Five Godly Women Found in Scripture

It is not difficult to find the “bad girls” of the Bible, but have you looked for the good ones? The Bible records true history of many Godly women. Here are just five Godly women found in Scripture.

Ruth

Ruth is one of those women of the Bible that has a Book named for her. Ruth was born in Moab on the east side of the Dead Sea in the land of Jordan. The Bible does not tell us about her parents but we can see much more about the importance she played in the lineage of Jesus. She married a man whose nationality was of Bethlehem-Judah – his name was Mahlon, the son of Elimelech and Naomi. Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons had traveled from Bethlehem to Moab because there was a famine in their homeland. Both sons married women of Moab and died there as well. Upon the death of the men, Naomi (Ruth’s mother-in-law) was determined to return to Bethlehem when she heard that the famine had ended. Ruth was happy to go with Naomi, leaving her sister-in-law, Orpah, who decided to stay in Moab.

Ruth loved Naomi and took care of her as her own mother. She worked hard gleaning the field in Bethlehem of one of Elimelech’s relatives, a man named Boaz. Boaz saw Ruth and was attracted to Ruth not only for her beauty, but also for the kindness that she gave to Naomi of Judah. Boaz wanted Naomi to be his wife but knew that he had to settle the estate of Elimelech first before he could proceed. Apparently, there was another relative that was in line before Boaz to inherit Elimelech’s estate. That relative had the right to marry Ruth as well as inherit the estate. Boaz called the relative to the gate along with the elders (as witnesses) and asked him to relinquish his right to Ruth and the land. The relative forsook his rights in favor of Boaz.

Once the estate was settled, Ruth and Boaz married and had a son named Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David. So then, Ruth had a place in the lineage of Jesus from the “house of David” as David’s Great Grand Mother. She is one of only five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus according to the Book of Matthew.

Key Bible Passage About Ruth:

Ruth 1:16–17 And Ruth said [to Naomi], Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Abigail

Abigail’s father was Nahash (2 Samuel 17:25), the king of Ammon, a nation east of the Jordan river. Abigail was married to a rich man named Nabal. David sent men to Nabal when he heard that he was shearing his herd of sheep during a time of wool trade. He told the men to advise Nabal that he needed to give the wool to David. Nabal resisted and caused David to plan an attack on Nabal with more than 400 men.

One of David’s men told Abigail of David’s plan to kill Nabal. Abigail sent food and supplies for David’s men and told them not to tell Nabal. Abigail quickly went before the men and when she saw David she fell at his feet begging him to spare Nabal’s life, taking the blame for his behavior upon herself. David was moved by Abigail’s words and blessed her for keeping him from shedding blood. David told Abigail to go in peace.

Abigail returned home and did not tell Nabal of the events of the day because he was drunk with wine. In the morning when Abigail shared the news of David’s planned attack on him, Nabal’s heart failed and he went into a coma – he died ten days later (1 Samuel 25:37-38). When David heard of Nabal’s death he soon took Abigail as his own wife (1 Samuel 25:39-42)

Even though Nabal was “churlish and evil in his doings”, Abigail was willing to sacrifice her own life to spare his.

Key Bible Passages About Abigail:

1 Samuel 25:3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

1 Samuel 25:18–19 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

Elisabeth

Elisabeth was the wife of Zacharias the priest. We see Elisabeth mentioned only in Luke chapter 1. She and Zacharias were childless for many years until the time that Zacharias was visited by the angel Gabriel who announced that Elisabeth would bear his son whose name would be John (later known as John the Baptist). Zacharias did not believe Gabriel because he and Elisabeth were very old. For this unbelief Zacharias was struck “dumb” and was not able to speak until John was born (Luke 1:13-23).

An angel was then sent to visit Joseph to announce that Mary would become pregnant with a son. The angel told Mary that her cousin Elisabeth was 6 months pregnant. (Luke 1:36). Mary went to visit Elisabeth in her home in the city of Judah.

Key Bible Passages About Elisabeth:

Luke 1:5 (KJV)5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Luke 1:24–25 (KJV)24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Lydia

Lydia was born in Thyatira, a wealthy town (Roman settlement) in Asia Minor – now known as Akhisar, in Turkey. She sold purple dye in Philippi. Today that color die is known as “Turkish red” and it is produced from the root of the Madder plant. Lydia is believed to be the first “European” convert to Christianity.

Lydia is known not only as a “seller of purple”, but also as the woman who opened her home to Paul and Silas after their miraculous release from prison (Acts 16:25-40).

Key Bible Passages About Lydia:

Acts 16:14–15 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Acts 16:40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Dorcas

Dorcas, also interpreted as “Tabitha” who was raised from death by Peter (Acts 9:36-42). She is only mentioned in Acts chapter 9 but the miracle of her resurrection was used in Joppa to cause many to believe.

Key Bible Passage About Dorcas:

Acts 9:40–42 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

Final Thoughts

Here we see five vastly different Godly women in the Bible. We see Ruth, who was loving and caring to her mother-in-law in a strange land. That love and care was noticed by the man that would marry her and care for her and her mother-in-law for the rest of her life. Then we have Abigail who sacrificed her own life to protect the life of her husband, even though he was an evil man. And Elisabeth was blessed in her old age to be the mother of John the Baptist, one of the greatest evangelists of all time. Lydia was a woman of means who generously opened her home to Paul and Silas after their memorable stay in prison. Finally, Dorcas (Tabitha) was used of the Lord to bring many to Christ. We might not be able to do these terrific things for the Lord, but what we can do is choose to do the things that please Him, thereby glorifying Him in the sight of others.

Something else to read: 7 Not-So-Good Women of the Bible

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version.

Tagged as: Godly women in the Bible