Bible Verses About Widows (20 Verses)
This collection has 20 Bible verses about widows: 11 from the Old Testament and 9 from the New Testament. 1 Timothy appears most often (3 verses), across 13 books of Scripture.
What does the Bible say about widows? Read 20 carefully selected Bible verses about widows, with full scripture text you can save, share, and study.
Counts from this page's curated collection (13 books of Scripture).
20 Bible Verses About Widows
“You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
"Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless."
"A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."
"A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."
"Honor widows who are widows indeed. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives."
"Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."
"But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever."
"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
"Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but the way of the wicked he turns upside down."
"The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down."
"Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”"
"Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."
"If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don’t let the assembly be burdened; that it might relieve those who are widows indeed."
"If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed."
"Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
"Yahweh will uproot the house of the proud, but he will keep the widow’s borders intact."
"The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow."
"Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him. Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Don’t cry.” He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother."
"And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother."
"Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin. He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”"
"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
"and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day."
"And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."
"So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man."
"So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man."
"to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!"
"To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!"
"You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken."
"Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken."
"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor; if you don’t oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and don’t shed innocent blood in this place, and don’t walk after other gods to your own hurt; then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even forever more."
"For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever."
"the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy."
"The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy."
"But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am."
"I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I."
“Thus has Yahweh of Armies spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother. Don’t oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’
"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."
"Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”"
"Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 2, 2026.
The word widow appears 50 times in the King James Version. See where widow appears, book by book
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This collection has 20 Bible verses about widows: 11 from the Old Testament and 9 from the New Testament. 1 Timothy appears most often (3 verses), across 13 books of Scripture. What does the Bible say about widows? Read 20 carefully selected Bible verses about widows, with full scripture text you can save, share, and study.
Exodus 22:22-24: "“You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless." Psalm 68:5: "A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation." 1 Timothy 5:3-6: "Honor widows who are widows indeed. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives." Full collection: 20 verses on this page (55% Old Testament, 45% New Testament).
This page collects 20 verses about widows from 13 books. 1 Timothy is the most frequent source (3 verses). Scripture touches the theme in many places; these are the ones readers look up most often for study and encouragement.
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