Women of Faith in the Bible

My wife and I recently discussed the fact that men are more prominent in the Bible than women.  Clearly this is true, and the Bible certainly came from very patriarchal society.  But there are a number of women that we read about in the Bible, many of whom are indeed great models of faith for us to follow.  I’ve take on the challenge to see what kind of list I can come up with of those women. I’m confining my list to those who were righteous and whose name is actually given.  Here are 35 that I found, with a brief quotation or description of each:  

1.       Eve, “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20)

2.       Sarah, the wife of Abraham, of whom it was said, “the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken” (Genesis 21:1)

3.       Hagar, the other wife of Abraham, who was visited by “the angel of God” and promised that through her son would be “a great nation” (Genesis 21:17-18)

4.       Milcah, who “hath born children unto [Abraham’s] brother Nahor”; she was the grandmother of Rebekah (Genesis 22:20)

5.       Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, who showed great faith to leave her family and go with the servant of Abraham to marry his son, saying simply, “I will go” (Genesis 24:58)

6.       Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who was “beautiful and well favoured” and whom Jacob “served seven years” (Genesis 29:17,20)

7.       Leah, who like Rachel married Jacob, whose womb the Lord opened (Genesis 29:31)

8.       Zilpah, the maid whom Leah “gave her Jacob to wife” and thus one of the mothers of the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 30:9)

9.       Bilhah, the maid whom Rachel  gave to Jacob as his wife and also one of the mothers of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 30:4)

10.   Asenath, the wife of Joseph who bore him two sons (Genesis 41:50)

11.   Jochebed, the mother of Moses who courageously saved his life despite the orders of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:1-3)

12.   Miriam, “the prophetess, the sister of Aaron” and Moses (Exodus 15:20)

13.   Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro who married Moses; “the Lord spared Moses and let him go, because Zipporah, his wife, circumcised [their] child” (JST Exodus 4:26)

14.   Elisheba, who Aaron took to wife (Exodus 6:23)

15.   Deborah, the prophetess and judge who “arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7)

16.   Namoi, the mother-in-law of Ruth, who told her, “The Lord deal kindly with you” and absolved her of any responsibility after her son died (Ruth 1:8)

17.   Ruth, the faithful Moabitess, famous for her words to Naomi: “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee” (Ruth 1:16)

18.   Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who praised the Lord, “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:1)

19.   Michal, the wife of David, who saved his life from the vengeance of Saul (1 Samuel 19:11-13)

20.   Abigail, “a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance” who eventually married David (1 Samuel 25:3)

21.   Abishag, the Shunammite who “cherished the king [David], and ministered to him” (1 Kings 1:4)

22.   Esther, who saved her people, “come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14)

23.   Mary, mother of Jesus, to whom the angel said, “Thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28)

24.   Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, a woman who was “filled with the Holy Ghost” a phrase that was used to describe her in a certain moment, but likely was a fitting description for her whole life (Luke 1:41)

25.   Anna, a “prophetess” who “served God with fastings and prayer night and day” and recognized the coming of the Savior at his birth (Luke 2:36-37)

26.   Mary Magdalene whom Jesus first appeared to after His resurrection and gave the message to tell the apostles that He said, “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17)

27.   Mary, sister of Lazarus, who took “a pound of ointment” in order to anoint Jesus before His death (John 12:3)

28.   Martha, other sister of Lazarus, who declared, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (John 11:27)

29.   Mary, the mother of James and Joses, who was “there beholding afar off” when Jesus was crucified (Matt. 27:55)

30.   Mary, the mother of Mark, who brought the Saints “together praying” at her house (Acts 12:12)

31.   Tabitha, a woman who was “full of good works and almsdeeds” that Paul healed (Acts 9:36)

32.   Priscilla, who along with her husband Aquila were called by Paul “helpers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3)

33.   Lydia, the woman of Thyatira who “worshipped God” and accepted Paul’s teachings (Acts 16:14)

34.   Lois, the grandmother of Timothy who had “unfeigned faith” (2 Timothy 1:5)

35.   Eunice, the daughter of Lois and mother of Timothy who also had “unfeigned faith” and taught her son (2 Timothy 1:5)