What Does the Bible Say About Widows?

1. #1Malachi 3:10

   Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

   BSBBring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

2. #2Exodus 22:22-24

   Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

   BSBYou must not mistreat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

3. #3Genesis 8:6

   And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

   BSBAfter forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark

4. #4Daniel 6:10

   Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

   BSBNow when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

5. #5Psalms 68:5

   A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

   BSBA father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.

6. #6Acts 20:9

   And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

   BSBAnd a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.

7. #72 Kings 7:19

   And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

   BSBAnd the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

8. #82 Kings 9:30

   And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

   BSBNow when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.

9. #91 Timothy 5:3-6

   Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

   BSBHonor the widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers. But she who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still alive.

10. #101 Timothy 5:8

    But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

    BSBIf anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

11. #111 Kings 6:4

    And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

    BSBHe also had narrow windows framed high in the temple.

12. #12Psalms 146:9

    The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

    BSBThe LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.

13. #13Isaiah 1:17

    Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

    BSBLearn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”

14. #141 Timothy 5:16

    If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

    BSBIf any believing woman has dependent widows, she must assist them and not allow the church to be burdened, so that it can help the widows who are truly in need.

15. #15Proverbs 15:25

    The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

    BSBThe LORD tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the boundaries of the widow.

16. #16James 1:27

    Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

    BSBPure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

17. #17Luke 20:47

    Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

    BSBThey defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

18. #18Jeremiah 9:21

    For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.

    BSBFor death has climbed in through our windows; it has entered our fortresses to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the town squares.

19. #19Judges 5:28

    The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

    BSBSisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’

20. #20Proverbs 7:6

    For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

    BSBFor at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.

21. #21Genesis 7:11

    In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

    BSBIn the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

22. #22Luke 7:11-15

    And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

    BSBSoon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.” Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!” And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

23. #23Zechariah 7:10

    And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

    BSBDo not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

24. #24Mark 12:41-44

    And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

    BSBAs Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts. Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

25. #25Luke 2:37

    And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

    BSBand then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

26. #26Jeremiah 49:11

    Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

    BSBAbandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives. Let your widows trust in Me.”

27. #27Romans 7:3

    So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

    BSBSo then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.

28. #281 Corinthians 7:39

    The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

    BSBA wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.

29. #29Isaiah 10:2

    To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

    BSBto deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

30. #30Job 22:9

    Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

    BSBYou sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

31. #311 Timothy 5:3

    Honour widows that are widows indeed.

    BSBHonor the widows who are truly widows.

32. #32Malachi 3:5

    And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

    BSB“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

33. #332 Corinthians 11:33

    And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

    BSBBut I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

34. #342 Kings 13:17

    And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

    BSB“Open the east window,” said Elisha. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.”

35. #35Joshua 2:15

    Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

    BSBThen Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.

36. #362 Kings 7:2

    Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

    BSBBut the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

37. #37Ezekiel 40:16

    And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees.

    BSBThe gate chambers and their side pillars had beveled windows all around the inside of the gateway. The porticos also had windows all around on the inside. Each side pillar was decorated with palm trees.

38. #38Jeremiah 22:14

    That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

    BSBwho says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion.

39. #39Ecclesiastes 12:3

    In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

    BSBon the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,

40. #40Isaiah 54:12

    And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

    BSBI will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).

Widows in Torrey's Topical Textbook

Related topics

• Widow
• Widowers
• Taking Care of Widows
• God Caring for Widows
• Orphan
• Absent Fathers
• Widows and Orphans
• Helping the Widows and Orphans
• Adoption
• Fatherlessness