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Bible Verses for Women

12 verses · ESV & King James Version

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There is a standard shelf of verses marketed to women, and most of it comes pre-packaged — printed on things, quoted at showers, read at weddings, arranged into a standard nobody could meet.

The twelve below are largely that same shelf, put back where they came from. Several say something noticeably different in context than they do on a mug, and one of them is not about a woman at all.

Each is quoted in full in both translations, with a short note on what the passage is doing in its own book.

12 verses for when you need them

  1. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

    Genesis 1:27 ESV

    So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

    Genesis 1:27 KJV

    Male and female are both named in the same line about the image of God. Whatever else the chapter distinguishes, it does not distinguish here — the image is stated of both without qualification.

  2. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.

    Proverbs 31:25 ESV

    Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

    Proverbs 31:25 KJV

    Strength and honour are her clothing. The metaphor is worth pausing on: clothing is what other people see, so the qualities named are the visible ones, which is not how this chapter is usually summarised.

  3. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

    Proverbs 31:30 ESV

    Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

    Proverbs 31:30 KJV

    Beauty is called vain and favour deceitful, and the fear of the LORD is what draws praise. It is the same passage that gets printed on decorative signs, saying something the signs tend to leave out.

  4. But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

    Ruth 1:16-17 ESV

    And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

    Ruth 1:16-17 KJV

    Read at weddings constantly. In the book it is spoken by one widow to another, with no husband, no security and no reason to stay — which makes it a harder and better set of vows than the wedding use suggests.

  5. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

    Esther 4:14 ESV

    For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

    Esther 4:14 KJV

    For such a time as this is a question, not a promise. Mordecai raises the possibility; he does not tell Esther what will happen, and she still has to decide with the outcome unknown.

  6. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

    Judges 4:4 ESV

    And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

    Judges 4:4 KJV

    Deborah is introduced as a prophetess who judged Israel. The verse states it without argument or explanation, which is itself the notable thing about how it is written.

  7. And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

    Luke 1:46-48 ESV

    And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

    Luke 1:46-48 KJV

    Mary calls God her Saviour and speaks of her low estate. The song is about what God has done rather than about her qualifications, and she is the one who frames it that way.

  8. Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

    Luke 10:38-42 ESV

    Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

    Luke 10:38-42 KJV

    Martha is busy and Mary is listening, and Jesus says Mary has chosen the good part. Read carefully, the rebuke is aimed at being anxious and troubled about many things, not at the work itself.

  9. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

    John 20:15-16 ESV

    Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

    John 20:15-16 KJV

    Mary Magdalene does not recognise him until he says her name. The turn in the scene comes from being named, which is a small detail and the whole of what happens.

  10. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

    Galatians 3:28 ESV

    There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

    Galatians 3:28 KJV

    Neither male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus. Paul is arguing about who belongs, and the categories he lists are the ones his readers used to sort each other.

  11. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

    1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV

    Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

    1 Peter 3:3-4 KJV

    The contrast is between outward adorning and the hidden person of the heart, described as of great price in the sight of God. Read that way, the point is where value is located rather than a rule about jewellery.

  12. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

    Psalm 46:5 ESV

    God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

    Psalm 46:5 KJV

    God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved. The her in the psalm is the city of God, not a woman — which is worth knowing before it is quoted at you, and does not make the promise smaller.

The set of verses handed to women is small and it repeats, which means most of them arrive pre-interpreted. Half the work here is putting them back in their own books.

Ruth 1:16 turns out to be a widow speaking to her mother-in-law rather than a bride speaking to a groom. Esther 4:14 turns out to be a question. Psalm 46:5 turns out to be about a city. None of these is a disappointment — the passages are stronger read straight than read as slogans, and Ruth in particular is far more costly than the wedding version.

What is left when the framing comes off is fairly consistent. Genesis 1:27 states the image without qualification. Galatians 3:28 puts the categories aside for the question of who belongs. Luke 10 defends a woman who sat down to listen. And Proverbs 31, the chapter most often used as a standard to fall short of, says plainly that beauty is vain.

If you have ever felt measured by this list, that last one is the place to start.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version, which is in the public domain. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.