Listing all the mothers in the Bible would be impossible. Although this list isn’t comprehensive, it’s a good place to start.
You will notice that the mothers have been categorized but the categories are not set in concrete.
Some mothers could certainly fit more than one category. I leave you to judge that with the help of the Holy Spirit during your Bible studies.
At the end of this post there is a handy printable with limited Scripture references for each mother.
All possible references have not been listed for each character, but you have a good place to start with your studies.
Let’s get into a brief survey of moms in the Scriptures.
Great mothers of the Bible
This is basically a list of the matriarchs of the Bible.
Now, these women were far from perfect. They were godly women who struggled with life and motherhood just like we would today.
But the human race and our Christian faith is anchored in the imperfect but God-centered stories of these mothers.
Eve – mother to Cain, Abel, Seth, unnamed sons and daughters, and all people
Sarah – mother to Isaac
Rebekah – mother to twin boys Jacob and Esau
Rachel mother to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Isaachar, Zebulun, Dinah
Leah – mother to Joseph and Benjamin
Old Testament mothers
God – presents Himself with motherly qualities
Noah’s wife – mother to Shem, Ham, Japheth
Job’s wife – mother to 10 children. Three daughters named Jemimah, Keziah and Keren-happuch and 7 unnamed sons
Bilhah – mother to Dan and Naphtali but raised by Leah
Zilpah – mother to Gad and Asher but raised by Rachel
Tamar – mother to twin boys Perez and Zerah
Jochebed – mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
Rahab – mother of Boaz
Hannah – mother of Samuel and 5 other children
Naomi – mother of Mahlon and Chilion
Ruth – mother of Obed
Deborah – called herself “mother in Israel”
Wife of Manoah – mother of Samson
Rizpah – mother to Armoni and Mephibosheth
Bathsheba – mother of Solomon, Shammua, Shobab, and Nathan
The Shunammite Woman – mother of an unnamed son
King Lemuel’s mother – mother to an unknown king, possibly in Israel
Israel as a nation – a mother figure
New Testament mothers
Mary – Jesus, James, Joseph (also called Justus), Joses, Simon, Judah (also called Jude) and unnamed daughters
Mary – mother to John Mark
Elizabeth – mother of John the Baptist
The Syrophoenician/Canaanite Woman – mother of unnamed daughter
Unnamed mother of James and John
Lois and Eunice – grandmother and mother, respectively, to Timothy
Widow of Nain – mother of a boy raised from the dead by Jesus
Paul, Silas, and Timothy – motherly characteristics to the Thessalonian church
Examples of bad mothers of the Bible
These mothers are considered for a variety of reasons.
They show characteristics of ungodliness, bad behavior, negative influences, and cruelty.
Read these stories and study these characters to know what to guard against as a mother.
Lot’s wife – mother to two daughters
Lot’s daughters – mother to Moab and Ben-ammi
Peninnah – mother to Elkanah’s children before Hannah had Samuel. She set a poor example.
The Cannibal Mothers of Samaria
Mothers who allowed children to be involved in idol worship
Queen Athaliah – mother to King Ahaziah
Maacah – mother of King Asa
Jeroboam’s wife – mother to an unnamed son
Herodias – mother to Salome, daughter from a previous marriage
Jezebel – mother of Ahaziah, Jehoram, and Athaliah
Gomer – mother to Jezreel (son), Lo-Ruhamah (daughter), and Lo-Ammi (son)
Naamah – mother to Rehoboam
Mother of the dead son who went to Solomon for a judgment
Single mothers in the Bible
Whether because of the death of their husband or being forced out of their home, these mothers were forced to raise children by themselves because of life circumstances.
Some of them have remained nameless but the lessons from the lives is lasting.
The Widow of Zarephath – mother to an unnamed son
The Widow with the oil – mother to two unnamed sons
Hagar – mother to Ishmael
Mother of the living son who went to Solomon for a judgment
Unknown (and little-known) mothers of the Bible
These forgotten mothers are not any less important but their stories are among the least popular in Scripture.
They were associated with some popular characters but we miss them often.
Read their stories and get to know who they are and their contributions to God’s story.
Keturah – mother of Abraham’s sons Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah
Elisheba – mother to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar
Zipporah – mother to Gershom and Eliezer
Adah – mother to Eliphaz
Basemath – mother to Reuel
Oholibamah – mother to Esau, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah
Shua – mother to Er, Onan, Shelah, and Perez
Asenath – mother to Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh
Egyptian midwives received families
Zibiah – mother to King Joashin
Jedidah – mother of Josiah, king of Judah
Jehosheba – aunt to Joash (son of Ahaziah) raises him after the murder of his father and the attempted murder by his grandmother
Nehushta – mother of King Jehoiachin, who was carried away into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar
Abijah – mother to Hezekiah, who was a king in Israel
Azubah – mother of Jehosapha a king of Israel
Isaiah’s wife – Mother to Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz
Ahinoam – mother to Saul’s sons Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua and daughters Merab and Michal
Hamutal – mother of Zedekiah
Rufus’ mother – mother to Rufus and mother figure to the Apostle Paul
Mothers in the Bible list
Download Mothers in the Bible list pdf
Final words on mothers of the Bible
I learned so much from compiling this list.
Mothers come in all types of characters . As it was then, so it is now.
I pray we will take the best from the good mothers and learn from the bad ones.
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