Bible Verses About Sisters: 15 KJV Verses, From Miriam to Martha and Mary, and Which One to Use
Words My Family Quotes Editors
Sisters are rare in the King James Bible. In our count of the full KJV text, the words "sister" and "sisters" appear 135 times, while "brother", "brothers" and "brethren" appear 967 times, roughly seven to one. That is why so many lists of Bible verses about sisters fill up with verses that are really about brothers, friends or lovers. The good news is that the verses that do speak of sisters tell some of the most human stories in Scripture: a girl watching her baby brother in the reeds, two wives who were also sisters, a brother praying for a sister who had wronged him, and two sisters arguing over who does the dishes.
Below are 15 Bible verses about sisters, all quoted from the King James Version and checked against the full text, each with the story it comes from and a note on where it fits: a birthday card, a wedding, a hard season between sisters, a sister who is grieving, or a sister in Christ. If you need one verse right now for a card, use Exodus 2:4, "And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him." It is the Bible's first picture of a sister keeping watch.
Which verse fits which sister? A quick comparison
| Verse | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Exodus 2:4 | Moses' sister watches his basket on the Nile | Big sister, birthday card |
| Exodus 15:20 | Miriam leads the women in song and dance | A sister who leads, celebrates, sings |
| Numbers 12:13 | Moses prays for Miriam after she wronged him | Making up after a fight |
| Genesis 24:60 | Rebekah's family blesses her as she leaves to marry | A sister's wedding |
| Genesis 30:1 | Rachel envies her sister Leah | Honest talk about rivalry |
| Luke 10:40 | Martha complains that Mary left her to serve | Funny card for a busy sister |
| Luke 10:41-42 | Jesus answers Martha | A sister who does too much |
| John 11:3 | Two sisters send word that their brother is sick | Sisters caring for a sick parent or sibling |
| John 11:5 | "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" | Sympathy card, family loss |
| Job 1:4 | Job's sons invite their three sisters to every feast | Brothers to sisters, family gatherings |
| Job 42:11 | Job's brothers and sisters come to comfort him | Showing up in hard times |
| Proverbs 7:4 | "Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister" | A wise sister, graduation |
| Mark 3:35 | Jesus calls those who do God's will his sister | Sisters in Christ, church friends |
| Romans 16:1 | Paul commends "Phebe our sister" | A woman who serves in church |
| 1 Timothy 5:2 | Treat younger women "as sisters" | Teaching on church family |
The sister who keeps watch: Miriam
The Bible's first great sister story starts with a baby in a basket. Pharaoh had ordered Hebrew baby boys killed, so Moses' mother hid him in an ark of bulrushes at the river's edge. One person stayed behind to see what would happen.
"And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him." — Exodus 2:4 (KJV)
"To wit" means "to know": she stood at a distance to find out what would become of him. The text doesn't name her here; she is traditionally identified with Miriam, who is later named as the sister of Aaron and Moses (Numbers 26:59). A few verses on, she steps forward and offers Pharaoh's daughter a Hebrew nurse, then fetches "the child's mother" (Exodus 2:7-8). That is what makes this the best verse for a big sister: she is not just watching, she is ready to act at the right moment. Write it in a birthday card for an older sister who has always kept an eye on you.
Years later, after the crossing of the Red Sea, the same sister appears with her own name and her own title.
"And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances." — Exodus 15:20 (KJV)
This is the first time the word "prophetess" appears in the Bible, and here she leads the celebration. This verse suits a sister who is the life of the party, who leads worship or music, or who got everyone dancing at the wedding. It is also a good reminder that a sister is not only someone's sister: the verse names her by her role first.
Miriam's story also includes the Bible's clearest sibling quarrel followed by a sibling prayer. In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron "spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married" (12:1). Miriam is struck with leprosy, Aaron begs Moses for help, and Moses, the brother who was wronged, prays for her at once.
"And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee." — Numbers 12:13 (KJV)
It is a seven-word prayer with no conditions attached. Miriam is shut out of the camp for seven days, and the chapter adds a detail that is easy to miss: "the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again" (12:15). The whole nation waited for her. If you are trying to make peace with a sister after a falling-out, this is the verse to pray or to send, because it puts her healing ahead of who was right. Miriam later dies at Kadesh and is buried there (Numbers 20:1), still on the road with her brothers.
A blessing from brothers to a sister: Rebekah's send-off
When Abraham's servant came to find a wife for Isaac, it was Rebekah's brother Laban who ran out to meet him (Genesis 24:29), and her brother and mother who asked to keep her at home a few more days (24:55). When she chose to go, her family sent her off with a blessing.
"And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them." — Genesis 24:60 (KJV)
"Thou art our sister" is the part to use. It is spoken by family members letting her go, which makes it fit a toast or card from a brother or sister at a wedding. The second half is a blessing on her descendants and their victory over enemies; it reads strangely in a modern card, so most people quote only the first clause with the reference, or the first two clauses. For more wedding and in-law wording, see our sister-in-law quotes and messages, which covers Ruth and Orpah.
When sisters compete: Rachel and Leah, Martha and Mary
The Bible does not pretend sisters always get along. Two of its best-known pairs are rivals, and both stories are worth reading before you quote them.
Laban had two daughters, "the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel" (Genesis 29:16). Jacob loved Rachel, was tricked into marrying Leah first, then married Rachel too, and "loved also Rachel more than Leah" (29:30). Leah had sons; Rachel did not.
"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die." — Genesis 30:1 (KJV)
This is not a card verse. It belongs in an honest conversation, a Bible study or a journal: envy between sisters is old enough to be in Genesis, and it grew here because of a father's deceit and a husband's favoritism, not because either sister was wicked. If envy has come between you and a sister, our page on jealous family members quotes has more lines and practical replies.
The New Testament rivalry is lighter. Jesus visits a village where "a certain woman named Martha received him into her house" (Luke 10:38). Her sister Mary sits at his feet and listens, while Martha does the work.
"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me." — Luke 10:40 (KJV)
Anyone who has cleared up after a family dinner while a sibling sat chatting will recognize Martha. It is the most relatable sister complaint in the Bible, and it works as a gently funny card verse for the sister who always ends up in the kitchen. The answer she gets is the part people remember.
"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." — Luke 10:41-42 (KJV)
"Careful" here means full of cares, not cautious. Jesus repeats her name twice, which reads as tender rather than scolding, and he doesn't tell Mary to get up. Send this one to a sister who is worn out from looking after everyone; it gives her permission to stop. Don't send it to the sister who just did all the work as a hint that she should have sat down, unless you know she will laugh.
Sisters in grief: Mary and Martha at Bethany
The same two sisters appear again in John 11, now in crisis. Their brother Lazarus is sick in Bethany, "the town of Mary and her sister Martha" (11:1), and they send for help together.
"Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." — John 11:3 (KJV)
Notice that the message doesn't ask for anything. It simply names the need and trusts the one who loves him. This verse fits sisters who are caring together for a sick parent or sibling, and it is a good model for a short prayer text to a sister in hospital.
"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." — John 11:5 (KJV)
Of all the verses about sisters, this is the gentlest. It names three siblings and says each was loved, without ranking them. The sisters react differently when Jesus arrives: "Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house" (11:20). Neither response is treated as wrong, and a few verses later comes the shortest verse in the KJV, "Jesus wept" (11:35). Use John 11:5 in a sympathy card to sisters who have lost a brother, or to a family where siblings are grieving in different ways.
Brothers who always invited their sisters: Job's family
The opening of Job describes a large, close family before disaster strikes. Each son hosted a feast in turn, and the sisters were never left out.
"And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them." — Job 1:4 (KJV)
It is a lovely verse for brothers to give their sisters, or for a family reunion invitation. Be aware of the context, though: in the same chapter the children are "eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house" when a great wind brings the house down on them (1:18-19). For a cheerful card, the verse stands on its own; for a funeral, read the whole chapter first.
At the end of the book, after Job's long suffering, his wider family finally shows up.
"Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold." — Job 42:11 (KJV)
The verse is honest about timing: the brothers and sisters come late, after the worst is over. That makes it useful for a sister who wants to say "I should have come sooner, but I'm here now." The practical details, a shared meal, a gift, comfort spoken out loud, are a fair checklist for visiting a sibling after a loss.
A short verse for a wise sister
Proverbs uses "sister" once as a picture of closeness, in a father's advice to his son.
"Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:" — Proverbs 7:4 (KJV)
The point of the verse is that wisdom should be as familiar as a sister. It reads beautifully in a graduation card for a sister, or for a sister who is the sensible one in the family. Know the context before you frame it: the next verse says this closeness will "keep thee from the strange woman" (7:5), and the chapter is a warning against an adulteress. Quoting 7:4 alone is fine; just don't present the chapter as being about sisters.
What does God say about a sister in Christ?
In the New Testament, "sister" often means a fellow believer, which is what people mean when they look for verses about sisters in Christ. The key verse answers a question people often ask: who counts as my brother and sister?
"For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." — Mark 3:35 (KJV)
Jesus says this when he is told that his mother and brothers are waiting outside (Mark 3:32). He doesn't reject his family; he widens it. This is the verse for a friend from church who has become a sister, for a women's group, or for a card to a sister-in-law who shares your faith. The parallel in Matthew 12:50 says the same with "the will of my Father which is in heaven."
"I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:" — Romans 16:1 (KJV)
Phoebe (spelled "Phebe" in the KJV) is the first person named in the long closing chapter of Romans, and the next verse asks the church to help her "in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also" (16:2). Translations differ on her role: the NIV and NRSVue call her "a deacon", the ESV and NASB "a servant". This is a fine verse for a thank-you card to a woman who serves in your church; say "our sister" and her name.
"The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity." — 1 Timothy 5:2 (KJV)
Paul is advising the young pastor Timothy on how to treat people in the church: older men as fathers, younger men as brothers (5:1), older women as mothers and younger women as sisters. It is teaching rather than a card line, but it is the clearest verse on treating women in a church as family. James puts the same idea into practice: "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food" and you only wish them well, "what doth it profit?" (James 2:15-16).
Verses about brothers and sisters together
Many people search for verses about brothers and sisters as a pair, about sibling love, or about siblings fighting. The Bible's sibling verses are mostly written about brothers, but they apply to any siblings:
- Love: "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Romans 12:10) and "Let brotherly love continue" (Hebrews 13:1). Both were written to church members, but they work for siblings.
- Hard times: "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). We explain this verse and the sibling lines around it on our unconditional sibling love quotes page.
- Fighting: the first sibling question in the Bible is Cain's "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9). For verses on sibling estrangement and making peace, see toxic sibling quotes, which covers Esau and Jacob.
Verses that show up on sister lists but aren't about sisters
When we compared the top-ranking lists for this search, several verses kept appearing that are not about sisters at all. They are fine verses, but it helps to know what they say before writing them in a card:
- Song of Solomon 4:9, "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse", is a love poem between a bride and groom. "Sister" here is a term of endearment for the beloved. Don't put it in a card for your actual sister.
- Ruth 1:16, "whither thou goest, I will go", is spoken by Ruth to her mother-in-law Naomi, right after Naomi points to Ruth's sister-in-law Orpah going home (1:15). It suits a sister-in-law better than a sister.
- Philippians 1:3, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you", is Paul writing to a whole church. It is a warm card line for anyone, sister included, but it isn't a sister verse.
- Ezekiel 16:46 calls Samaria and Sodom Jerusalem's "elder sister" and "younger sister". It is a prophetic rebuke using cities as sisters; avoid it in anything personal.
How to write a Bible verse in a card for your sister
- Pick the story, not just the words. Read a few verses before and after. Exodus 2:4 means more once you know she was guarding her brother's life; Genesis 30:1 means something very different once you know the whole story.
- Quote the part that fits. It is normal to quote one clause, such as "Thou art our sister" (Genesis 24:60), as long as you give the reference so she can look it up.
- Name the version. We used the KJV because its wording is familiar and free to quote. If your sister reads the NIV or ESV, look the verse up there so the wording matches her Bible.
- Add one sentence of your own. Tie the verse to something real: "You were always the one standing afar off, making sure I was all right." One true detail matters more than a long verse.
- For a sister in Christ, use Mark 3:35 or Romans 16:1 with her name, which makes the verse personal without changing the text.
If you are writing to a daughter instead, our guide to Bible verses for my daughter is organized by occasion, from birth to her wedding day.
Questions people ask about sisters in the Bible
What does God say about a sister?
The Bible doesn't give one rule about sisters; it tells their stories. Miriam watches over her brother (Exodus 2:4), Martha and Mary are loved by Jesus (John 11:5), and in the church any woman who does God's will is called his sister (Mark 3:35).
Who is my brother and sister according to scripture?
Jesus answers this in Mark 3:35: "whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." Paul uses the same family language for church members, as in Romans 16:1 and 1 Timothy 5:2.
What is a good Bible verse for my sister's birthday?
Exodus 2:4 works well for a big sister who always looked out for you, and Proverbs 7:4 ("Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister") suits a sister you admire for her good sense. Add one sentence of your own about why it fits her.
Is there a Bible verse about sisters fighting?
Yes. Genesis 30:1 says Rachel "envied her sister" Leah, and Luke 10:40 records Martha complaining that her sister Mary left her to serve alone. Both stories show the rivalry honestly, and Numbers 12:13 shows a brother praying for a sister right after a quarrel.
Read together, these verses describe sisters the way families actually know them: watchful, competitive, worn out, grieving, celebrating, and still loved by name. Pick the one that sounds like your sister, and tell her why.