Exodus 22:22-24
“Do not take advantage of (afflict, look down on, depress) a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.” (This includes “afflict-self, abase-self”. Widows, as well are not to do this to each other or to themselves.)
Deuteronomy 14:29
the fatherless and widows who live in your towns may come eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the works of your hands.
Deuteronomy 10:18
He (the Lord your God) defends (executes judgement) the cause of the fatherless and the widow…
Deuteronomy 24:19
When you are harvesting in your fields and overlook a sheaf do not go back and get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the works of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow. When you harvest grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.
Deuteronomy 26:12
When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
Deuteronomy 27:19
Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless, or the widow.
Job 22:9-11
NIV And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you.
Job 29:11-13
NIV Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.
Psalms 68:4-6a
Sing to the Lord, sing praises to his name. Exalt him who rides upon the clouds – His name is the Lord, Rejoice before Him. A father to the fatherless and a defender (judge, advocate) of the widows is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…
Psalms 146:9
The Lord watches over the alien, and sustains (encompass, restore, lift up, relieve, and stand upright) the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the way of the wicked.
Proverbs 15:25
The LORD will destroy the house of the proud,
But He will establish the boundary (border, landmark, territory) of the widow.
Isaiah 1:4, 10, 14-17
They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward…..
Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God….
‘My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.” (Plead can be translated “to grapple, hold a controversy, defend and rebuke”. It also means “to support”. )
Isaiah 54:4-5
“Do not be afraid; you will suffer no shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach (disgrace, shame) of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband – the LORD almighty is his name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. (The root word for “reproach” means “expose as by stripping, to defame”)
Zachariah 7:9-10
“And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: This is what the LORD Almighty says: `Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’
But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry. ”
Jeremiah 22:16
He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. “Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.
Mark 12:42-44
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth: but she, out of her poverty, putting everything – All she had to live on.”
Luke 2:36-37
There was also a prophetess, named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher. She was very old: she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) at that very moment, she gave thanks to God, and spoke about the child to who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 7:13-17
When the Lord saw her (the widow), 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. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
Luke 21:1-4
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “this widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 20:45-47
. . .Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law, they like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at the banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”
Acts 6:1-7
In those days when the number of disciples were increasing, the Grecian Jew among them complained about the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order for us to wait tables. Brothers chose seven men from among you who are know to be full of spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention over to prayer and the ministry of the word. This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit, also Phillip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timan, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judiasm. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
I Timothy 5:3-8
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
I Timothy 5:16
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
James 1:27
Religion (worship) that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.