly bent is to go to one of the Bible study guides or commentaries.
The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, and The Jerome Biblical Commentary are three choices usually found in parish libraries, and are widely available for purchase. Regardless of the type of meditatio used, this step provides a way of “getting into” the story.
Third is oratio (prayer). Here the goal is to form a prayer that puts the story into present meaning and action. It may be a prayer of petition, intercession, thanksgiving, or whatever. The subject matter is not important. Let the meditation and the Holy Spirit give direction.
Finally, there is contemplatio (contemplation). This is simply taking a little time of mental quiet to see if God reveals some special insight as a result of the first three steps. On occasion, this may be very dramatic. Most of the time, it will probably not be a high impact experience, but lesser ones have their value. In every case, this is putting ourselves “on hold” and allowing God some time to use without us getting in the way.
Using Lectio Divina or any other method of scripture reflection on the scripture passages listed will undoubtedly yield new perspectives on some of the fascinating and important women in the Bible and how their lives can have impact on our own. Some passages are short and others are long. All are worthy of reflection.
Some Named Women
Abigail (“cause of joy”) - I Samuel 25: 1-42
…beauty, charm, wisdom and piety
Anna (“favor” or “grace”) - Luke 2:36-38
…an aged prophetess who was the first woman to recognize Christ
Bathsheba (“seventh daughter” or “daughter of an oath”) - II Samuel 11:2-3; 12:24; I Kings 1:11-31, 2:13-19
…the unsuspecting cause of King David’s great sin
Deborah (“a bee”) - Judges 4 and 5
…wife, prophet, ruler, warrior, poet
Dorcas (“gazelle”) - Acts 9:36-43
…grace and charity…and the subject of a miracle
Elisabeth (“God is my oath”) - Luke 1:5-80
…the miraculous and blessed mother of John the Baptizer
Esther (“a star”) - The Book of Esther
…the woman who saved her nation
Eve (“life” or “live-giving”) - Genesis 2 and 3
…THE woman
Hagar (“flight” or “fugitive”) - Genesis 16; 21:9-17; 25:12
…awoman with life of great complexity
Hannah (“gracious” or “graciousness”) - I Samuel 1, 2:1-21
…the wonderful mother of Samuel
Huldah (“weasel”) - II Kings 22:14-20; II Chronicles 34: 22-33
…the woman who inspired a revival in Israel
Jael (“wild mountain goat”) - Judges 4:17-22; 5:6, 24-27
…she took matters into her own hands to protect her people
Jezebel (“chaste, free from carnal connection”) - I Kings 16:31; 18:4-19; 19-:1-2; 21:5-25; II kings 9
…a miss-named woman who may be the best bad example
Leah (“wearied”) - Genesis 29, 30
…the faithful, neglected wife
Lydia (“bending”) - Acts 16:12-15, 40
…diligent and faithful supporter of the early Church
Martha (feminine of “lord” or “master”) - Luke 10:38-41, John 11, 12:1-3
…the always-faithful worker
Mary, the Mother of Jesus (“bitterness” or “sorrow”) - so many scripture passages are available; consider these as a start: Luke 1; 2; John 2: 1-11; 20:25-27; Acts 1:12-14
…a startling portrayal of motherhood
Mary Magdalene (“Mary from Magdala,” a city) - again, there are many passages; pivotal ones are: Mark 16:1-11; Luke 8:1-3; John 20:1-18
…a dear friend of Jesus
Mary of Bethany (“Mary from Bethany, a town”) - Luke 10:38-42
…she saw the spiritual reality
Michal (feminine of Michael, “Who is like God?”) - I Samuel 19:1-17, II Samuel 6: 16-23
…the fickle wife of King David
Miriam (“bitterness” or “rebellion”) - Exodus 15: 19-21
…the sister of Moses and Aaron
Naomi - (“my joy” or “my bliss”) - The Book of Ruth
…the beloved and unfortunate mother-in-law of Ruth
Orpha (Comparable to Oprah, “fawn”) - Ruth 1:1-14
…she took the safe and secure choice
Priscilla (“worthy” or “venerable’) - Acts 18:1-18
…with her husband, Aquila, a brave and loyal supporter of Paul
Rachel (“ewe” or “lamb”) - Genesis 29, 39, 35:16-22
…Jacob’s “first love”
Rahab (“fierceness” or “spaciousness”) - Joshua 2:1-22; 6:17-25
…a brave prostitute redeemed by God
Rebecca (“a tie rope for animals” or “captivating”) - Genesis 27
…her favoritism established the bloodline of a nation
Ruth (“something worth seeing” or “friendship”) - The Book of Ruth
…widow, a most faithful daughter-in-law, convert, and finally a blessed mother
Sarah (“a princess”) - Many references, see especially Genesis 17:15-22; 18:1-19; 21:1-8
…the mother of God’s nation
Tamar (“a palm”) - II Samuel 13
…a beautiful, seduced half-sister
Vashti (“beautiful woman”) - Esther 1
…the beauty who refused to be exploited.
Some Unnamed Women
Pharaoh’s daughter - Exodus 2:1-10
…a compassionate one with a vital role in God’s plan for his people
Jephthah’s daughter - Judges 11-30-39
…incredibly obedient and nobly self-sacrificing
Manoah’s wife - Judges 13, 14:2-5
…the steadfast mother of Samson
The Witch of Endor - 1 Samuel 28
…the mysterious advisor of Saul
The wise woman of Tekoah - II Samuel 14:1-20
…she interceded for Absalom
The prostitute who got her child - I Kings 3:16-28
…she evoked Solomon’s wise compassion
The Queen of Sheba - II Chronicles 9:1-9
…she sought the wisdom of Solomon
The widow of Zarephath - I Kings 17:1-24
…by sharing her last morsel, she regained her son
The woman with the hemorrhage - Mark 5:25-34
…her great faith is Jesus brought about her healing
The widow with two mites - Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4
…Jesus chose her as the paragon of self-less giving
The Samaritan woman at the well - John 4
…she came to know the true nature of Jesus
The woman taken in adultery - John 8:1-11
…her plight let Jesus give his great teaching on judgmentalism
The demon-possessed slave girl - Acts 16:6-18
…Paul healed her by the name and power of Jesus
Old and young women - Titus 2:1-5
…Paul gives his admonitions for a proper life
In closing…
It is a most grievous understatement to say that the Bible is such an incredible book in so many ways. These passages that focus on some of the key women in the scriptures are just one more means to plumbs its depths…and to recognize how women have played such an important role in the development of the Judeo-Christian faith.
