What Does the Bible Say About Widows?
Recently a question was posed through a friend on Facebook, “What does the Bible teach about widows?” The question may be directed toward two different purposes: Can a widow remarry? How should the church care for its widows? Let’s tackle both of these issues because you asked for it.
A Scriptural Principle: Care for the Widows
An over-riding principle developed throughout the Bible encourages believers to care for those who are unable to care for themselves. While it does put boundaries and criteria upon the truth, God cares for those who desperately need assistance. Listen to some of these passages of Scripture:
The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
Psalm 146:9 ESV
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s case.
Isaiah 1:18 ESV
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:27 ESV
The truth appears quite clear. The Lord watches over those who cannot care for themselves and wants His people to do so as well. The three groups of people that are often singled out – the sojourner (the person who is in a strange land or country), the widows and the orphans. We are to seek justice for these people rather than exploiting or ignoring them. Other verses that add to this teaching can be found in
| Exodus 22:21-24 ESV | Psalm 68:5 ESV | Psalm 82:3 ESV | Zechariah 7:9-10 ESV | Deuteronomy 27:19 ESV |
| Psalm 10:14 ESV | Jeremiah 49:11 ESV | Deuteronomy 10:18 ESV | 1 Timothy 5:5 ESV | Malachi 3:5 ESV |
Two Other Truths
We need to add two other concepts to our understanding. First, Jesus spoke of taking care of the “least of these” believers. The principle speaks throughout the verses.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:34-40 NIV
Church Care for the Widows
Finally, taking care of the needs of widows was one of the first ministry issues that the church needed to organize and systematically address in its history. Let’s look at the Scripture to see the problem and the church’s solution.
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
Acts 6:1 NIV
The problem may seem fairly simple, but this one sentence in the Bible offers a glimpse into many issues that may have more than a small application today. At the time of Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection, the church was born. Jews from the entire Mediterranean region (Acts 2:8-11) heard Peter’s first gospel sermon. Many of those listening became members of Christ’s Church on that day. Some of the Jews were from the Jerusalem area (Hebraic Jews) while others were from the surrounding area (Hellenistic Jews). Taking care of the widows appears to have been a priority from the very beginning.
The problem appears straight-forward: the widows among the Hellenistic Jews found themselves overlooked when distribution of daily food occurred. The reasons under the surface of the problem are a little more complex.
Factors Contributing to the Problem
A contributing factor to the problem may have had ethnic roots. Jews who had not married outside the faith often looked down upon those who had intermarried. By Jesus’ time, the problem had become so large that a faithful Jew would not even walk through Samaria, a land populated by Jewish people of a mixed heritage. Widows from among the Hellenistic Jews – Jews from outside Jerusalem – found themselves overlooked.
The problem increased because these Hellenistic Jews had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. Not only were they widows, they were also sojourners – people away from their homes. No family or even friends were available to care for them.
The problem arose, probably with no purposeful evil intent. It is doubtful anyone said, “Let’s purposely leave out the widows from the Hellenistic Jews when we distribute free lunches.” So many of the issues throughout the history of the church occur without bad motives – some even from good motives. But because we live in a sinful world, they just occur.
The Church Assists the Widows
But now the church must do something about the issue. At the time, the leadership of the church rested upon the shoulders of the Twelve Apostles. They decided it would not be right to neglect preaching just so that the food could be distributed evenly. The apostles decided to allow people to pick some people to be in charge. As a result, the first “ministry group” within the church began.
2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:2-7 NIV
Notice the result of properly handling this ministry to the widows. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. Their impact even reached into the priesthood of Judaism. A large number of the people who helped lead worship at the temple became Christian believers.
Can Widows Remarry?
The second question, “Can a widow remarry?” has a solid biblical answer. Paul gives a blanket permission for remarriage after the death of one’s spouse. He makes it clear that it is not mandatory to remarry.
39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 7:39-40 NIV
The only restriction that Paul seems to make is that the Christian widow marry a believer. He does add his own advice and commentary. It is Paul’s judgment that the widow might well be happier if she stays single.
I hope these Scriptures help build your understanding.
Thanks so much my brother Tom for answering my question well and good teachings. May God richly bless you.