Torah Personalities

The Seven Prophetesses of Israel: Women of Vision and Courage

From Sarah to Esther, these seven remarkable women shaped Jewish destiny through faith, leadership, and Divine insight

(Photo: shutterstock)(Photo: shutterstock)
אא
#VALUE!

The Talmud (Megillah 14a) teaches that seven women were recognized as prophetesses: Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Channah, Avigayil, Chuldah, and Esther. Each played a pivotal role in the spiritual and historical journey of the Jewish people, offering guidance, strength, and clarity in times of national and personal challenge.

Mothers, Leaders, and Visionaries

Sarah was the first of the four matriarchs and the only woman explicitly addressed by Hashem in prophecy (Megillah 7a). After years of infertility, she miraculously gave birth to Yitzchak. Sarah lived to be 127, yet according to Bereishit Rabbah, her beauty was like that of a twenty-year-old and her innocence like that of a seven-year-old. She is also listed by Chazal as one of the four most beautiful women in history (Megillah 15a).

Miriam, daughter of Amram and Yocheved from the tribe of Levi, was also known as Puah, one of the midwives who defied Pharaoh’s decree to kill Israelite babies. She watched over Moshe as a baby in the Nile and later led the women of Israel in joyous song and dance after the splitting of the sea (Shemot 15). Despite her greatness, she was punished with tzara’at (spiritual malady) for speaking critically about Moshe, an eternal reminder of the severity of lashon hara (slander).

Devorah, from the tribe of Ephraim, was both a prophetess and the fourth judge of Israel. She dispensed judgment under a palm tree between Ramah and Beit El to avoid seclusion with the men who sought her counsel. 

Women of Prayer and Wisdom

Channah, wife of Elkanah and mother of the prophet Shmuel, was childless for many years. Her heartfelt, whispered prayer at the Mishkan in Shiloh changed the way Jews pray forever. Eli the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) initially mistook her for being drunk, but upon understanding her pain, he blessed her, and she gave birth to Shmuel. Channah fulfilled the vow she had made during her whispered prayer by dedicating her son to Hashem’s service, and her prayer became a timeless model of gratitude and devotion.

Avigayil, wife of Naval HaKarmeli, showed remarkable courage and wisdom during a tense confrontation with King David. When her husband snubbed David and his men, she quickly intervened, bringing provisions and using halachic (Jewish legal) reasoning to dissuade David from killing Naval. Chazal praise her for her insight, saying she saved David from sin more effectively than any offering could have atoned (Midrash Shocher Tov, Tehillim 53). After Naval’s death, she became David’s wife.

Chuldah, who lived during the reign of King Yoshiyahu, prophesied national punishment but also offered the king personal reassurance. She appears in Melachim II as the spiritual authority sought by the king’s delegation. Her words influenced the major religious reforms of the time.

Esther: A Queen Who Saved Her People

Esther, also known as Hadassah, was an orphan raised by her cousin Mordechai. She was chosen as queen of Persia but concealed her Jewish identity at his instruction. When Haman’s decree threatened the Jewish people with annihilation, Esther risked her life by approaching King Achashverosh uninvited. Through strategic bravery, she overturned the decree and saved her nation.

Her story, recorded in Megillat Esther, is read every year on Purim. The Sages recognized her not only as a hero but also as a prophetess who acted with Divine inspiration at a moment of existential crisis.

Each of these seven prophetesses left a lasting mark on Jewish history.

 

Purple redemption of the elegant village: Save baby life with the AMA Department of the Discuss Organization

Call now: 073-222-1212

תגיות:Jewish historyProphetesses

Articles you might missed

Lecture lectures
Shopped Revival

מסע אל האמת - הרב זמיר כהן

60לרכישה

מוצרים נוספים

מגילת רות אופקי אבות - הרב זמיר כהן

המלך דוד - הרב אליהו עמר

סטרוס נירוסטה זכוכית

מעמד לבקבוק יין

אלי לומד על החגים - שבועות

ספר תורה אשכנזי לילדים

To all products

*In accurate expression search should be used in quotas. For example: "Family Pure", "Rabbi Zamir Cohen" and so on