People & groups
Widow
A woman whose husband had died, often facing economic and legal vulnerability in biblical society.
Also called · Widowed woman
What it means
Without a husband’s household support, a widow could be exposed to poverty or exploitation. Israel’s law repeatedly joins widows with orphans and sojourners needing justice.
Biblical narratives also show widows acting with courage, faith, generosity, and agency rather than only as passive recipients of aid.
How it appears in the Bible
Care for widows becomes a recurring test of covenant justice in the law, prophets, Jesus’ teaching, and the early church.