"So The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which The Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh ... The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." (Genesis 2:21-24, 3:20 RSV)
Eve is derived from the Hebrew word which means living, or life giver, and by extension, mother. One of the greatest ironies of humanity is that the mother of all humans did not herself have a mother.
Another woman of Bible History that all humans have as a mother is Noah's wife, whose name was not recorded in the Scriptures. From her three sons and daughters-in-law, humanity began again after The Flood.
Some of the most well-known mothers of The Bible are Bathsheba, Elizabeth, Hagar, Hannah, Leah, Mary, Rachel, Rahab, Rebekah, Sarah and Zipporah
Biblical References To Motherhood
"Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived." (Genesis 4:1 RSV)
"For Thou didst form my inward parts, Thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13 RSV)
"And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb." (Luke 1:41 RSV)
"And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." (Luke 2:6-7 RSV)
"When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world." (John 16:21 RSV)
"But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother's breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul." (Psalm 131:2 RSV)
"So the woman remained and nursed her son, until she weaned him." (1 Samuel 1:23 RSV)
Metaphorical Mothers
Jesus Christ, The Messiah:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the Prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again, until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in The Name of the Lord.'" (Matthew 23:37-39 RSV) (see The Return Of Jesus Christ)
The two covenants:
"For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise."
"Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married."
"Now we, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise." (Galatians 4:22-28 RSV)
Fact Finder: What is the Fifth Commandment? Exodus 20:12 See also The Ten Commandments