Old Testament: Women

Abigail

Name meaning: "My father's joy"
Approximately 19 references

Wise and beautiful wife of the foolish Nabal. When David was about to attack Nabal's household, Abigail intervened with provisions and eloquent words, preventing bloodshed (1 Samuel 25). After Nabal's death, she became David's wife.

Key references: 1 Chronicles 2:16, 1 Chronicles 2:17, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 25:14, 1 Samuel 25:18, 1 Samuel 25:23, 1 Samuel 25:32, 1 Samuel 25:36, 1 Samuel 25:39 (and 7 more)

Bathsheba

Also known as: Bath-shua
Name meaning: "Daughter of the oath" or "seventh daughter"
Approximately 3 references

Wife of Uriah the Hittite, taken by David in adultery. Their first child died, but their second son was Solomon, through whom the messianic line continued. Later secured Solomon's succession to the throne (1 Kings 1). Listed in Jesus' genealogy as "the wife of Uriah" (Matthew 1:6).

Key references: 1 Kings 1:15, 1 Kings 1:28, Psalms 51:2

Dinah

Name meaning: "Vindicated" or "judged"
Approximately 8 references

Daughter of Jacob and Leah. Her assault by Shechem the Hivite led to a deceptive and violent reprisal by her brothers Simeon and Levi, who massacred the men of Shechem's city (Genesis 34). Jacob condemned their violence on his deathbed (Genesis 49:5-7).

Key references: Genesis 30:21, Genesis 34:1, Genesis 34:3, Genesis 34:5, Genesis 34:13, Genesis 34:25, Genesis 34:26, Genesis 46:15

Esther

Also known as: Hadassah
Name meaning: "Star" (Persian); "Myrtle" (Hebrew: Hadassah)
Approximately 55 references

Jewish queen of Persia who risked her life to save her people from Haman's plot of genocide. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah. The festival of Purim commemorates this deliverance. Her famous words: "If I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16). The book of Esther notably never mentions God by name, yet divine providence pervades the narrative.

Key references: Esther 2:7, Esther 2:8, Esther 2:10, Esther 2:11, Esther 2:15, Esther 2:16, Esther 2:17, Esther 2:18, Esther 2:20, Esther 2:22 (and 35 more)

Hagar

Name meaning: "Flight" or "stranger"
Approximately 12 references

Egyptian servant of Sarah who bore Ishmael to Abraham. Driven away twice — once while pregnant and once with her son — but God heard her cries and promised to make Ishmael into a great nation (Genesis 16, 21). Paul uses her story allegorically for the old covenant in Galatians 4:21-31.

Key references: Genesis 16:1, Genesis 16:3, Genesis 16:4, Genesis 16:8, Genesis 16:15, Genesis 16:16, Genesis 21:9, Genesis 21:14, Genesis 21:17, Genesis 25:12

Jezebel

Name meaning: "Where is the prince?" or "un-exalted"
Approximately 22 references

Phoenician princess who married King Ahab of Israel and aggressively promoted Baal worship, killing the prophets of YHWH. Orchestrated Naboth's judicial murder to seize his vineyard (1 Kings 21). Met a gruesome end, thrown from a window and eaten by dogs, as Elijah had prophesied (2 Kings 9:30-37). Her name became a byword for wickedness; Revelation 2:20 references a "Jezebel" in the church at Thyatira.

Key references: 1 Kings 16:31, 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 18:13, 1 Kings 18:19, 1 Kings 19:1, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 21:5, 1 Kings 21:7, 1 Kings 21:11, 1 Kings 21:14 (and 9 more)

Naarah

Name meaning: "Girl"
Approximately 3 references

One of the wives of Ashhur, father of Tekoa (1 Chronicles 4:5-6). A minor figure in the genealogies.

Key references: 1 Chronicles 4:5, 1 Chronicles 4:6

7 entries. Reference counts are approximate, based on morphological analysis of the Westminster Leningrad Codex (Hebrew) and Open Greek New Testament.