153 Bible verses about Helping Widows

The Bible's stories and teachings about widows really show God's love and compassion. 1 Timothy 5:3 urges us to honor widows. That means truly seeing their situation, having empathy, and offering respect and support.

James 1:27 describes pure and faultless religion as caring for orphans and widows in their distress. It's about being there for them in tough times, offering comfort and help.

The Bible also teaches that widows should be cared for by their families and protected by the church. So, let's keep God's word in our hearts and be a reflection of His goodness to those women grieving the loss of a loved one. Let's be a shoulder to cry on, and most importantly, let's pray for them. Pray that God's Holy Spirit strengthens them.

And let's not just offer comforting words. Let's also provide practical support, whether it's food, clothing, or whatever they might need. Widows go through incredibly difficult times and need our help to keep going.

Let's bless their lives, their homes, their children, and leave a positive mark on their hearts. Let's show them they're not alone in this world.

Honor widows that are widows indeed.

Pure religion and undefiled before {\i our} God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, {\i and} to keep oneself unspotted from the world.\par

Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

If thou afflict them at all, 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.

learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.\par

Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment.

Jehovah preserveth the sojourners;\par\tab He upholdeth the fatherless and widow;\par\tab But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

and the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner {\i from his right}, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.

Jehovah will root up the house of the proud;\par\tab But he will establish the border of the widow.

Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother;

and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name:\par\tab Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts;\par\tab His name is Jehovah; and exult ye before him.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,\par\tab Is God in his holy habitation.

For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor;

if ye oppress not the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your own hurt:

then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even for evermore.\par

I desire therefore that the younger {\i widows} marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling:

Because I delivered the poor that cried,\par\tab The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me;\par\tab And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,\par\tab Is God in his holy habitation.

And he gave her his hand, and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

Remove not the ancient landmark;\par\tab And enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

For their Redeemer is strong;\par\tab He will plead their cause against thee.

to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

Thus saith Jehovah: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the sojourner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place.

To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.

Honor widows that are widows indeed.

But if any widow hath children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to requite their parents: for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

If any woman that believeth hath widows, let her relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.\par

Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, 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, {\cf6 Weep not.}

And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, {\cf6 Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.}

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.

and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.

And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, {\cf6 Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury:

for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, {\i even} all her living.}\par

Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.

So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.

And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.

For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

The jar of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by Elijah.

He healeth the broken in heart,\par\tab And bindeth up their wounds.

Judge the poor and fatherless:\par\tab Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem.

But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, {\i even} these least, ye did it unto me.

If thou faint in the day of adversity,\par\tab Thy strength is small.

Deliver them that are carried away unto death,\par\tab And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.

If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this;\par\tab Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it?\par\tab And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it?\par\tab And shall not he render to every man according to his work?

For the needy shall not alway be forgotten,\par\tab Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever.

Thou shalt not wrest the justice due to the sojourner, or to the fatherless, nor take the widow's raiment to pledge;

Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.\par

{\cf6 {\b The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,\par\tab Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor:\par\tab He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives,\par\tab And recovering of sight to the blind,\par\tab To set at liberty them that are bruised,}

communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.

Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for {\b God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.}

only {\i they would} that we should remember the poor; which very thing I was also zealous to do.\par

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.

I have been young, and now am old;\par\tab Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,\par\tab Nor his seed begging bread.

For he will stand at the right hand of the needy,\par\tab To save him from them that judge his soul.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,

and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is {\i life} indeed.\par

Let love of the brethren continue.

Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

{\cf6 {\i But} take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.\par

When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.\par

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another;

Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;\par\tab For I am desolate and afflicted.

{\b For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.}\par\par\tab Blessed is he that considereth the poor:\par\tab Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.

Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive,\par\tab And he shall be blessed upon the earth;\par\tab And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.

Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing:\par\tab Thou makest all his bed in his sickness.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack;\par\tab But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;\par\tab Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick, and died: and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.

And as Lydda was nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men unto him, entreating him, Delay not to come on unto us.

And Peter arose and went with them. And when he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

Cursed be he that wresteth the justice due to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw {\i him}, he was moved with compassion,

and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on {\i them} oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Who executeth justice for the oppressed;\par\tab Who giveth food to the hungry.\par\tab Jehovah looseth the prisoners;

And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, {\i even} to them that are called according to {\i his} purpose.

Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, hath her hope set on God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

{\i Let} each man {\i do} according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Jesus said unto him, {\cf6 If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.}

Jehovah executeth righteous acts,\par\tab And judgments for all that are oppressed.

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, {\i let him do it} with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.\par

We love, because he first loved us.

For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only {\i use} not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law;\par\tab Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe.

Rescue the poor and needy:\par\tab Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward.}\par

But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not {\i wherewith} to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.}\par

as it is written,\par\tab {\b He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor;\par\tab His righteousness abideth for ever.}

{\b For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.}\par\par\tab Blessed is he that considereth the poor:\par\tab Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.

Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.

for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.

But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:

and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats;

and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;

naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?

And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, {\i even} these least, ye did it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels:

for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink;

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.

And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.}\par

and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.\par

When my father and my mother forsake me,\par\tab Then Jehovah will take me up.

not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,\par\tab When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

Let all that ye do be done in love.\par

When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.

and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.

but now, {\i I say}, I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints.

Open thy mouth for the dumb,\par\tab In the cause of all such as are left desolate.

Open thy mouth, judge righteously,\par\tab And minister justice to the poor and needy.\par

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me;\par\tab Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies,\par\tab And thy right hand will save me.

All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.\par

So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.\par

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High\par\tab Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday;

And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.

So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another.

Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

But as for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways,\par\tab Jehovah will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity.\par\tab Peace be upon Israel.

forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:

Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop;\par\tab But a good word maketh it glad.

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening {\i of the prison} to them that are bound;

{\b A bruised reed shall he not break,\par\tab And smoking flax shall he not quench,\par\tab Till he send forth judgment unto victory.}

that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat {\i of} the things of the temple, {\i and} they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?

Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

And I shall walk at liberty;\par\tab For I have sought thy precepts.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness;\par\tab For thou hast seen my affliction:\par\tab Thou hast known my soul in adversities;

well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she hath washed the saints' feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work.

My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, {\i the Lord} of glory, with respect of persons.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.\par

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,\par\tab Is God in his holy habitation.

God setteth the solitary in families:\par\tab He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity;\par\tab But the rebellious dwell in a parched land.\par

And if I bestow all my goods to feed {\i the poor}, and if I give my body that I may glory, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto Jehovah,\par\tab And his good deed will he pay him again.

Let, I pray thee, thy lovingkindness be for my comfort,\par\tab According to thy word unto thy servant.

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously and lendeth;\par\tab He shall maintain his cause in judgment.

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,\par\tab Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Jehovah is good to all;\par\tab And his tender mercies are over all his works.

I will abundantly bless her provision:\par\tab I will satisfy her poor with bread.

All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth;\par\tab And his seed is blessed.

having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.\par

Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?

{\i My} little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;

not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting {\i one another}; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.\par

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

Remove from me the way of falsehood;\par\tab And grant me thy law graciously.

Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.}\par

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed;\par\tab For he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Thou hast seen {\i it}; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand:\par\tab The helpless committeth {\i himself} unto thee;\par\tab Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

But seek ye first the kingdom {\i of God}, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I am pained and bowed down greatly;\par\tab I go mourning all the day long.

In the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings of man:\par\tab Thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.

for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away.

Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am.\par\par\tab If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;

Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker;\par\tab {\i And} he that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

Judge the poor and fatherless:\par\tab Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.

Rescue the poor and needy:\par\tab Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

For he satisfieth the longing soul,\par\tab And the hungry soul he filleth with good.

For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God;

To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.\par

Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;\par\tab For his lovingkindness {\i endureth} for ever.

nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.\par

Prayer