A Quick Look at Widows in the Bible Quiz

Answer: Tamar

Tamar is the correct answer. After posing as a prostitute, Tamar became impregnated by her father-in-law Judah and gave birth to twin boys, Perez and Zerah.

Tamar experienced many things in her lifetime, not the least of which were the deaths of her first two husbands, Er and Onan, who were struck down by the LORD, as per Genesis 38:6-10. The two men were sons of Judah.

After his two sons died, Judah met up with Tamar who was posing as a prostitute along the side of a road and as a result of the union, she gave birth to Perez and Zerah.

Amazingly, he did not know he had sex with his daughter-in-law, as Scripture reports her face was covered during intercourse. About three months later, when it was reported Tamar was pregnant and proclaimed a prostitute, Judah announced she should be brought out and "burned to death."

However, Judah had to do some serious backpedaling when Tamar was able to prove he was actually the man who had impregnated her. (Genesis 38:18 states Judah had given Tamar his "seal and its cord, and the staff in his hand" as a pledge before he slept with her. When she was about to be put to death, she was able to produce Judah's pledge to her and her life was spared.)

Answer: Unnamed wise woman from Tekoa

The correct answer is an unnamed wise woman from Tekoa. The unnamed woman's story is told in 2 Samuel 14. According to Scripture, she was approached by Joab, who told her to pretend to be a widow to reconcile David with his son Absalom after the murder of Amnon.

Joab's plan would succeed, as David agreed to forgive Absalom for the murder of his half-brother Amnon. However, a few years later, Absalom would stage a rebellion against his father which would plunge Israel into a bloody civil war.

According to the Website Jewish Women's Archive, Tekoa was a village in the Judean hill country, about ten miles south of Jerusalem.

Answer: Naomi

Naomi it seemed had everything going against her. According to Ruth 1:3, she was left a widow when her husband Elimelek died. Then things got worse when according to Verse 5, in the NKJV, her two sons Mahlon and Chilion both died. (In the NIV, Chilion is called Kilion.)

Naomi was filled with sadness and bitterness at her fate. In Ruth 1:20, Naomi states her name is no long Naomi, but Mara. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Naomi means pleasant while Mara means bitter.

Naomi's fortunes would pick up, however, after her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth married Boaz. According to Ruth 4, Boaz and Ruth became parents of a son, Obed, and Naomi "became a nurse to him". Obed would become the grandfather of King David.

On top of this, Ruth's name is mentioned in Matthew 1:5, as part of the genealogy of Jesus.

Answer: Orpah

Orpah was the sister-in-law of Ruth and she was married to Chilion. (In the NIV, Chilion is called Kilion.)

Not much is known about her, however. After her father-in-law (Elimelek) died and her husband died, Orpah, a Moabite, opted to return to her homeland, according to the first chapter of Ruth.

As explained in the answer to Question 3, Ruth decided to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth would go onto marry Boaz and her name is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, as per Matthew 1:5.

Answer: Luke

The words 'widow' and 'widows' can be found twelve different times in the Gospel of Luke as well as an additional three times in Acts, which was also written by Luke.

Meanwhile, the words 'widow' and 'widows' can be found four times in Matthew and only once in Mark. There is no use of the word 'widow' or 'widows' in John.

(In the NIV, the words 'widow' and 'widows' can be found twenty times in the four Gospels with thirteen of the appearances in Luke.)

In Biblical times, widows were especially vulnerable, as there was no welfare system to support them. They were seen as helpless individuals. As a result, the Gospel of Luke has a message that resonates today with the downtrodden of society.

Answer: A judge

A judge is the correct answer. The parable appears in only the Gospel of Luke.

Here's how the parable reads in Luke 18:1-8 in the NKJV:
"Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: 'There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'

"Then the Lord said, 'Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?'"

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible offer this explanation of the parable: "The persistence of the widow is the lesson of the parable. God is a counterexample to the judge. God does not begrudge answering prayer. Jesus point is that if an insensitive judge will respond to the continual requests of a widow, God will certainly respond to the continual prayers of believers."

Answer: Two mites

According to Scripture, the unnamed widow contributed two mites, or two small coins, to the treasury of the synagogue, a gesture that Jesus strongly praised. While she was making her offering, Scripture indicates rich people were presenting their much larger offerings.

Luke 21:1-4, in the NKJV, tells of Jesus' views on the widow's contribution: "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, 'Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had'."

Answer: Raised her son from the dead

According to Scripture, Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead.

Luke 7:11-15, in the NKJV Bible, gives this account of the miracle: "Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother."

According to the website Christiananswers.net, Nain means "green pastures" and "lovely." The same Website reports Nain is about 25 miles southwest of Capernaum. This is the only time Nain is mentioned in the English Bible.

Answer: Anna

After Jesus was presented as an infant at the temple by his parents Mary and Joseph, Scripture states Anna "gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." According to Luke 2:37, she was the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was of "great age" and a widow. Verse 37 also states Anna "did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."

Answer: True

True. There is no mention of Mary's husband Joseph being at the crucifixion scene. In fact, going strictly by Scripture, there is no mention of Joseph after Jesus was twelve years old.

As a result, many theologians believe he died some time after Jesus was twelve years old.

Backing up the belief Joseph had died sometime after Jesus was twelve years old is the account in the Gospel of John where Jesus asks the "disciple He loved" to take care of His mother.

John 19:26-27, in the NKJV, states: "When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home."

Tradition holds the 'disciple Jesus loved' is John. However, some modern day theologians contest this belief.

In conclusion, there is no way of proving Mary was a widow at the time of Jesus' crucifixion, but going by the views of many, the answer to the question has to be 'true'.