Table of Contents
The term ‘bad’ is simply used to describe anything that is not good. The person we will describe as ‘bad’ is the one who did wrong things, inflicted harm on others, or whose deeds brought negative consequences. The society is a blend of both good and bad people. Though many bad women have lived and died across the centuries, there are only a few whose stories are captured in the Bible. It is important to note that the Bible frequently uses such stories to teach lessons about faith, repentance, and the consequences of sin.
Lot’s daughters
Lot was the son of Haran and the nephew of Abraham. He lived in Sodom with his family – his wife and two daughters who were virgins and were of marriageable age. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his daughters sought refuge in a cave in the mountains, an isolated place.
In this isolated setting, Lot’s daughters, fearing they would have no descendants since there were no men around them, devised a plan to get their father drunk and have children with him. Over two nights, each daughter had sex with their father after they had made him drunk, resulting in both becoming pregnant by their father.
This incestuous act led to the birth of two sons—Moab, the ancestor of the Moabites, and Ben-Ammi, the ancestor of the Ammonites. Without a doubt, Lot’s daughters, under the influence of fear, lack of faith, and moral compromise committed a grave sin that had lasting repercussions.
Tamar
Tamar was a Canaanite woman whom Judah gave to his firstborn son in marriage. However, Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord and God killed him as a result. According to the custom of levirate marriage, Judah gave his second son, Onan, to Tamar so she could bear children in Er’s name. However, Onan also acted wickedly and was put to death by God.
After losing two sons, Judah hesitated to give Tamar his third son, Shelah, in marriage, fearing he might also die. Left in a vulnerable position as a childless widow, Tamar took matters into her own hands through deception. She disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced Judah, her own father-in-law. When Judah lay with her, she conceived and gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.
Tamar’s actions were deceitful and morally questionable, as she resorted to trickery and incest to secure offspring. Though she was later vindicated when Judah admitted his wrongdoing, her deceptive scheme left a stain on her reputation. (Genesis 38)
Potiphar’s Wife
Potiphar was an Egyptian official and captain of Pharaoh’s guard. He had an Egyptian wife, a woman of privilege and influence, whose actions later revealed her lack of moral character. She came into the spotlight during the time Joseph, a Hebrew slave, served in their household. Aside from her interactions with Joseph, nothing more was said about her background.
In time, this woman became infatuated with Joseph because he was a ‘well-built and handsome’ young man. Moreover, he was industrious and successful at whatever he was in charge of. Despite Joseph’s loyalty to his master, Potiphar’s wife persistently requested him to have an affair with her. Joseph repeatedly refused her advances because he feared the Lord.
When all her persuasive attempts failed, she resorted to forcing Joseph into bed with her on a day when there was no one in the house except the two of them. But Joseph fled from her grasp, leaving his cloak behind. Then she became enraged and, using Joseph’s cloak as evidence, she accused him of attempting to rape her. Her deceitful actions led to Joseph’s unjust imprisonment, even though he had done nothing wrong.
After Joseph’s imprisonment, Potiphar’s wife disappeared completely from the narrative. Joseph’s time in prison became a stepping stone for God’s greater plan, as he eventually rose to prominence in Egypt and saved many lives during a famine. Though Potiphar’s wife succeeded in temporarily tarnishing Joseph’s reputation, the truth leading to her shame finally came out. Potiphar’s wife is always remembered as a lustful and deceitful woman of no honor. (Reference Genesis 39:1-20)
Job’s wife
Job’s wife lived in the land of Uz with her husband, Job, who was known for his righteousness and devotion to God. They were blessed with a large family and immense wealth and were highly esteemed in their community. However, their lives changed drastically when Job experienced a series of devastating losses, including the death of their children, the destruction of their property, and his own severe illness.
During this difficult time, instead of supporting Job, his wife reacted with despair and bitterness. Overwhelmed by their suffering, she urged him, saying “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). What! That was not the voice of a good woman or a good wife at all. Her words are evidence of a lack of faith in God’s plan. However, being a righteous man, Job replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10)
Job’s wife failed to provide the spiritual support Job needed during his trials. Actually, Job had many wives who also lost their children and felt the consequences of his trial. However, it was only this one who took offense at God and lashed out at Him. Her reaction revealed that she is the one with the least faith. (Reference Job 1:6-12; Job 1:13-22; Job 2:1-10)
Delilah
Around this time, Samson the Israeli hero was a menace in the eyes of the Philistines, and they sought his capture or death without rest. As Samson the overconfident champion of Israel, went back and forth across the borders of Israel and Philistine, he crossed paths with Delilah. Delilah lived in the valley of Sorek and nothing more was said about her background.
The story is that Delilah became Samson’s mistress and they cohabited in the valley of Sorek. The Philistine rulers took advantage of this and each promised Delilah eleven hundred shekels of silver if she could betray Samson to them. Motivated by greed, she consented to their schemes. Using her charm and pretense, she repeatedly coaxed him into revealing the source of his power. After several failed attempts, she finally succeeded in getting Samson to confess that his strength was tied to his uncut hair.
Once she learned his secret, Delilah betrayed Samson by lulling him to sleep and having his hair cut by a servant. This act left him powerless, and the Philistines captured, gouged out his eyes, and imprisoned him. Delilah received the money as promised but her betrayal led to Samson’s suffering and disgrace, as well as the loss of the key leader of Israel.
Though the end of Delilah was not documented, she was likely hailed beyond ordinary for the capture of Samson, which secured her a place at the grand thanksgiving feast held in the temple for their god Dagon for helping them capture Samson. During the feast, Samson was brought there so that they would make fun of him. However, God empowered Samson to push down the temple’s pillars and the entire building came down, killing everyone – all the Philistine rulers, Samson himself, and the rest which might have included Delilah. (Reference Judges 16:4-22)
Queen Jezebel
Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon was a Phoenician princess who became one of the wives of King Ahab of Israel. She lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of spiritual decline—where ‘spiritual decline’ means they had forsaken the Lord and turned to idol worship. Jezebel’s marriage to Ahab was politically advantageous but spiritually disastrous because she introduced the worship of Baal and Asherah in Israel to drag the kingdom further down the path of idolatry.
This evil woman came to Israel with hundreds of prophets of Baal and Asherah to serve in her idolatrous cult. However, she persecuted the prophets of the Lord to their death. Also, Jezebel orchestrated the murder of Naboth to seize his vineyard for Ahab. Throughout the narrative, Queen Jezebel exercises so much influence on Ahab and the kingdom, abusing her power anytime she deems fit. Her wickedness provoked God’s judgment and, by the mouth of Elijah, a prophesy of doom was issued against the entire family of King Ahab.
Jezebel’s end was as dramatic as her life. After Ahab’s death, she continued her manipulative ways, but her reign of terror ended when Jehu, anointed to bring judgment on Ahab’s family, ordered her death. She was thrown from a window, and her body was trampled by horses and devoured by dogs, fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy. Jezebel’s legacy is one of corruption and defiance against God. Her actions brought suffering to Israel and ultimately led to the destruction of her family. (Reference 1 Kings 16:31–2 Kings 9:37)
Athaliah
Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel who were infamous for their idolatry and wickedness. She was given in marriage to Jehoram of Judah as a form of a political alliance between the northern and southern kingdoms. She lived in Jerusalem with her husband. However, her diabolical influence ruined her husband and later her son Ahaziah who succeeded her husband.
After her son’s death, Athaliah seized the throne of Judah, becoming the only woman to rule the kingdom. Queen Athaliah and Herod the Great had much in common; both of them were power drunk and would do whatever it took to cling to power. Just as Herod ordered the massacre of the infants at Bethlehem, Athaliah ordered the massacre of her own grandchildren to secure her position as queen.
In addition to her most heinous act of killing her grandchildren, she followed in the footsteps of her parents by promoting Baal worship in Judah, leading the people away from the worship of the true God.
And just when she thought she succeeded in killing all the legitimate heirs to the throne, one of them survived – Joash. Joash was secretly saved by his aunt Jehosheba and hidden in the temple for six years. At age seven, the high priest Jehoiada and his allies crown Joash as king, and they led a revolt to overthrow, arrest, and execute Athaliah. (Reference 2 Kings 11:1-16; 2 Chronicles 22:10-23:15)
Maachah
Maachah, a queen mother in the kingdom of Judah, was a granddaughter of Absalom (or Abishalom) and the wife of King Rehoboam. She later became the mother of King Abijah and the grandmother of King Asa. Maachah lived in Jerusalem during the divided monarchy of Israel and Judah. Sadly, just like her husband and her son who were all idolatrous, Maachah favored the worship of idols over serving the true God of Israel.
She set up an Asherah pole, a symbol of the Canaanite goddess Asherah. An Asherah pole is a curved sacred wooden pole erected in honor of the goddess Asherah and it is also used in rituals. We see that her deeds encouraged idolatry within the kingdom and her influence contributed to the spiritual corruption of Judah, as she led the people away from worshiping the Lord and instead encouraged them to engage in practices forbidden by God’s law.
When her grandson King Asa ascended to the throne, he demonstrated his commitment to God by enacting religious reforms to put an end to idolatry. Asa deposed Maachah from her position as queen mother as punishment for her idolatry and destroyed the Asherah pole she had made, burning it in the Kidron Valley. Had it not been that King Asa was a good man, Maachah’s idolatry would have corrupted him and the entire kingdom. (Reference 2 Chronicles 15:16)
Gomer
Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, was an immoral woman of Israel who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel at the time the nation had turned away from God to idolatry. God told Hosea, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the LORD.” Under this command, Hosea married Gomer.
Though she was the wife of Hosea and the mother of his children, Gomer was unfaithful and lived like a harlot. She left her family, sought after other men, and indulged in immoral relationships. Her shameful deed was a physical example of the spiritual adultery of Israel. As a result of her unfaithfulness, Gomer found herself in a pitiful state, abandoned by her lovers and reduced to slavery.
However, in an act of divine mercy, Hosea obeyed God’s command to redeem her, buying her back with fifteen shekels of silver, five bushels of barley, and a measure of wine. Then he restored her as his wife and lived with her. God used Gomer’s story to illustrate Israel’s betrayal and His unwavering love and willingness to forgive those who repent. (Hosea 1-3)
Herodias
Herodias was a member of the Herodian dynasty, a ruling family in Judea during the time of the Roman Empire. She was the daughter of Aristobulus and the granddaughter of Herod the Great, the king who infamously ordered the massacre of infants in Bethlehem. Herodias first married her uncle, Herod Philip I, with whom she had a daughter named Salome.
However, she later left Philip and unlawfully married another uncle, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee and Perea. This union was considered unlawful and scandalous under Jewish law, causing outrage among the people. Herodias lived in the palace of Herod Antipas in Galilee.
She is infamously known for her role in the death of John the Baptist. John had publicly condemned her marriage to Herod Antipas, which fueled her resentment and her desire to kill him. According to Luke’s account of the Gospel, Herod Antipas had John arrested and imprisoned because of Herodias; most likely, she talked Herod into arresting John and imprisoning him. But because Herod feared John and took him for a righteous man, he did not share Herodias’ idea of killing him – just imprisoning him was enough.
One day, Herod Antipas hosted a banquet and Salome, the daughter of Herodias, performed a dance that so pleased Herod that he promised to grant her any request. Herodias took advantage of this to urge Salome to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod, though reluctant, fulfilled the gruesome request to keep his oath.
Whatever became of Herodias was not written in the Bible. However, be sure of this, the wicked do not go unpunished (Proverbs 11:21). She certainly received her due punishment for her sins of adultery and murder – the murder of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. (Reference Matthew 14:3-11; Mark 6:17-29)
Who are the evil women in the Bible?
The term ‘bad’ is generally used to refer to something that is not good or falls below a standard, without necessarily implying malicious intent. Though many women were bad, as in they made bad decisions, or did bad things that brought bad consequences, not all of them will pass for evil.
The term “evil” implies a more extreme degree of negativity, often suggesting malicious intent or a desire to cause harm. Out of the women who were described as bad, Jezebel, Delilah, Potiphar’s Wife, Herodias, and Queen Athaliah will pass for evil women. They were evil because they did things with malicious motives to destroy the lives of innocent people.
Jezebel shed the innocent blood of Naboth and the prophets and corrupted Israel with idolatry. Delilah betrayed Samson for money. Potiphar’s wife who failed to seduce Joseph lied to have him imprisoned. The proud Herodias had John the Baptist imprisoned and beheaded for speaking against her adultery. Queen Athaliah usurped the throne and massacred the rightful heirs.
Conclusion
Jezebel is always remembered for religious corruption and wickedness. Delilah stands for one who betrays. Potiphar’s Wife is remembered as an immoral woman and a liar. Herodias is recognized as an adulterous murderer; Athaliah is remembered as a bloody usurper; Job’s wife is remembered as a woman who lacked faith; and Maachah is remembered for her idolatry. What will you be remembered for when you are no more?