WOMAN: A WORD I MISUNDERSTOOD.

Today, if someone calls you, “Woman!” in English or “mwanamke!” in Swahili, it often lands with sharpness. It sounds like a command or insult — especially in a culture where respect is wrapped in titles: “Madam,” “Teacher,” “Mama So-and-so,” “Doctor,” “Secretary,” “Mwalimu.” We show honor by naming the role or relationship, not merely the person’s gender. Or at least we call them by their preferred name if we know it.

As I read the gospels, I noticed how Jesus referred to women as "woman!" including his mother. I felt it was disrespectful but I was wrong. So I went on research mode to find out what was going on back then. I discovered that in the Bible’s world, “woman” was not reduction — it was recognition. It was not “you there!” but more like “ma'am.”

In modern ears, the word “woman” often sounds blunt, even disrespectful. Yet in Scripture, it carries layers of beauty, purpose, and dignity — if only we pause long enough to trace its journey from Genesis to the Gospels.

When God brought the woman to Adam in Genesis 2:23, his words were full of awe:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ISHA, for she was taken out of ISH.”

The Hebrew word isha means woman, and it shares its root with ish (man). The connection is deliberate — she was not a lower creation but a companion from the same substance. The first “woman” was not an inferior title; it was a poetic expression of oneness. To call her isha was to say, “You are like me, of me, with me.”

In the ancient Near Eastern setting, calling someone woman was not stripping them of identity but recognizing their shared dignity. It was a term of deep relational respect.

Throughout the Old Testament, the word woman was used with a range of reverence. Proverbs 31 begins, “A capable woman, who can find?” (ishah chayil — literally, “a woman of strength”).

Even in moments of distress or confrontation, the word woman did not carry insult. When the widow of Zarephath was referenced. It reads, “Now it happened after these things that the son of the Isha who owned the house became sick...” (1 Kings 17:17a). Notice how the word woman sounds dignified?

By the time we reach the Gospels, language and tone have shifted in our understanding, but not in His. Jesus’ repeated use of “woman” reveals both gentleness and divine authority:

At Cana, He says to His mother, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?” (John 2:4). Not a rebuke, but a moment of redefining her role as He stepped into His mission.

To the Samaritan woman, He says, “Woman, believe me…” (John 4:21), inviting her into truth, not talking down to her.

To the adulterous woman, “Woman, where are your accusers?” (John 8:10), words soaked in mercy and restoration.

Even from the cross: “Woman, behold your son.” (John 19:26) — an act of tender provision for His mother.

In Jesus’ tongue — Aramaic, influenced by Hebrew culture — “woman” (nashah) was equivalent to “ma’am” or “dear lady.” It held affection, respect, and sacred regard, especially when spoken by a rabbi to a female. To call her woman was to lift her face, not lower her worth.

In fact, our mere reading might miss that Jesus was the first man in history to speak to women publicly and personally with such respect — lifting their voice in a society that often silenced them. So perhaps I need to re-hear the word woman. In Jesus’ mouth, it was a bridge between heaven and earth — the Creator addressing His creation with compassion. In our time, it calls us to remember how God sees women: not as footnotes to men’s stories, but as co-bearers of His image and co-workers in His mission.

When Jesus said “Woman,” He was not ignoring names — He was awakening worth. One binti by the name of Beatrice added this to this thoughtline "But in gen z language.... Womanz issa word...very respectful one." ^BKK