This article will discuss the widow in the Old Testament, her status, legal protection, admonitions against mistreatment of her, God's compassion for her, and the symbolic use of the term. Then the article will treat of the widow in the New Testament, warnings against circumvention of her, and her place in the early Church.
In the Old Testament. Although some widows were comparatively wealthy by inheritance (Jdt 8.7), the lot of the majority, as reflected in the Old Testament, was one of penury (1 Kgs 17.8–15; 2 Kgs 4.1–7). Israelite belief that death before old age was a punishment for sin probably accounts for the reproach attached to the state of widowhood (Is 54.4; Ru 1.13). Priests were also forbidden to marry widows (Lv 21.14).
levirate marriage gave the widow a measure of security. If she remained childless after it she could remain a part of her husband's family or return to her parents (Gn 38.11; Lv 22.13; Ru 1.8). She could also look forward to another marriage outside her dead husband's family (Ru 1.9, 13; I Sm 25.42).
Old Testament warnings against mistreatment of widows are numerous [Ex 22.21–23; Is 1.17, 23; Jb 22.9;31.16; Ps 93 (94).6; Zec 7.10]. That the injustices visited upon them were common is attested by the repeated threat of prompt action against oppressors on the Day of the Lord (Mal 3.5).
God commanded that the widow be considered part of the covenantal community. The people of God must extend to her the same merciful protection that they bestow on orphans and defenseless aliens (Dt 14.29; 16.11, 14). They are not to exact her clothing or other property in payment of a debt (Dt 24.17); at the harvest a portion of grain, some fruit of the olive tree, and grapes in the vineyard are to be left for her sustenance (Dt 24.19–21; Ru 2.2–12); she must also be made the beneficiary of additional gifts (Dt 26.12; 2 Mc 3.10; 8.28, 30).
God pledged Himself to sustain the widow who hopes in Him (Jer 49.11). He will preserve her inheritance (Prv 15.25) and be Himself her protector [Ps 67 (68).5; 145 (146) 9].
Deutero-Isaia symbolically compares Babylon to a widow left solitary in her desolation (Is 47.9). Israel is encouraged to forget the disgrace of her widowhood (Is 54.4–6) because Yahweh has taken her back as His spouse to enter into a holier and more fruitful alliance with her. The author of Lamentations makes a similar reference to Jerusalem. After the destruction of the city and the burning of the temple by the Babylonians, Jerusalem, "the widow," in poignant distress, will call on God and men for pity (Lam 1.1; 5.3–4).
In the New Testament. Biblical emphasis on the lot of the widow continues into the New Testament, with frequent reference to her indigence. In the apostolic era this led to the appointment of the first seven deacons whose duty required them to care for the widows whom Hellenistic Jewish converts in Jerusalem accused the Hebrew-speaking Christians of neglecting in the distribution of alms (Acts 6.1). At Jaffa (Joppe), widows grieved so deeply over the death of Tabitha, who had supplied their needs by her industry, that Peter raised her to life that she might continue her works of charity to them (Acts9.36–41).
Under pretense of offering long prayers for widows, the Scribes and Pharisees, whose avarice Jesus condemned (Mt 23.14), enriched themselves by "devouring the substance" of these defenseless women (Mk 12.40; Lk 20.47).
St. Paul's advice that widows should remain unmarried was not binding (1 Cor 7.8–9, 39–40); later he preferred that they should remarry if their loneliness tended to lead them to conduct that disedified the Church and non-Christians. But he approved of an official body of widows that was highly honored in the early Church. To belong to this group widows had to meet the following requirements: be at least 60 years old, give themselves to prayer day and night, have no intention of remarrying, serve "the saints," show hospitality, and help the indigent (1 Tm 5.3–16).
Bibliography: Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible, translated and adapted by l. hartman (New York, 1963) 1456–60, 2577–78. r. devaux, Ancient Israel, Its Life and Institutions, tr. j. mchugh (New York 1961) 39–40.
[m. l. held]
FAQs
God pledged Himself to sustain the widow who hopes in Him (Jer 49.11). He will preserve her inheritance (Prv 15.25) and be Himself her protector [Ps 67 (68). 5; 145 (146) 9]. Deutero-Isaia symbolically compares Babylon to a widow left solitary in her desolation (Is 47.9).
What does the Bible say about a widow? ›
The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. My comfort in my suffering is this; Your promise preserves my life. Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.
What does the widow represent in the Bible? ›
The Greek word for “widow” in the Bible is χήρα (pronounced like khay-rah). It means deprived, cut off, “stripped bare,” or abandoned. In the Bible, a widow is a woman “bereft of the full provision or flourishing that could be provided by a husband or a family,” according to K. A.
What does God promise to a widow? ›
The good news for the widow is that Almighty God protects us. He proclaims Himself to be a defender of the widow and promises to establish our boundaries. “…a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling” (Psalm 68:5 NIV).
What does God say about hurting a widow? ›
You shall not harm or oppress any widow or fatherless child. If you harm or oppress them in any way, and they cry at all to Me [for help], I will most certainly hear their cry; and My wrath shall be kindled and burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
Why are widows special to God? ›
Women were designed to have covering
But in God's provision, single ladies and widows come under His umbrella of protection. He promises to be a Defender of the widow—women left alone due to death, divorce, or desertion (Psalm 68:5).
What is the spiritual meaning of a widow? ›
Metaphysical meaning of widow (rw) widow--One who has lost sight of God as support. When the conscious mind has ceased to be positive, the subconscious mind becomes like a "widow." The conscious unity between the mind and the vitality of the organism has been severed, and there is lack and burden (debt).
What does 1 Timothy 5 mean about widows? ›
Paul's overall message is to "Honor widows who are truly widows" (1 Timothy 5:3). This means the church should prioritize those who are truly in need. Charity should not be squandered on those who have the ability to help themselves. Family is always the first line of defense against poverty (1 Timothy 5:4).
What does the Bible say about losing a spouse? ›
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
What is a true widow according to the Bible? ›
“She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.” The true widow is alone, with no one else to provide for her, and she is godly, the kind of woman who is committed to prayer.
God's particular care is so personal that Scripture says the Lord himself executes justice for the widows, the orphans, and the sojourner, providing for them food and clothing (Deuteronomy 10:18). He teaches his people how to respond to suffering through these laws guiding them to care for the weakest and neediest.
What does Jesus say about caring for widows? ›
“Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God” (1 Tim. 5:3-4, see also Mark 7:10-13).
What is the prayer message for widows? ›
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for the many ways You care for us. We ask You today to pour out Your assistance on all widows. Being widowed can bring about great suffering in many ways. The trials of grief, financial hardships, and loneliness can make the life of a widow very difficult.
What do proverbs say about widows? ›
NASB The Lord will tear down the house of the proud, But He will set the boundary of the widow. CSB The Lord tears apart the house of the proud, but he protects the widow's territory. NLT The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he protects the property of widows.
What psalm is for widows? ›
The Defender of Widows
Fundamentally, God is the kind of God who keeps a careful eye on the widow. He is profoundly concerned for her, together with the stranger and the fatherless. He is righteous and protects them for he is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows . . . in his holy habitation,” (Psalm 68:5).
What Paul says about widows? ›
Paul said that a widow is free to marry whomever she wishes. If a widow can only marry a Christian, then the widow is not free to marry whomever she wishes.
What does God say about losing a spouse? ›
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
Does the Bible say to take care of widows? ›
1 Timothy 5:3-13 New Living Translation (NLT)
Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.
What does the Bible say about the persistent widow? ›
Consistent prayer is a crucial aspect of the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8. The widow kept coming to the unjust judge, not giving up until she received justice, and this persistence demands that we pray consistently too.
