From Eve to Esther to Mary of Nazareth, many women in the Bible have powerful stories.
However, you might be surprised just how little they actually speak. Reverend Lindsay Hardin Freeman from Excelsior, Minnesota, led a study that counted every single word spoken by a woman in the Bible. They discovered that of the 93 women in the Bible, only 49 have names. And in total women only speak 14,056 words. Yet, consider how powerful those words can be.
“I think they have a lot to share with us about what it means to believe, what it means to have faith,” Reverence Freeman told Huffington Post.
In the stories of women in the Bible, we can find courage, strength, and resilience—but also gentle kindness and humility. Perhaps it is the complexity of these women that draw us to them and makes us want to learn more.
“These are ordinary people,” says Ann Spangler, one of the authors of the devotional, Women of the Bible. “They are not that different, emotionally, from us. They respond to God. Sometimes with faith, sometimes with very little faith. For me, that makes scripture even more authentic.”
If you are looking for guidance during a difficult time, or learning to trust the Lord when things are uncertain, these women’s stories can provide you with hope. Discover the background and life lessons of these strong women in the Bible.
