There are many black women in the Bible. In fact, there are more than you might think.

For example, Sarah was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. She is one of the most important figures in Judaism and Christianity.

Miriam was a prophetess and sister of Moses. She was also known as “the water gatherer” because she helped her people find water when they were thirsty.

The wise woman of Tekoa was a prophetess who gave advice to King David about what to do when his son died.

In addition to these well-known figures, there are many other lesser-known black women in the Bible who played important roles in their communities, including Deborah, Jael, Hagar (who bore Ishmael), Rahab (who hid spies for Joshua), Ruth (who married Boaz), Tamar (who disguised herself as a prostitute), and Saraiah (who worked with Ezra).

Black Woman In The Bible

Introduction

In Biblical times, just like today, woman of all races were important leaders. We have written about women in the Bible before, but here is a list specifically for those who have been blessed with melanin-rich skin.

Lilith, Adam’s first wife

Lilith is mentioned in the Talmud, Ezekiel, the book of Isaiah and Sirach. She was Adam’s first wife. In Jewish folklore, Lilith is said to be a demonic figure who appears at night and steals babies from their cradles. It is also said that she can have children with men if they are not circumcised or she comes into contact with them during their sleep (The Bible and Sex).

Lilith is mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud where it says: “Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said: I found a book in Jerusalem which originated with R. Ishmael b. Elisha and which had been rewritten by Jose b Zekenai who lived at Pumbeditha…In it he says: Adam had relations with all his wives except Eve; but not once did he touch Lilith” (Lilith).

focused prayer topics

Give me insight, Father. Help me to see any habits that I may have that might tend to make me nonproductive. Reveal to me ways to better handle the tedious tasks I must perform so that I can achieve the greatest results possible. Help me to organize my efforts, schedule my activities and budget my time.

From books, by Your Spirit, through the people who work with me or by whatever means You choose, Lord, reveal to me that which I need to know and do in order to become a more productive, fruitful worker.

My heart’s desire is to give my very best to You and to my employer. When I become frustrated because that is not taking place, help me, Father, by the power of Your Spirit to do whatever is necessary to correct that situation so that I can once again function with accuracy and proficiency.

Thank You, Lord, for bringing all these things to pass in my life.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Scripture References:
Psalm 118:24 Psalm 119:99 amp
Proverbs 16:9 amp Proverbs 9:10 amp
Proverbs 19:21 amp 1 Corinthians 4:5
Ephesians 1:17

Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant

In Genesis, you’ll find the story of Hagar. She was the first woman in the Bible and not only that, she’s one of only two women mentioned by name. The other? Eve.

Hagar was a handmaiden to Sarah, who had given birth to Isaac but did not have any more children for Abraham (Sarai). So when Sarai told Abraham “the Lord has kept me from bearing children,” he took Hagar as his wife so she could give him a child.

Hagar wasn’t Abram’s slave or concubine though—these were slaves who had no rights or protection under law and could be bought or sold at will by their owners; neither was Hagar considered a wife since they weren’t married (and in fact hadn’t even consummated their relationship yet). Instead, she was just another woman in an already patriarchal society where men were considered superior to women and their opinions didn’t matter much–even if they were right!

Bilhah, Jacob’s secondary wife

Bilhah was Leah’s maidservant and was given to Jacob as a secondary wife. As such, she was the mother of Dan and Naphtali. On top of that, she also bore Gad and Asher; these two were born from Bilhah’s own handmaidens Zilpah and Ziliah (Genesis 30:9). Bilhah was the daughter of Laban, who happens to be Rebekah’s brother (Genesis 29:29).

Zilpah, Leah’s personal maidservant

Zilpah was Leah’s personal maidservant, handmaid and slave. Zilpah was also a slave to Rachel.

Zilpah is a Hebrew name meaning “zone of blue”. The root word is “zalaph”, which means “to be dark.” It’s the same root word for the color black, which makes sense because she’s dark-skinned (Genesis 30:10).

Zilpah is not only Leah’s handmaid but also her slave(s), as well as the wife of Leah’s servant Bilhah (Genesis 30:9-12). She has no rights or freedoms of her own—she belongs entirely to Leah’s will and whimsy.

The Queen of Sheba

The most famous black woman in the Bible is the Queen of Sheba. The only woman in the Bible with a name, she was a ruler of her own country who traveled to Jerusalem to meet with King Solomon.

The Bible says that “when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship with the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions” (1 Kings 10:1-13). When he answered them correctly, she was so impressed by him that she gave him all her wealth as a dowry for marriage—a rare gesture from a non-Jewish woman at this time period.

Phoebe

The Bible refers to Phoebe as a deaconess in the church of Cenchreae. She was a patron of Paul and was a benefactor of the church in Cenchreae.

Paul refers to her as a helper in the church, sending greetings from Aquila, Prisca and Nereus (Priscilla), who are mentored by her.

Phoebe traveled with Paul on his mission trips, providing him with lodging while he was there. She also ministered at Corinth and Ephesus before returning home.

Deborah

Deborah was a prophetess, judge, and military leader. She led the Israelites to victory over the Canaanites in the book of Judges. Deborah was born into a wealthy family and married Elpaal. After his death, she became a prophetess who served as Judge over Israel for 40 years during the time period between Joshua and Samuel. In this capacity, Deborah gave advice to King Saul when he consulted her on how best to get rid of Goliath’s army (1 Sam 17:1).

Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron

Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, was a prophetess who also led the women of Israel. When God spoke to her and told her that he would free her people from Egypt, she helped organize the women to ask their menfolks to get ready for departure. Miriam was also able to play an important role in bringing water from a rock when Moses struck it with his staff (Exodus 17:5-7).

Huldah

Huldah was a prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, who was one of King Josiah’s officials. Huldah was also a widow who had been left with no family to care for her, so she lived in Jerusalem where she prophesied as an unmarried woman.

“Now when all Israel heard that the king had dissolved their confederacy with Jehoshaphat, that every man should return to his own possession, then all Israel gathered themselves unto Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 17:5)

The themes this passage presents are that Huldah is a woman of great faith; she believes what God says is true and does not try to argue with it or add anything else into its meaning. She trusts God completely even when things look bleakest for her personally (as when King Ahaziah died). She understands that being faithful means taking action on behalf of others rather than just talking about it—and while we might not always understand why God chooses certain people over others as His instruments (or why He allows some things happen), we can be comforted by knowing there is always something good waiting at our doorsteps if only we will open them wide enough to let Him come inside!

Lydia – Paul’s first convert in Europe

Lydia was a businesswoman, the first woman in Europe to accept Christ. She was not just any woman, but “a purple dye merchant.” This is significant because it shows that Lydia had enough money that she could travel around the Mediterranean and live wherever she liked. Paul met her at Philippi (Acts 16:14-15). The Bible tells us that after years as a worshipper of God and believer in Jesus Christ, she was baptized.

Black women have been a part of the Bible since its beginning.

Black women have been a part of the Bible since its beginning.

The first woman mentioned in the Bible was Eve and she was black. She is also the mother of all living. According to Jewish tradition, Eve gave birth to Cain who killed his brother Abel (another black man). The second woman mentioned in the Bible is Rahab who helped Joshua conquer Jericho by hiding him and his troops inside her house when they were trying to take over and destroy Jericho. Rahab was later saved from being killed along with everyone else by being among those chosen by God for salvation before he destroyed their city with fire. The third woman mentioned in Genesis 21:21-34 is Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid who gave birth to Ishmael after Abraham had promised God that if He would give them a son he would sacrifice him as an offering on Mount Moriah where Isaac was later sacrificed instead because Ishmael had already been born at that point.

Conclusion

It is hard to find a specific black woman in the Bible but there are many women of color. I think it is important to see these women of color as well as the many other women in the Bible.