30 Bible Verses about Widows

Having taken a seat opposite the Treasury, He observed how the people were dropping money into the Treasury, and that many of the wealthy threw in large sums. But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny. So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury;read more.
for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare, but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed--all she had to live on."

Looking up He saw the people throwing their gifts into the Treasury--the rich people. He also saw a poor widow dropping in two farthings, and He said, "In truth I tell you that this widow, so poor, has thrown in more than any of them.read more.
For from what they could well spare they have all of them contributed to the offerings, but she in her need has thrown in all she had to live on."

Shortly afterwards He went to a town called Nain, attended by His disciples and a great crowd of people. And just as He reached the gate of the town, they happened to be bringing out for burial a dead man who was his mother's only son; and she was a widow; and a great number of the townspeople were with her. The Lord saw her, was moved with pity for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."read more.
Then He went close and touched the bier, and the bearers halted. "Young man," He said, "I command you, wake!" The dead man sat up and began to speak; and He restored him to his mother.

He also taught them by a parable that they must always pray and never lose heart. "In a certain town," He said, "there was a judge who had no fear of God and no respect for man. And in the same town was a widow who repeatedly came and entreated him, saying, "'Give me justice and stop my oppressor.'read more.
"For a time he would not, but afterwards he said to himself, "'Though I have neither reverence for God nor respect for man, yet because she annoys me I will give her justice, to prevent her from constantly coming to pester me.'"

Moreover in the course of His teaching He said, "Be on your guard against the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes and to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues and at dinner parties, and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive far heavier punishment."

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to the disciples, "Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and love to be bowed to in places of public resort and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues or at a dinner party; who swallow up the property of widows and mask their wickedness by making long prayers. They will be punished far more severely than others."

Honour widows who are really in need.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to show piety towards their own homes and to prove their gratitude to their parents; for this is well pleasing in the sight of God. A widow who is really in need, friendless and desolate, has her hopes fixed on God, and continues at her supplications and prayers, night and day; but a pleasure-loving widow is dead even while still alive.read more.
Press these facts upon them, so that they may live lives free from reproach. But if a man makes no provision for those dependent on him, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is behaving worse than an unbeliever. No widow is to be put on the roll who is under sixty years of age. She must have been true to her one husband, and well reported of for good deeds, as having brought up children, received strangers hospitably, washed the feet of God's people, given relief to the distressed, and devoted herself to good works of every kind. But the younger widows you must not enrol; for as soon as they begin to chafe against the yoke of Christ, they want to marry, and they incur disapproval for having broken their original vow. And at the same time they also learn to be idle as they go round from house to house; and they are not only idle, but are gossips also and busybodies, speaking of things that ought not to be spoken of. I would therefore have the younger women marry, bear children, rule in domestic matters, and furnish the Adversary with no excuse for slander. For already some of them have gone astray, following Satan. If a believing woman has widows dependent on her, she should relieve their wants, and save the Church from being burdened--so that the Church may relieve the widows who are really in need.

But I tell the unmarried, and women who are widows, that it is well for them to remain as I am. If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.

The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.

There was also Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, belonging to the tribe of Asher. She was of a very great age, having had after her maidenhood seven years of married life, and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer. And coming up just at that moment, she gave thanks to God, and spoke about the child to all who were expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem.

But I tell you in truth that there was many a widow in Israel in the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three years and six months and there came a severe famine over all the land; and yet to not one of them was Elijah sent: he was only sent to a widow at Zarephath in the Sidonian country.

Shortly afterwards He went to a town called Nain, attended by His disciples and a great crowd of people. And just as He reached the gate of the town, they happened to be bringing out for burial a dead man who was his mother's only son; and she was a widow; and a great number of the townspeople were with her. The Lord saw her, was moved with pity for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."read more.
Then He went close and touched the bier, and the bearers halted. "Young man," He said, "I command you, wake!" The dead man sat up and began to speak; and He restored him to his mother. All were awe-struck, and they gave glory to God--some saying, "A Prophet, a great Prophet, has risen up among us." Others said, "God has not forgotten His People." And the report of what Jesus had done spread through the whole of Judaea and in all the surrounding districts.

About this time, as the number of disciples was increasing, complaints were made by the Greek-speaking Jews against the Hebrews because their widows were habitually overlooked in the daily ministration.

Among the disciples at Jaffa was a woman called Tabitha, or, as the name may be translated, 'Dorcas.' Her life was wholly devoted to the good and charitable actions which she was constantly doing. But, as it happened, just at that time she was taken ill and died. After washing her body they laid it out in a room upstairs. Lud, however, being near Jaffa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was at Lud, sent two men to him with an urgent request that he would come across to them without delay.read more.
So Peter rose and went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs, and the widow women all came and stood by his side, weeping and showing him the underclothing and cloaks and garments of all kinds which Dorcas used to make while she was still with them. Peter, however, putting every one out of the room, knelt down and prayed, and then turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, rise." Dorcas at once opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, sat up. Then, giving her his hand, he raised her to her feet and, calling to him God's people and the widows, he gave her back to them alive.

"Rabbi," they said, "Moses made it a law for us: 'If a man's brother should die and leave a wife, but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.'

"Rabbi, Moses made it a law for us that if a man's brother should die, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.

She has freely glorified herself and revelled in luxury; equally freely administer torment to her, and woe. For in her heart she boasts, saying, 'I sit enthroned as Queen: no widow am I: I shall never know sorrow.'

But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny.

and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer.

And just as He reached the gate of the town, they happened to be bringing out for burial a dead man who was his mother's only son; and she was a widow; and a great number of the townspeople were with her.

And in the same town was a widow who repeatedly came and entreated him, saying, "'Give me justice and stop my oppressor.'

So Peter rose and went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs, and the widow women all came and stood by his side, weeping and showing him the underclothing and cloaks and garments of all kinds which Dorcas used to make while she was still with them.

But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny. So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury; for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare, but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed--all she had to live on."

There was also Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, belonging to the tribe of Asher. She was of a very great age, having had after her maidenhood seven years of married life, and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer.

Honour widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to show piety towards their own homes and to prove their gratitude to their parents; for this is well pleasing in the sight of God. A widow who is really in need, friendless and desolate, has her hopes fixed on God, and continues at her supplications and prayers, night and day;read more.
but a pleasure-loving widow is dead even while still alive. Press these facts upon them, so that they may live lives free from reproach. But if a man makes no provision for those dependent on him, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is behaving worse than an unbeliever. No widow is to be put on the roll who is under sixty years of age. She must have been true to her one husband, and well reported of for good deeds, as having brought up children, received strangers hospitably, washed the feet of God's people, given relief to the distressed, and devoted herself to good works of every kind. But the younger widows you must not enrol; for as soon as they begin to chafe against the yoke of Christ, they want to marry, and they incur disapproval for having broken their original vow. And at the same time they also learn to be idle as they go round from house to house; and they are not only idle, but are gossips also and busybodies, speaking of things that ought not to be spoken of. I would therefore have the younger women marry, bear children, rule in domestic matters, and furnish the Adversary with no excuse for slander. For already some of them have gone astray, following Satan. If a believing woman has widows dependent on her, she should relieve their wants, and save the Church from being burdened--so that the Church may relieve the widows who are really in need.