A variety of words have been used to describe the women in the Bible. The list includes superlatives, like strong, beautiful, faithful, brave, sacrificing, and stoic. Other less glamorous adjectives include calculating, cold, greedy, calculating, and cold.
Many opinions have been expressed regarding their character, attributes, intelligence, and God-intended positions in and beyond their homes.
Women were frequently identified by association with a close male (the wife of” or “daughter of”) or with their tribe or circumstance (a concubine, an adulterer, a diseased or chronic bleeder). For this reason, we will never know the names of certain women from Bible times. Dr. Herbert Lockyer lists over 100 unnamed women of the scriptures. 1 Additionally, the daily accounts of Bible characters male and female–were documented by men. Priscilla is mentioned as a possible contributor; however, this is not a well-accepted belief.
Males and females have been found to emphasize different details or find different facts important. Thus, meaningful details or actual accomplishments of countless women—no matter how magnificent—may forever be hidden. Additionally, there existed a tendency to consider women’s accomplishments as less relevant than their male counterparts.
We will certainly delve into the stories of well-known Biblical characters like Sarah, Deborah, Esther, Rachel, Mary in time. But first, let’s acknowledge some of the uncelebrated, unnamed women in The Word.
Women of God, your efforts may not have been noticed or appreciated at the level you deserve. Your influence may be buried beneath sexism or politics of denominations. Your name may remain obscure in this life, but be reassured G-d has seen, heard and recorded your faithfulness! Never stop serving!
Robin Gallaher Branch highlighted a princess whose bravery resulted in Moses’ life being spared in her article, “Unnamed Women: Significant Secondary Characters”.
Exodus 2:1-10, an unnamed Egyptian princess, daughter of an unnamed Egyptian pharaoh, becomes a Hebrew slave-child’s foster mother. The princess names the baby Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.” The baby’s name indicates the princess chose to acknowledge the baby’s origin and knew a bit of Hebrew herself, for the name Moses is related to a root word in Hebrew meaning “to draw out.” 2
This was a woman of high position. She was royalty, the daughter of Pharaoh. To complicate matters, her father had commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill newborn baby boys. Little did she know that her rescue efforts would change the course of an entire nation of people.
5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it. 6 When she opened it she saw the child; and lo, the babe was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children”. (Exodus 2:5-6, RSV)
Moses’ mother was only identified as a daughter of Levi. She risked her life to preserve her famous son.
2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds at the river’s brink. 4 And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him.
Moses’ sister also placed her life on the line. Her quick and wise thinking allowed Moses to remain with his family for his formative years and his mother was paid to nurse her own child. Sounds like a win-win situation!
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. (Exodus 2:7-8)
Moses became one of the best known, key figures in Jewish history. School-aged children can recite his story—a story that may not have existed were it not for three bold, unselfish, unnamed women.
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1 Herbert Lockyer, “ Chapter 3. Nameless Bible Women”, All the Women in the Bible
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women…
2 Robin Gallaher Branch, “Unnamed Women: Significant Secondary Characters”, Bible Odyssey,
2023)
https://m.bibleodyssey.org/people/related-articles/…