Sisters hold a special place in the biblical narrative, representing familial bonds, support, and shared journeys of faith. Throughout the Bible, sisters play significant roles in the unfolding story of God’s people. This compilation of Bible verses offers insight into the relationships, responsibilities, and spiritual kinship that sisters share.
Bible Verses about Sisters
1. Genesis 4:22 – The Family of Tubal-Cain
“Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.” – Genesis 4:22
Cross-References
Genesis 4:20 – “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.”
Genesis 4:21 – “His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.”
Genesis 5:4 – “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.”
2. Genesis 12:13 – Abraham and Sarah’s Deception
“Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” – Genesis 12:13
Cross-References
Genesis 20:2 – “And there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, ‘She is my sister.’ Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.”
Genesis 26:7 – “When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, ‘She is my sister,’ because he was afraid to say, ‘She is my wife.'”
Proverbs 29:25 – “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
3. Genesis 24:60 – Blessing Over Rebekah
“And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, ‘Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.’” – Genesis 24:60
Cross-References
Genesis 22:17 – “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.”
Genesis 28:14 – “Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.”
Genesis 27:29 – “May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers.”
4. Genesis 34:13 – Dinah’s Brothers’ Deceit
“Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.” – Genesis 34:13
Cross-References
Genesis 34:25 – “Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city.”
Genesis 34:31 – “But they replied, ‘Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?'”
5. Exodus 2:4 – Miriam Watching Over Moses
“His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.” – Exodus 2:4
Cross-References
Numbers 12:1 – “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.”
Micah 6:4 – “I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.”
6. Exodus 15:20 – Miriam the Prophet
“Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.” – Exodus 15:20
Cross-References
Exodus 7:1 – “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.'”
1 Samuel 18:6 – “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.”
7. Leviticus 18:9 – Laws of Sexual Morality
“Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.” – Leviticus 18:9
Cross-References
Leviticus 18:11 – “Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.”
2 Samuel 13:11-12 – “But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, ‘Come to bed with me, my sister.’ ‘No, my brother!’ she said to him. ‘Don’t force me!'”
8. Numbers 6:24 – The Priestly Blessing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24
Cross-References
Psalms 67:1 – “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—”
Psalms 121:7-8 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
9. Deuteronomy 27:22 – Curses Pronounced
“Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.” – Deuteronomy 27:22
Cross-References
Leviticus 20:17 – “If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace.”
2 Samuel 13:14 – “But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.”
10. Judges 4:4 – Deborah the Prophetess
“Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.” – Judges 4:4
Cross-References
Judges 5:7 – “Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.”
2 Kings 22:14 – “Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah.”
11. 2 Samuel 13:1 – Amnon and Tamar
“In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.” – 2 Samuel 13:1
Cross-References
2 Samuel 13:20 – “Her brother Absalom said to her, ‘Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother.'”
2 Samuel 13:13 – “What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel.”
Genesis 34:1-2 – “Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.”
12. 2 Samuel 13:22 – Absalom’s Hatred for Amnon
“And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.” – 2 Samuel 13:22
Cross-References
2 Samuel 13:28 – “Absalom ordered his men, ‘Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid.'”
2 Samuel 13:32 – “But Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, ‘My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead.'”
Genesis 27:41 – “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him.”
13. 1 Chronicles 7:15 – Ephraim’s Family Line
“Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister’s name was Maakah.” – 1 Chronicles 7:15
Cross-References
1 Chronicles 7:14 – “The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel was his descendant through his Aramean concubine. She gave birth to Makir, the father of Gilead.”
1 Chronicles 7:16 – “Maakah was the wife of Machir, and she gave birth to Peresh.”
Numbers 26:29 – “The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan.”
14. Song of Songs 8:8 – Protective Brothers
“We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?” – Song of Songs 8:8
Cross-References
Song of Songs 8:9 – “If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.”
Song of Songs 4:9 – “You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes.”
Proverbs 7:4 – “Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and to insight, ‘You are my relative.'”
15. Ezekiel 16:45 – A Rebuke to Jerusalem
“You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children.” – Ezekiel 16:45
Cross-References
Ezekiel 16:44 – “Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.'”
Hosea 2:2 – “Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband.”
Isaiah 1:23 – “Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts.”
16. Matthew 12:50 – Spiritual Family
“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” – Matthew 12:50
Cross-References
Matthew 25:40 – “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Romans 8:29 – “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
John 1:12 – “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
17. Mark 3:35 – Jesus on Family
“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3:35
Cross-References
Mark 12:30 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Luke 8:21 – “He replied, ‘My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.'”
Galatians 3:26 – “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”
18. Luke 10:39 – Mary and Martha
“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” – Luke 10:39
Cross-References
Luke 10:41-42 – “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.'”
John 11:1 – “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”
John 12:3 – “Then Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.”
19. John 11:1 – The Family of Lazarus
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.” – John 11:1
Cross-References
John 11:5 – “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
Luke 10:38 – “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.”
John 12:2 – “Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.”
20. John 11:19 – Mourning for Lazarus
“and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.” – John 11:19
Cross-References
John 11:31 – “When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her.”
John 11:33 – “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”
Job 2:11 – “When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.”
21. Acts 23:16 – Paul’s Nephew
“But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.” – Acts 23:16
Cross-References
Acts 9:24 – “But Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.”
Romans 16:21 – “Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.”
22. Romans 16:15 – Greetings from Paul
“Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.” – Romans 16:15
Cross-References
Romans 16:1-2 – “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.”
Romans 16:3 – “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.”
23. 1 Corinthians 7:15 – On Marriage
“But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” – 1 Corinthians 7:15
Cross-References
Matthew 19:6 – “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
1 Corinthians 7:12-13 – “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.”
Romans 14:19 – “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
24. 1 Corinthians 9:5 – The Rights of the Apostles
“Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?” – 1 Corinthians 9:5
Cross-References
1 Corinthians 7:7 – “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.”
2 Corinthians 11:2 – “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.”
1 Timothy 3:2 – “Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”
25. Philippians 4:3 – Encouragement and Unity
“Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” – Philippians 4:3
Cross-References
Philippians 2:2 – “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
1 Timothy 5:10 – “and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble.”
26. 1 Timothy 5:2 – Instructions for the Church
“Treat older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” – 1 Timothy 5:2
Cross-References
Titus 2:3-5 – “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.”
1 Peter 5:5 – “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.”
1 Thessalonians 4:6 – “and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins.”
27. James 2:15 – Faith and Deeds
“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.” – James 2:15
Cross-References
James 2:17 – “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
1 John 3:17 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
Matthew 25:35 – “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
28. 1 John 3:10 – Children of God
“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” – 1 John 3:10
Cross-References
1 John 2:9 – “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.”
1 John 4:20 – “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.”
John 13:34 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
29. Revelation 1:9 – John’s Vision
“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” – Revelation 1:9
Cross-References
Revelation 6:9 – “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God.”
Revelation 12:17 – “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”
Revelation 19:10 – “At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus.'”
30. 1 Peter 3:8 – Living a Godly Life
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” – 1 Peter 3:8
Cross-References
Romans 12:16 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.”
Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
31. 1 Corinthians 8:11 – The Influence of Knowledge
“So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.” – 1 Corinthians 8:11
Cross-References
Romans 14:15 – “If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.”
1 Corinthians 8:13 – “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again.”
1 Corinthians 10:24 – “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”
32. 1 John 4:21 – Love One Another
“And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” – 1 John 4:21
Cross-References
John 15:12 – “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
1 John 3:23 – “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Final Thought
The scriptures illuminate the importance of sisterly bonds in both familial and spiritual contexts, underscoring the roles of compassion, protection, and unity. In the Old Testament, we witness the familial roles and sometimes the complications of sisterly relationships, such as those of Leah and Rachel in Genesis, providing insight into human experience and divine purpose.
Transitioning into the New Testament, we observe the elevated spiritual dynamic that transcends bloodlines, as exemplified by the relationship between Mary and Martha with Jesus, and the larger family of believers identified by the Lord as His siblings. These verses remind us of the high calling to love, serve, and honor one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, reflecting the character of our heavenly family. Therefore, as learners and believers, may these passages inspire us to nurture our relationships, both familial and spiritual, emulating the love and kinship so beautifully depicted in God’s Word.