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The World's Greatest Collection of Fun Bible Trivia

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Angels, Prophets, and Prphencies

Joel was a prophet whose name means "Yahweh (Jehovah) is God."

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Children have angels in heaven who always have an audience with God. (Matthew 18:10)

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An angel started an earthquake by rolling back the stone that sealed Jesus' tomb. (Matthew 28:1–4)

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Prophets are men of God who can tell the future.

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The book of Psalms predicted hundreds of years in advance that Jesus' hands and feet would be pierced. (Psalm 22:16)

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An angel named Gabriel told Zacharias his old wife would have a baby. (Luke 1:13–19)

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The first angels mentioned in the Bible were holding flaming swords. (Genesis 3:24)

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Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel were all angels. (Isaiah 14:12; Jude 9; Luke 1:19)

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The book of Daniel prophesies the exact years of Jesus' ministry 600 years in advance. (Daniel 9:24–26)

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Centuries before scientists proved it, Isaiah indicated that the world was round. (Isaiah 40:22)

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The prophet Jeremiah is described in a variety of ways. He has been called "the weeping prophet" (Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17), the "prophet of loneliness" (Jeremiah 16:2), and the "reluctant prophet" (Jeremiah 1:6).

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The book of Micah prophesied Jesus' birthplace as Bethlehem 700 years in advance. (Micah 5:2)

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The book of Psalms predicted Jesus' dying words 1000 years ahead of time. (Psalm 22:1)

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An angel often came down to Bethesda to stir up the waters of its pool. (John 5:2–4)

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Abraham is the first person in the Bible to be called a prophet. (Genesis 20:7)

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The first vision mentioned in the Bible came to Abram. (Genesis 15:1)

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There is nothing in the Bible to suggest that angels were ever human beings elevated to angelic status. Rather, angels are spiritual beings who were specially created by God. (Hebrews 1:7)

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Isaiah went around stripped and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt. (Isaiah 20:3)

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According to Numbers, Moses was different from other prophets because the Lord did not speak to him in dreams, but face to face. (Numbers 12:8)

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In both the Old and New Testaments the first accounts of visits from angels are to women. Hagar in the Old Testament and Mary in the New Testament.

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The first dream recorded in the Bible is that of Abimelech which warned him that Sarah and Abraham were really husband and wife. (Genesis 20:3)

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The only dream attributed to a woman in the New Testament is the dream of Pilate's wife. (Matthew 27:19)

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The prophet Ezekiel was commanded by God to lie for 390 days upon his left side, and then 40 days upon his right side. (Ezekiel 4:4–6)

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Enoch is the first man recorded as having prophesied. (Jude 14)

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An angel of the Lord once called Ishmael a "wild donkey of a man." (Genesis 16:12)

Animals and Insects

Every three years Solomon's trading ships returned home with gold, silver, ivory, and a bunch of apes and baboons. (1 Kings 10:22)

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If a Hebrew person found a bird's nest full of birds, he could take the babies but had to leave the mother bird behind. (Deuteronomy 22:7)

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Animals have to answer to God, too. (Genesis 9:5)

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Moses had a staff that turned into a snake. (Exodus 4:3–4)

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God used hornets to drive enemy peoples out of the Promised Land. (Joshua 24:11–12)

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Moses had a bronze serpent that could heal snakebites. (Numbers 21:6–9)

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God once ordered ravens to feed the prophet Elijah twice a day while he was hiding in the Kerith Ravine. (1 Kings 17:1–6)

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God protected Daniel after he was thrown into the lions' den by sending an angel to shut the lions' mouths. (Daniel 6:22)

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Adam named all the animals. (Genesis 2:19)

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God made the first clothes for Adam and Eve out of animal skins. (Genesis 3:21)

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Jesus and Peter once paid taxes with a coin found in a fish's mouth. (Matthew 17:24–27)

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The raven is the first bird mentioned by name in the Bible. (Genesis 8:7)

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When Moses threw his staff on the ground it turned into a snake, and he ran away from it. (Exodus 4:2–3)

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Locusts are one of the most important insects mentioned in the Bible, making 56 appearances.

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Bears are rarely mentioned in the Bible but they are used in visions that were given to Isaiah

(11:7), Daniel

(8:5), and John

(Revelation 13:2)

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There are more references to sheep in the Bible than to any other animal. Sheep are mentioned over 400 times.

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Jacob gave at least 550 animals to his brother as a peace offering. (Genesis 32:13–18)

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Noah had only seven days to gather up all the animals into the ark. (Genesis 7:3–4)

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Job once called himself a brother to dragons and a companion to owls. (Job 30:29)

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Among the different breeds of sheep found in the Bible there was at least one which had a plump tail prized for its fat (Exodus 29:22).

This large tail was fried and eaten.

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Laban is the first man recorded as shearing his sheep. (Genesis 31:19)

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God once provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give him shade.

But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. (Jonah 4:6–7)

The Egyptians did not like shepherds. (Genesis 46:34)

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John once saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs. (Revelation 16:13)

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There is only one verse in the Bible that refers to fishponds. (Isaiah 19:10)

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Although ferrets were around in the Old Testament they are mentioned only once in the Bible. (Leviticus 11:30)

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Flocks and herds were forbidden to graze in front of Mount Sinai. (Exodus 34:2–3)

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Israelite spies who explored Canaan said they looked like grasshoppers compared to the giants they saw there. (Numbers 13:33)

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Samson set the tails of 300 foxes on fire and set the poor animals loose in some Philistine grain fields. (Judges 15:4–5)

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When Nineveh repented, its residents even put sackcloth on all their animals. (Jonah 3:8)

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Before an Israelite could offer a ram as a burnt offering, he had to wash its legs with water. (Leviticus 1:9)

The Bible

The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117. It has two verses.

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Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses.

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John wrote the book of Revelation to seven churches in Asia. (Revelation 1:4)

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The Bible was written by more than 40 human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit over a period of about 14 to 18 centuries.

The Apostle Paul wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.

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In the entire book of Esther, God is not mentioned once.

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There are nine Beatitudes found in the book of Matthew. (Matthew 5:3–12)

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There are only two books in the Bible named after women, Esther and Ruth.

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The Bible says it is better not to make a promise than to break it. (Ecclesiastes 5:5)

The book of Psalms has more chapters than any other book of the Bible.

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Paul wrote more books of the Bible than any other man.

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The first three words of both the book of Genesis and the gospel of John are "In the beginning."

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The most comprehensive genealogical list in the Bible is found in 1 Chronicles chapters 1–9.

It covers people from Adam to King Saul.

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Every chapter of the book of Hebrews either contains a quotation from the Old Testament or mentions an Old Testament character by name.

Solomon wrote two books known for wisdom, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs.

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Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.

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David wrote the book of Psalms.

Food

Manna tasted like honey wafers. (Exodus 16:31)

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Israelites weren't allowed to eat camels. (Leviticus 11:4)

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God gave the Israelites quail to eat before sending manna. (Exodus 16:8–13)

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When the Israelites first checked out Canaan, they found grapevines so full it took two men to carry a single cluster. (Numbers 13:23)

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If you stay awake, you'll have extra food. (Proverbs 20:13)

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After David brought the ark back to Jerusalem, he gave a cake of raisins and a cake of dates to each Israelite. (1 Chronicles 16:3)

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Israelites couldn't eat storks. (Leviticus 11:19)

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Once when Peter was really hungry, he saw a sheet full of animals in a vision, and God told him to eat up. (Acts 10:10–13)

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In Jeremiah's day, people put scarecrows in melon patches. (Jeremiah 10:5)

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Israelites were not allowed to eat chameleons. (Leviticus 11:29–30)

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John ate a scroll that was sweet as honey but made his stomach sour. (Revelation 10:10)

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People weren't given permission to eat meat until after the flood. (Genesis 9:3)

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Aaron had a staff that sprouted blossoms and almonds. (Number 17:8)

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Jacob traded bread and lentil soup for Esau's birthright. (Genesis 25:32–34)

Gideon once saw fire from a rock burn bread and meat. (Judges 6:21)

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Canaan is said to be flowing with milk and honey. (Exodus 3:8)

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Pharisees went to extreme lengths to make sure that they never ate anything that was unclean

(Matthew 23:24). They used to strain their drinking water through a cloth to ensure they didn't swallow a gnat.

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In New Testament times, washing one's hands before a meal was the common practice and was observed as a religious duty, especially by the Pharisees. (Mark 7:3)

The Israelites ate manna for 40 years until they finally settled in Canaan. (Exodus 16:35)

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After water, which was often impure, wine was the most common drink in Bible times.

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During the Passover, Israelites couldn't break any of the bones in their feast, not even the wishbone. (Exodus 12:46)

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There is only one verse in the Bible that speaks of onions. (Numbers 11:5)

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The Bible refers to a frying pan twice, and only in the Old Testament. (Leviticus 2:7; 7:9)

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Samson once brought a gift of honey to his father and mother. (Judges 14:8–9)

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The first mention of cheese in the Bible occurs in the story of David and Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:18)

Head Scratchers

In ancient Israel, men closed a deal by exchanging sandals. (Ruth 4:7)

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After Moses was given the Ten Commandments, he wore a veil over his face because he glowed. (Exodus 34:33–35)

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When Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist, Zachariah, his father, was struck dumb until the baby was born. (Luke 1)

Once when Elisha prayed, God made a whole band of enemy Arameans blind. (2 Kings 6:18)

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Job's wife thought he had bad breath. (Job 19:17)

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Once when Jesus was praying at the Mount of Olives sweat fell from him like drops of blood. (Luke 22:44)

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The Ammonites tried to embarrass David's men by shaving off half their beard and cutting off their clothes at about mid-buttocks length. (2 Samuel 10:4)

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When Elisha learned that Jericho had bad water, he made it better by tossing in a bowl full of salt. (2 Kings 2:21)

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Once Ezekiel was sitting in his house when a big hand picked him up by the hair of his head and took him somewhere between heaven and earth. (Ezekiel 8:3)

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When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he took Joseph's bones. (Exodus 13:19)

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Israelites were not allowed to have tattoos. (Leviticus 19:28)

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When King David was old he was always cold, so he had a girl named Abishag to keep him warm and wait on him. (1 Kings 1:1–4)

Jonathan once killed a huge man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. (2 Samuel 21:20–21)

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When King Belshazzar was drinking out of a goblet from Jerusalem's temple, a hand wrote a message on his wall. (Daniel 5:3–5)

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David pretended to be insane once by marking up a door and drooling all over his face. (1 Samuel 21:13)

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When Nebuchadnezzar went insane, he grew claws like a bird, feathers like an eagle, and ate grass like a cow. (Daniel 4:33)

The Philistines offered gold rats as a guilt offering. (1 Samuel 6:18)

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Once Jesus called demons out of a man and sent them into a herd of about 2,000 pigs. (Mark 5:13)

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Aaron's hunchbacked descendants couldn't offer food to God. (Leviticus 21:20–21)

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A young man who had been following Jesus ran away naked when his loincloth fell off. (Mark 14:51–52)

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If you eat too much honey, you'll throw up. (Proverbs 25:16)

When Cain was banished from Eden, God put a mark on him so no one would kill him. (Genesis 4:15)

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Jeremiah wore a linen belt that wasn't allowed to get wet. (Jeremiah 13:1)

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When Aaron and his sons were ordained, Moses had to put ram's blood on their right ear lobes, right thumbs, and right big toes. (Exodus 29:20)

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Moses and Aaron gave the Egyptians boils by throwing furnace dust into the air. (Exodus 9:10)

Joshua made the Gibeonites be woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites as a curse. (Joshua 9:23)

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John the Baptist wore clothing made of camel hair. (Matthew 3:1–4)

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Two sounds made the walls of Jericho fall, trumpets and a shout. (Joshua 6:20)

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A man named Lot had a wife who turned into a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)

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Samson lost all his strength when someone cut his hair. (Judges 16:19)

David won a wife by defeating Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:25; 18:17–22)

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Mary used her hair to wipe perfume off Jesus' feet. (John 12:3)

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Jesus once cured a blind man by spitting on his eyes. (Mark 8:23)

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Paul is stated to have had large handwriting. (Galatians 1:1–4; 6:11)

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Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," because the prophet of today used to be called a seer. (1 Samuel 9:9)

God wrestled all night with Jacob before changing his name to Israel. (Genesis 32:24–28)

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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't even smell of smoke after being thrown into the fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:27)

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Three things were in the Ark of the Covenant: the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron's staff. (Hebrew 9:4)

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Absalom cut his hair every year when it got too heavy for him.

He would then weigh it and it typically weighed about five pounds. (2 Samuel 14:26)

Absalom once got caught in a tree by his hair. (2 Samuel 18:9–10)

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The one time that it is recorded in the Bible that Jesus wrote, he wrote on the ground. (John 8:1–11)

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Mark is the only gospel writer whose job is not mentioned in the Bible.

King Nebuchadnezzar made his subjects bow down every time they heard music. (Daniel 3:13–15)

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Samson had seven braids in his hair. (Judges 16:19)

There are strange pillar formations in the Southwest corner of the Dead Sea known locally as "Lot's Wife."

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Jews were instructed to make a parapet around their roof.

They did this to make it safe so that no one would fall off the roof and die and make their family become responsible for the death. (Deuteronomy 22:8)

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Ezra once stood on a wooden pulpit and read the law of Moses aloud from morning until midday. (Nehemiah 8:1–4)

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There is only one verse in the Bible that mentions Easter. (Acts 12:4)

When the Benjamites fought the Israelites their army included 700 chosen soldiers who were all left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. (Judges 20:12–16)

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Ecclesiastes tells us that riches cause insomnia. (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

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Solomon once sang of a woman who had purple hair. (Song of Solomon 7:5)

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God once revived Samson with a drink of water from the jawbone of a donkey. (Judges 15:19)

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The Israelites once built an altar and named it Ed. (Joshua 22:10, 34)

Job's friends once sat with him for seven days and nights without speaking. (Job 2:11–13)

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Abimelech once told a story about an olive tree, fig tree, and a vine who asked a thorn bush to be their king. (Judges 9:8–15)

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Samson once killed a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone. (Judges 15:16)

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Joash was a young prince who was hidden in the temple by his aunt for six years to avoid the wrath of Queen Athaliah. (2 Kings 11:2–3)

The prophet Balaam was once saved from death by a talking donkey. (Numbers 22:21–33)

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Solomon once killed a man named Adonijah for asking to marry his stepmother. (1 Kings 2:13–25)

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King Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships that were wrecked before they ever set sail. (1 Kings 22:48)

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Eglon, king of Moab, was so fat that when Ehud stabbed him with a one and a half foot long sword, the handle sank into his belly. (Judges 3:21–22)

When Asa, king of Judah, was old, he got diseased feet. (1 Kings 15:23)

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Jephthah and the Gileadites guarded a spot of land by asking Ephraimites to say "Shibboleth." They were killed if they couldn't say it correctly. (Judges 12:5–6)

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During the whole time the Israelites wandered around the desert, they never got swollen feet. (Deuteronomy 8:4)

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Zechariah saw a vision of a woman trapped in a basket that was carried away by two women with wings. (Zechariah 5:6–9)

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