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Women of the Bible
The Editors

Sing and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord (Zech 2:11).

From the Hebrew Bible

Sarah
"As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai. but Sarah... I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her (Gen 17:15-16).

Rebekah
Isaac .took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her (Gen 24:67).

Rachel and Leah
Label' had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel . .. Jacob loved Rachel ... So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her (Gen 29:16, 18, 20).

Miriam
Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea" (Ex 15:21).

Rehab
They ... came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rehab (who) said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land..." (Jos 2:1, 9).

Deborah & Jael
"... You arose, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.
Most blessed of women be Jael ... of tent-dwelling women most blessed' (Judg 5:7, 24).

Ruth
"Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go... your people shall be my people, and your God my God."
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife... Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin" (Ruth 1:16; 4:13-14).

Hannah
"For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me my petition." Hannah also prayed and said,
"My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord" (1 Sam 1:27; 2:1),

Esther
"Think not in the King's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews... And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13,14).
Judith: "You are the exaltation of Jerusalem, you are the great glory of Israel, you are the great pride of our nation!" (Judith 15:9).

From the Christian Scriptures

Mary

God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal 4:4).
Mary said, "Behold. I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

'My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour" (Lk 1:38, 46-47).

She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger.
They brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom ... The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem... "How is it you sought me? Did you not know I must be in my Father's house?" and his mother kept all these things in her heart (Lk 2:7, 22. 42, 43, 49, 51).

(Jesus) was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it" (Lk 8:20-21).

There was a marriage at Cana in Galilee. and the mother of Jesus was there... The mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." .. His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:1, 3, 5).

Standing by the cross of Jesus (was) his mother... When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved, standing near, he said to his mother. "Woman, behold your son!" (Jn 19:25-26).

All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus... (Acts 1:14).

A great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Rev 12:1).