5 Amazing Mothers in the Bible You Should Know!

In this post, let me introduce to you the most amazing mothers in the Bible that will surely teach us valuable lessons.

5 Amazing Mothers in the Bible You Should Know!

There are a lot of mothers in the Bible, but only a few stand out. These virtuous mothers are different from the rest of the mothers and women in the Scripture because of their faith and character.

So, if you are looking for faithful and praying mothers in the Bible, then you will love this blog. Let me share with you the mommies who can serve as a good example not just for mothers, but also everyone who aims to follow the teachings of the Bible.

Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ

Perhaps, the most known mother in the Bible, Mary is no doubt a great example for all mothers. Her story is just extraordinary. Ever since the birth of the Messiah was prophesied, all women in Israel had always been looking forward to His arrival and hoping He would come through their lineage. 

Mary was personally chosen by Yahweh to be the mother of His Son, Yahshua the Messiah or most commonly known as Jesus Christ.

We read in Luke 1:26-28:

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

This is such a powerful proclamation. The angel Gabriel brought the message that Mary shall miraculously become the mother of the Messiah.

The angel Gabriel then explained that Mary has found favor with God.

Now, if you are God, you will not simply entrust your Son into just anyone, right? Surely, Mary has the right godly character to be the mother of the Savior of mankind and the Almighty saw that.

God personally handpicked Mary. It wasn’t a random choice. The Most High God entrusts the care of His Son to Mary. Now, that speaks a lot about the character of Mary. There’s no doubt, she is “blessed among women” and is considered a “highly favored one.”

So, how did Mary respond?

We read in Luke 1:38:

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

Now, you may think that this was just a simple decision to make. During the time of Mary, women who got pregnant out of wedlock were a great disgrace. So disgraceful that she will not only bear the brunt of shame, but also her family.

What would people think? What would Joseph think? What would her family think?

Mary might have these questions in her mind, but she knew that the most important question was, “What would God think?”

And so it was, Mary accepted the role of being the mother of Jesus Christ. She was there for His Son, from birth to His death (John 19:25). Mary was there when Jesus took His first step and she was there when He took His last breath.

That’s the kind of mother Mary was. 

If you want to learn more, please read my blog that powerfully discusses the many lessons we can learn from Mary in greater detail.

Lois and Eunice, the Grandmother and mother of Timothy

Lois and Eunice teaching young Timothy the fear of God and His Word.
Lois and Eunice teaching young Timothy the fear of God and His Word. (Image source: Free Bible Images)

Timothy is among the most faithful men who lived during the early days of the New Testament Church. In the Scripture, we know of Timothy as someone who is like the following:

  • He was described to be a man of good report (Acts 16:1-2). 
  • A man who is faithful in the Lord and is beloved by the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 4:17). 
  • He is a man who does the work of God (II Timothy 1:5). 
  • He is a man who has known the Scripture since He was a child (II Timothy 3:15).

However, we are just seeing the end product of who Timothy was. What we don’t readily know is how he became a man of God.

We get a clue by looking at who took care of Timothy since He was a child. We read that Timothy was a son of a certain woman, a Jewess, who became a disciple of Christ (Acts 16:1).

We learn more about his mother in II Timothy 1:5:

5 When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

As we can see, Eunice was the mother of Timothy who took care of him. Eunice, in turn, was taught and trained by Lois, her mother. Together, Eunice and Lois taught Timothy the fear of God. Eunice and Lois were successful in rearing Timothy that even Paul, Himself, testified how Timothy knew very well the Scripture from his youth. Timothy is who he was because of the direct and indirect help of his mother and grandmother. 

Now, there are just so many vital lessons we can learn from Lois and Eunice. If you are interested, you can read my blog, “What Every Mother can Learn from the Life of Eunice and Lois.”

Hannah, the mother of Samuel

Hannah praying to God for a child.
Hannah praying to God for a child. (Image source: Free Bible Images)

Hannah is one of the best examples of praying mothers in the Bible. She is one of the two wives of Elkanah. The problem was she had no son. Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah, would provoke Hannah severely and make her life miserable (I Samuel 1:6).

Now, here is the good example Hannah set for us. Instead of losing hope, what she did was amazing:

“So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Yahweh” (1 Samuel 1:7).

Hannah showed her persistence, dedication, and commitment. 

Even though she was always provoked by Peninnah and this had made her cry many times, she didn’t give up. 

Even though her prayers are not answered, she still served God. She continued to be a mother after God’s own heart. She continued to be steadfast and faithful.

Hannah was so prayerful and in constant communication with God that one of her prayers was recorded in the Bible for all of us to read. You can find her prayer in I Samuel 2:1-10.

Sometimes, God wants to see how much we want our prayers to be answered. In the process, it helps us to produce patience, wisdom, and trust in God. Hannah showed us that God does hear our prayers.

We read what happened next in 1 Samuel 1:17-18:

Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

As a result of Hannah’s prayer and faith, his son was born and that son became one of the greatest prophets of Israel — Samuel.

After Samuel was born, he was eventually brought to the temple. Now, you may think that was the end of Hannah’s role in Samuel’s life.

No, not exactly because we read in 1 Samuel 2:19:

19 Moreover his [talking about Samuel] mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

As you can see, Hannah never stopped being a mother to Samuel. Because of that, she was even blessed with more children.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:21).

Hannah is no doubt a wonderful example for all of us. Her life shows us how powerful prayers are not because of who we are, but because of what God did and what He can do for us.

Ruth, the mother of Obed

Ruth the mother of Boaz exemplified the character of commitment, hardwork, and good reputation.
Ruth the mother of Boaz exemplified the character of commitment, hardwork, and good reputation.

The life of Ruth started with tragedy after tragedy. Her family suffered from a severe famine that forced them to leave Bethlehem and emigrate to the land of Moab. After some time, her husband, Mahlon, died.

Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, decided to go back to her hometown. She told Ruth and her other daughter-in-law to return each of them to their mother’s house. The response of Ruth is one that truly reflects her godly character:

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17

We could see here in the words of Ruth, the dedication, love, and loyalty of Ruth — characteristics of a true woman of God.

Notice, she is not just committed to Naomi, but actually, she is committed to God the Almighty!

Even Naomi recognized this:

18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. Ruth 1:18

Once Naomi and Ruth reached Bethlehem, we have seen how Ruth established a good reputation. Though a stranger, Ruth didn’t let her dire circumstance stop her from being a good daughter-in-law to Naomi.

Inevitably, the good reputation of Ruth reached Boaz, her future husband. 

Boaz told Ruth:

It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before” (Ruth 2:11).

You can’t build a reputation when you don’t have the right character. You can’t have the right character if you don’t have the right attitude, habits, and most importantly, faith in God.

That’s why we have seen how God worked things out for Ruth. Eventually, Boaz married Ruth. They then had a son named Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who in turn, became the father of David.

Jesus Christ (Yahshua) the Savior of the world came through the lineage of Ruth!

How awesome and powerful is our God who can turn bitter beginnings into sweet endings. Yes, Ruth might have started in life in a bad situation. 

Yes, Ruth lost a lot of things, but she has gained more than all the things that she had lost. We will forever know her as the mother and ancestor of the greatest Teacher, Prophet, and most importantly, the Savior of all mankind.

There are more lessons to learn from the life of Ruth. If you wish to learn more, please read, “7 Little-Known Lessons from the Book of Ruth.”

The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31

Among the many chapters of the book of Proverbs, perhaps, the most popular one is Chapter 31. It is worth noting that this chapter isn’t written by King Solomon. According to the scholars, these are the recorded words of King Lemuel’s mother. 

So, how does the Bible describe a virtuous woman or wife? She is described as someone who is:

  • Worth far above rubies (v. 10)
  • trustworthy (v. 11)
  • Good (v. 12)
  • Willing to work with her hands (v. 13)
  • Industrious and a provider (v. 15)
  • Productive (v. 16)
  • Strong (v. 17)
  • Generous (v. 20)
  • Honorable (v. 25)
  • Wise and kind (v. 26)
  • Blessed and praised (v. 28)

As you can see, a virtuous wife, woman, or mother is someone who aims to make her home better. She works hard to serve her family and not just them, but also the whole community when the opportunity presents itself. 

Through respect, love, and service, a virtuous mother and wife is someone who selflessly makes use of her time for the betterment of everyone, primarily her family.

Learn more about the Mothers of the Bible

I hope this short blog helps in giving a quick but comprehensive introduction of the best mothers mentioned in the Bible. We can certainly learn a lot of them and this blog is just the start.

If you want to learn more, you may want to read the list of the best Christian books for mothers. In this list, I have gathered some of the books for mommies that will help you play your God-given role in molding and preparing children who will become future kings and priests in God’s Kingdom.

If you know of a mother in the Bible that should be on this list, please let me know by leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you.

Top 21 best Christian books for Mothers of all time!
Top 21 best Christian books for Mothers of all time!

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