76 Bible Verses about Widows

A father to orphans and a judge for widows [is] God in his holy habitation.

[And he] executes justice for the orphan and widow, and [he is] one who loves [the] alien, to give to them food and clothing.

Yahweh protects [the] strangers. He helps up [the] orphan and [the] widow, but [the] way of [the] wicked he {thwarts}.

The house of the proud, Yahweh will tear [it] down, but he will maintain the {property line} of the widow.

Leave your orphans. I will let [them] live. And your widows, let them trust in me."

And he sat down opposite the contribution box [and] was observing how the crowd was putting coins into the contribution box. And many rich people were putting in many [coins]. And one poor widow came [and] put in two small copper coins (that is, a penny). And summoning his disciples, he said to them, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow put in more than all those who put [offerings] into the contribution box.read more.
For they all {contributed} out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everything she had, her whole means of subsistence."

And he looked up [and] saw the rich putting their gifts into the contribution box, and he saw a certain poor widow putting in there two small copper coins. And he said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow put in more than all [of them].read more.
For these all put [gifts] into the offering out of their abundance, but this [woman] out of her poverty put in all the means of subsistence that she had."

And it happened that on the next [day] he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. And as he approached the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, his mother's only son, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. And [when] the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep!"read more.
And he came up [and] touched the bier, and those who were carrying [it] stopped. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother.

And he told them a parable to [show that] they must always pray and not be discouraged, saying, "There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Grant me justice against my adversary!'read more.
And he was not willing for a time, but after these [things] he said to himself, 'Even if I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end [by her] coming back!'"

'Cursed be the one who deprives [the] alien, [the] orphan, and [the] widow of justice.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

" 'You will not afflict any widow or orphan. If you indeed afflict him, yes, if he cries out at all to me, I will certainly hear his cry of distress. And {I will become angry}, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.

[He] feeds on [the] barren, [who] does not have a child, and does no good to [the] widow. Yet he carries off [the] tyrants by his strength; [if] he rises up, then he cannot be certain of life.

They kill widow and stranger, and they murder orphans,

Ah! Those who decree decrees of evil, and writers who have written harm, to guide [the] needy away from legal claims, and to rob the justice from the poor of my people, to make widows their spoil; and they plunder orphans. And what will you do at [the] day of punishment, and at calamity? It comes from afar! To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth,read more.
{save that they bow down under the prisoners and fall under the slain}? In all of this his anger has not turned away, and still his hand [is] stretched out.

Thus says Yahweh, "Act [with] justice and righteousness, and deliver [the] one who has been seized from the hand of [the] oppressor. And you must not oppress [the] immigrant, [the] orphan, and [the] widow. And you must not shed innocent blood in this place. And if you indeed obey this word, then kings who sit for David on his throne will enter through the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. But if you do not obey these words, I swear by myself," {declares} Yahweh, "that this house will become a site of ruins." '"

The conspiracy of its prophets in the midst of her [is] like a roaring lion [that] is tearing prey. They devour people, and they take wealth and treasure; they make its widows numerous in the midst of her.

" 'You will not afflict any widow or orphan.

Ah! Those who decree decrees of evil, and writers who have written harm, to guide [the] needy away from legal claims, and to rob the justice from the poor of my people, to make widows their spoil; and they plunder orphans.

They have treated father and mother with contempt in you; {they violated} the alien with extortion; in the midst of you they mistreated [the] orphan and widow.

"Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear {falsely}, and against the oppressors of [the] hired worker [with his] wages, [the] widow and [the] orphan, and {the abusers of} [the] alien, and [yet] do not fear me," says Yahweh of hosts.

And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy [prayers] for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!"

And [while] all the people were listening, he said to the disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy [prayers] for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!"

"When you reap your harvest in your field and you forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not return to get it, for it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, so that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

"At the end of three years you shall bring out all [of] the tithe of your yield for that year, and you shall store [it] in your {towns}. And [so] the Levite may come, because there is no plot of ground for him or an inheritance with you, and the alien [also may come] and the orphan and the widow that [are] in your {towns}, and {they may eat their fill}, so that Yahweh your God may bless you in all [of] the work of your hand that you undertake."

And you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite that [is] in your {towns} and the alien and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst in the place that Yahweh your God will choose to let his name dwell there.

You shall not subvert the rights of an alien [or] an orphan, and you shall not take as pledge [the] garment of a widow.

"When you are finished {giving a tithe}, all of the tithe of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, then you shall give to the Levite, to the alien, to the orphan, and to the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and they may be satisfied.

Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue [the] oppressed! Defend [the] orphan! Plead for [the] widow!

Honor widows [who are] truly widows.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to show profound respect for their own household first, and to pay back recompense to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. But the widow [who is one] truly, and is left alone, has put her hope in God and continues in her petitions and prayers night and day. But the one who lives for sensual pleasure is dead [even though she] lives.read more.
And command these [things], in order that they may be irreproachable. But if someone does not provide for his own [relatives], and especially the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Let a widow be put on the list [if she] is not less than sixty years [old], the wife of one husband, being well-attested by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality, if she has washed the feet of the saints, if she has helped those who are oppressed, if she has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse younger widows, for whenever their physical desires lead them away from Christ, they want to marry, [thus] incurring condemnation because they have broken their former pledge. And at the same time also, going around from house to house, they learn [to be] idle, and not only idle, but also gossipy and busybodies, saying the things [that are] not necessary. Therefore I want younger [widows] to marry, to bear children, to manage a household, to give the adversary no opportunity for reproach. For already some have turned away [and followed] after Satan. If any believing woman has widows, she must help them, and the church must not be burdened, in order that it may help those [who are] truly widows.

Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: [It is] good for them if they remain as I [am]. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn [with sexual desire].

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unstained by the world.

and you shall rejoice at your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite and the orphan and the widow that [are] in your {towns}.

But Ruth said, "{Do not urge} me to leave you [or] to return from {following you}! For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people [will be] my people and your God [will be] my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. So may Yahweh do to me, {and even more, unless} death {separates you and me}!"

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go and do according to your word; only make for me a small bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me. Make it for yourself and for your son afterward. For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: 'The jar of flour will not be emptied and the jug of olive oil will not run out until the day Yahweh gives rain on the surface of the earth.'"

They drive away [the] donkey of orphans; they take [the] widow's ox as a pledge.

[The] blessing of [the] wretched came upon me, and I caused [the] widow's heart to sing for joy.

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced {in years}, having lived with [her] husband seven years {after her marriage}, and herself [as] a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day. And at [that] same hour she approached [and] began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months while a great famine took place over all the land. And Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath [in the region] of Sidon, to a woman [who was] a widow.

And it happened that on the next [day] he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. And as he approached the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, his mother's only son, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. And [when] the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep!"read more.
And he came up [and] touched the bier, and those who were carrying [it] stopped. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother. And fear seized [them] all, and they began to glorify God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has visited to help his people!" And this report about him went out in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

Now in these days, [as] the disciples were increasing [in number], a complaint arose by the {Greek-speaking Jews} against the {Hebraic Jews} because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution [of food].

Now in Joppa there was a certain female disciple {named} Tabitha (which translated means "Dorcas"). She was full of good deeds and charitable giving which she was constantly doing. Now it happened that in those days [after] becoming sick, she died. And [after] washing [her], they placed her in an upstairs room. And [because] Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, [when they] heard that Peter was in {Lydda}, sent two men to him, urging, "Do not delay to come to us!"read more.
So Peter got up [and] accompanied them. [When he] arrived, they brought [him] up to the upstairs room, and all the widows came to him, weeping and showing [him] tunics and [other] clothing that Dorcas used to make [while she] was with them. But Peter sent [them] all outside, and, falling to [his] knees, he prayed. And turning toward the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" And she opened her eyes, and [when she] saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her [his] hand [and] raised her up. And he called the saints and the widows [and] presented her alive.

Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow,

Therefore the Lord did not rejoice over its young men, and he did not have compassion on its orphans and widows, for everyone [was] godless and an evildoer, and every mouth [was] speaking folly. In all of this his anger did not turn away, and still his hand [is] stretched out.

Their widows will be more numerous before me than [the] sand of [the] seas. I have brought to them, against [the] mothers of young men, a destroyer at noon. I will suddenly drop on her anguish and horror.

We have become orphans, fatherless, our mothers are like widows.

"When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not become the wife of a {man of another family}; her brother-in-law {shall have sex with her}, and he shall take her {to himself} as wife, and he shall perform his duty as brother-in-law [with respect to] her. And then the firstborn that she bears {shall represent his dead brother}, so that his name is not blotted out from Israel. But if the man [does] not want to take his sister-in-law, then his sister-in-law shall go up to the gate, to the elders, and she shall say, 'My brother-in-law refused {to perpetuate his brother's name} in Israel, [for] he is not willing {to marry me}.'read more.
Then the elders of his town shall summon him and speak to him, and [if] he persists and says, '{I do not desire to} marry her' [then] his sister-in-law shall go near him before the eyes of the elders, and she shall pull off his sandal from his foot, and she shall spit in his face, and she shall {declare} and she shall say, 'This is how it is done to the man who does not build the house of his brother.' And his {family} shall be called in Israel, 'The house where the sandal was pulled off.'

Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

Now truly I [am] a redeemer, but there is also a redeemer [of a] closer relationship than me.

And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired as a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his relatives and from the gate of his [birth] place. You [are] witnesses today."

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone's brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and {father} descendants for his brother.

saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us if someone's brother dies having a wife, and this man is childless, that his brother should take the wife and {father} descendants for his brother.

" 'And he himself must take a wife in her virginity. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled [woman], a prostitute--these he must not take; he shall take only a virgin from his people [as] wife.

And a widow or divorced [woman] they shall not take for themselves as wives, {but only} a virgin from the offspring of the house of Israel, or the widow who is a widow for a priest they may take.

How desolate the city sits [that] was full of people! She has become like a widow, [once] great among the nations! Like a woman of nobility in the provinces, she has become a forced laborer.

You must not fear, for you will not be ashamed, and you must not be confounded, for you will not feel abashed, for you will forget the shame of your youth, and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood. For your husband [is] your maker, his name [is] Yahweh of hosts; and your redeemer [is] the holy one of Israel, he is called the God of all of the earth.

As much as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, give to her so much torment and mourning, because in her heart she said, 'I sit as a queen, and am not a widow, and I will never see mourning!'

But Elimelech the husband of Naomi died and she was left behind [with] {her two sons}.

"Get up and go to Zarephath which belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman there, a widow, to sustain you."

A certain woman from the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead. Now you know that your servant was a fearer of Yahweh, but the creditor came to take two of my children for himself as slaves.

And one poor widow came [and] put in two small copper coins (that is, a penny).

and herself [as] a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day.

And as he approached the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, his mother's only son, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Grant me justice against my adversary!'

So Peter got up [and] accompanied them. [When he] arrived, they brought [him] up to the upstairs room, and all the widows came to him, weeping and showing [him] tunics and [other] clothing that Dorcas used to make [while she] was with them.

And it happened in the days [when] {the judges ruled}, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem [of] Judah went {to reside} in the countryside of Moab--he and his wife and his two sons. And the name of the man [was] Elimelech, and the name of his wife [was] Naomi, and the name of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Kilion. [They were] Ephraimites from Bethlehem [in] Judah. And they went [to] the countryside of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech the husband of Naomi died and she was left behind [with] {her two sons}.read more.
And {they took} for themselves Moabite wives. The name of the one [was] Orpah and the name of the other [was] Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. But {both} Mahlon and Kilion died, and the woman was left without her two sons and without her husband.

David went up to his house in Jerusalem, then the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to look after the house, and he put them {under confinement}. However, he provided for them, but {he did not sleep with them}. So they were confined until the day of their death, like a lifetime of widowhood.

Their survivors are buried through the plague, and their widows do not weep.

Lament like a virgin girded in sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

And one poor widow came [and] put in two small copper coins (that is, a penny). And summoning his disciples, he said to them, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow put in more than all those who put [offerings] into the contribution box. For they all {contributed} out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everything she had, her whole means of subsistence."

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced {in years}, having lived with [her] husband seven years {after her marriage}, and herself [as] a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day.

Honor widows [who are] truly widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to show profound respect for their own household first, and to pay back recompense to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. But the widow [who is one] truly, and is left alone, has put her hope in God and continues in her petitions and prayers night and day.read more.
But the one who lives for sensual pleasure is dead [even though she] lives. And command these [things], in order that they may be irreproachable. But if someone does not provide for his own [relatives], and especially the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Let a widow be put on the list [if she] is not less than sixty years [old], the wife of one husband, being well-attested by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality, if she has washed the feet of the saints, if she has helped those who are oppressed, if she has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse younger widows, for whenever their physical desires lead them away from Christ, they want to marry, [thus] incurring condemnation because they have broken their former pledge. And at the same time also, going around from house to house, they learn [to be] idle, and not only idle, but also gossipy and busybodies, saying the things [that are] not necessary. Therefore I want younger [widows] to marry, to bear children, to manage a household, to give the adversary no opportunity for reproach. For already some have turned away [and followed] after Satan. If any believing woman has widows, she must help them, and the church must not be burdened, in order that it may help those [who are] truly widows.