There are plenty of men in the Bible who are more or less household names. Most people have heard of Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, Daniel, Jesus, and Paul.
But what about the women in the Bible? They might not get as much airtime as the names mentioned above, but don’t make the mistake of overlooking them. God shows no partiality between men and women, and we see this play out, again and again, as God works through the lives of ancient biblical heroines to accomplish His good purposes.
Curious to learn more? Here are five famous women of the Bible you should know, along with a key takeaway from each of their lives.
Table of Contents
Famous Woman #1: Hagar
After the creation story but before Israel became established as God’s people, Hagar served Abraham and Sarah as a servant and became the mother of a nation. Her story is chronicled in Genesis chapters 16 and 21.
Hagar’s Story
She gave this name to the Lᴏʀᴅ who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13 NIV
Years before Hagar’s story began in Genesis 16, God promised Abraham and Sarah offspring who would outnumber the stars. After many years of waiting without children, Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with her servant, Hagar, to expedite the promise. When he does, Hagar becomes pregnant. After being mistreated by Sarah, and feeling embarrassed, hurt, scared, and angry, Hagar runs into the wilderness.
In her desperation, an angel of the Lord finds Hagar and reminds her of God’s promise to Abraham. Abraham’s offspring will be founders of nations, and this promise extends to her son. God says the boy will be named Ishamel, which means “God hears.”
After Hagar remembers God’s promises, she is able to see God, His character, and His purpose more clearly. The abuse she suffered at the hands of Abraham and Sarah was not in vain—through her experiences, God would demonstrate His faithfulness. When Hagar sees God, her hope is restored, giving her the strength to return to Abraham and Sarah and raise Ishmael in their household.
Key Takeaway From Hagar’s Story
Hope often works alongside an understanding of who God is and what He does. Our hope starts with God’s promise and ends with a greater understanding of His character, which directs us toward our eternal home and future.
The fight against despair is ongoing, but God’s promises are good and He is faithful to keep them.
God has made promises to all of us. The fight against despair is ongoing, but God’s promises are good and He is faithful to keep them. Time in the Word, conversation with godly friends and mentors, and meeting regularly with our local church will all work to remind us of His promises and strengthen our hope.
While God may not have promised you that your offspring would outnumber the stars, there are countless promises in Scripture that will help to encourage and equip you. For example, God promises in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient for you, and His power is made perfect in weakness. He promises to instruct and teach us in the way we should go in Psalm 32:8.
Consider: In what areas of your life have you fallen into despair, and what promises of God have fallen from your focus?
Famous Woman #2: Ruth
Of the 66 books in the Old and New Testaments, two of them are named after women. The Book of Ruth is one of those books. This book is named after a young woman from the nation of Moab, who lived during the time of the judges in the history of Israel.
Ruth’s Story
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16 NIV
In the first chapter of Ruth, an Israelite family moves from Bethlehem to Moab: Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion. Both sons marry local Moabite women. Mahlon marries Ruth, and Chilion marries Orpah. But after the deaths of all three men in the family, Naomi has no choice but to return to her family in Bethlehem.
Naomi encourages Orpah and Ruth to go home to their fathers’ houses. Orpah reluctantly leaves Naomi, but Ruth refuses to go. She tells Naomi that wherever Naomi goes, she will go. Naomi’s people will be her people, and Naomi’s God will be her God.
Naomi and Ruth travel to Bethlehem, and Ruth begins working in the fields to provide for herself and her mother-in-law. While she’s there, she comes to the attention of Boaz, the owner of the field, who goes out of his way to ensure Ruth is treated well by his hired workers.
When Naomi hears that Ruth has encountered Boaz, she devises a plan. Boaz is a close relative of her late husband, which means, culturally, he is considered a “kinsman redeemer.” Redeemers were expected to marry the widows of their deceased family members, to keep the inheritance in the same family line.
Naomi directs Ruth to go to Boaz and ask him to fulfill his role as a kinsman redeemer. Ruth follows Naomi’s directions, and Boaz expresses his desire to marry her, but knows of another redeemer who is an even closer relative to Elimelech than he.
Boaz goes to the city gate to discuss the situation with this man. While the man is eager to take on Elimelech’s inheritance, when he discovers that doing so would require him to marry Ruth, he yields his right to the inheritance to Boaz. Boaz and Ruth marry, and their firstborn son is revealed to be Obed, the grandfather of King David.
Key Takeaway From Ruth’s Story
Throughout her story, Ruth’s life is marked by dedication. She was under no obligation to stay with Naomi after the death of her husband. She would have been within her rights to return to her father’s house, live out her days in relative ease, and even remarry a Moabite man.
But Ruth was dedicated to her mother-in-law. She traveled with Naomi to a new nation. She worked in the fields to support them both. She even went along with Naomi’s plan to essentially propose to a wealthy man she’d just recently met. And it’s because of this dedication that Ruth and Naomi’s lives change drastically for the better.
All of us dedicate our lives to something. When we dedicate our lives to things that are good—our relationship with Christ, pursuing justice and mercy, caring for the people around us—God can use our dedication in incredible ways.
Consider: What have you dedicated your life to? And how has that dedication impacted you and the world around you?
Famous Woman #3: Esther
The Book of Esther is the other book in the Bible named after a woman. Esther’s story takes place centuries after the story of Ruth in the ancient kingdom of Persia, after the nation of Judah has been carried into exile.
Esther’s Story
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. …” Esther 7:3-4 NIV
Esther’s story begins with some royal shenanigans, as Xerxes, the king of Persia, ousts his wife, Queen Vashti, after she refuses to parade herself in front of his friends. Xerxes’ advisors recommend that the king—now a bachelor again—hold a beauty contest to find himself a new wife and queen.
One of the women chosen to compete for this position is Esther, a young Jewish woman who was raised by her older cousin Mordecai following the deaths of her parents. Esther is selected as the king’s favorite and made queen of Persia. Meanwhile, Mordecai catches wind of a conspiracy against the king and relays this information to Esther. She reports the plot to Xerxes and gives credit to Mordecai.
After this, Xerxes promotes a royal adviser named Haman to a position of prominence. Haman allows this newfound prestige to go to his head, and when Mordecai refuses to bow to him at the king’s gate, Haman loses it. He hatches a plot to kill Mordecai and every Jewish person living in Persia. And Xerxes, unaware of his wife’s heritage, signs off on Haman’s plan.
When word of Haman’s plot reaches Mordecai, he reaches out to his young cousin, urging her to speak to the king on behalf of her people. Esther knows going to the king without being summoned is risky—doing so could result in her death. But Mordecai encourages her, pointing out that it was, perhaps, “for such a time as this” that she was made queen.
Esther goes to the king, and he welcomes her presence. From there, she invites Xerxes and Haman to a meal, lulling them both into a sense of security, before asking them to join her for another meal the following day. Overnight, Xerxes is reminded of the kindness Mordecai showed him when he warned the king of the plot against his life. And the following day, Esther drops the bomb—she is Jewish, and Haman has sentenced her and her people to death.
The king rages, and Haman flounders before he is eventually sentenced to death. With help from Mordecai, Esther and the king are able to avert the killing of the Jewish people. Esther and Mordecai also establish the holiday of Purim, an annual celebration of the rescue of their people.
Key Takeaway From Esther’s Story
When Mordecai asked Esther to go to the king on behalf of her people, she faced two real possibilities. She could go to the king and risk him calling for her immediate execution. Or she could ignore her guardian’s request. Few people—perhaps only Mordecai—knew she was Jewish. She could turn a blind eye to the annihilation of her people and keep herself safe.
With Mordecai’s encouragement, Esther chose to be brave. But doing so required her to push through her own sense of self-preservation.
How do you respond when you’re given the choice between helping others at some risk to yourself or turning a blind eye to keep yourself safe?
How do you respond when you’re given the choice between helping others at some risk to yourself or turning a blind eye to keep yourself safe? Pushing through our own sense of self-preservation is never easy, but when God calls us to take courageous action, it’s the right step to take. When faced with these challenges, doing what Esther did—leaning on the encouragement of those closest to us—can give us the push we need to do what’s right.
Consider: How is God calling you to be courageous and help others this week? How can you lean on the encouragement of friends or family to take that step?
Famous Woman #4: Mary
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is arguably the best-known woman in the entire Bible. Her story—parts of which are remembered and recited every Christmas and Easter—occurred 2,000 years ago, after the Jewish people had returned from exile and were living under Roman rule. Aside from one mention in the Book of Acts, Mary’s story can be found across the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Mary’s Story
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-49 NIV
When we meet Mary for the first time, she is living in the town of Nazareth in the region of Galilee. Her family has arranged her betrothal to a man named Joseph, a practice commonplace in that day and age.
On an otherwise ordinary day, Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel, who greets her and describes her as highly favored. Mary is taken aback (as most people would be), but Gabriel isn’t done yet. He tells Mary that she will miraculously conceive and give birth to a son, and that this boy will be Jesus, the Son of God, destined to reign over an everlasting kingdom.
Despite this shocking news, Mary responds willingly. “I am the Lord’s servant,” she says. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” From there, she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who has conceived a child in her old age, and breaks into song, glorifying God for His work in her life and His faithfulness to all generations.
Mary’s betrothed, Joseph, considers ending their arrangement quietly after he finds out about her pregnancy. But another surprise visit from Gabriel convinces Joseph to stay by Mary’s side, and together they travel to Bethlehem for the census. It’s there that Mary gives birth to Jesus.
From there, Mary is present for many of Jesus’ important moments—the visit of the shepherds and wise men, His presentation at the temple, and His first miracle at a wedding in Cana. As His ministry takes off, it seems as if there is occasional tension between Jesus and His mother and brothers. But Mary continues to stay near Jesus, even standing at the foot of the cross during His crucifixion.
Key Takeaway From Mary’s Story
Mary responded to Gabriel’s presence as any person would, but her response to his shocking announcement is unique. Rather than telling Gabriel that he had the wrong person, or that this wasn’t a good time, or that this pregnancy could majorly disrupt her entire life, Mary was obedient to what God was asking her to do. And not just obedient, but joyfully so—she glorifies God for who He is and what He’s done, and receives the honor of getting a front row seat to the life, ministry, and saving work of the Son of God.
A lot of times, the things God asks us to do can be pretty inconvenient. Going out of our way to love other people can throw wrenches into our life plans, in big and small ways. But when we choose to submit to God—and do so joyfully? We can get a front row seat to the work of God in the lives of the people around us.
Consider: How might God be calling you to joyfully inconvenience yourself this week?
Famous Woman #5: Priscilla
Priscilla was a Jewish woman who served the early church alongside her husband, Aquila, and the Apostle Paul. She is mentioned by name in 2 Timothy, 1 Corinthians, and Romans, though the most substantial bit of Priscilla’s story is found in Acts, where her teaching is recounted.
Priscilla’s Story
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. Acts 18:26 NIV
Priscilla was a vital member of the early church and an incredible example of bold mentorship and courageous hospitality. In Acts 18:2, the Apostle Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth, after the Jews had been deported from Rome by Claudius Caesar. They form a close ministry partnership.
Priscilla, along with her husband, opens her home to be used by one of the early churches. She becomes a missionary to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people), serving and traveling alongside Paul. In Romans 16:3-4, Paul speaks of the couple’s boldness when he says, “They once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches.”
But Priscilla not only led the way in the big things like church planting, near martyrdom, and traveling evangelism—she was also faithful in the “small” things, like her trade as a tentmaker, which gave her the ability to support her ministry without fully relying on donations from the church.
Additionally, she freely gave her time in order to mentor new Christians like Apollos, who were on fire for God but in need of a teacher. She committed her gifts as a hostess, teacher, and mentor to God and was able to make an undeniable difference in the early church.
Paul makes it clear that, without Priscilla’s courage and godly lifestyle, countless Gentiles may have never heard the gospel.
Key Takeaway From Priscilla’s Story
Priscilla’s life was one lived fully and faithfully in every aspect: work, home, service, and ministry. She led by example with courageous mentorship and bold hospitality. Her ministry didn’t start and end within the walls of the church—she pursued fruitfulness in every area of her life. Because of this, God blessed her life, her ministry, and even her legacy: She is now regarded as a vital founding member of the early church.
Consider: In which areas of your life are you struggling to live fully for Christ? Are you living for Him at the office? While you’re doing the dishes? Are you generous with your time and your resources? Ask God how you can better live for him, not only in the big things, but also in the day-to-day.
God Equips Everyone
The Bible is full of imperfect men and women God used to bring about His perfect plans—not so people could boast, but so they could more fully understand the goodness and power of God. He is able to use the broken, hurting, nervous, and unassuming people society casts off to bring about the story of the gospel.
So be encouraged today. Even if it feels like you are overlooked by others, know that you are seen by God. He knows you and loves you. He has a purpose and a plan for you that is sure to bring about goodness and truth.
How can you know? Because He’s done it before, and He will do it again.
If and when you need a reminder of His ability to raise up, equip, and encourage fallen people—men and women—look back over these stories. They are rich with wisdom and inspiration, and ultimately reflect the never-changing goodness of God.