Meaning
Woman was "taken out of man" (Gen 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. "The head of the woman is the man;" but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, "as unto the weaker vessel" (1Cor 11:3, 8, 9; 1Pet 3:7). Several women are mentioned in Scripture as having been endowed with prophetic gifts, as Miriam (Ex 15:20), Deborah (Judg 4:4, 5), Huldah (2Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Neh 6:14), Anna (Luke 2:36, 37), and the daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8, 9). Women are forbidden to teach publicly (1Cor 14:34, 35; 1Tim 2:11, 12). Among the Hebrews it devolved upon women to prepare the meals for the household (Gen 18:6; 2Sam 13:8), to attend to the work of spinning (Ex 35:26; Prov 31:19), and making clothes (1Sam 2:19; Prov 31:21), to bring water from the well (Gen 24:15; 1Sam 9:11), and to care for the flocks (Gen 29:6; Ex 2:16).
The word "woman," as used in Matt 15:28, John 2:4 and 20:13, 15, implies tenderness and courtesy and not disrespect. Only where revelation is known has woman her due place of honour assigned to her.
