Biblical Marriages #1 -- Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: Zipporah

The first wife of Moses was Zipporah, as per Exodus 2:21. Zipporah was the daughter of Reuel, also known as Jethro.

Reuel was the priest of Midian and was the father of seven daughters.

Moses and Zipporah were the parents of two sons -- Gershom and Eliezer.

Answer: Ezra

Ezra 10 tells of Shechaniah, son of Jehiel, making a passionate plea for Jewish men to divorce their foreign wives. (Rather than 'foreign' some Bible versions use the term 'pagan wives'.

Ezra was in full agreement, with Scripture telling of him "praying... confessing, weeping, and bowing down" to God about the matter.

According to Scripture, the decision to ban marriages to foreign wives was made in Jerusalem, after the Jews had returned from exile in Babylon.

Answer: Hannah

Elkinah had two wives but Hannah was clearly his favourite. His other wife was Peninnah.

While Peninnah was the mother of an unstated number of children, Hannah was barren, unable to conceive. According to Scripture, Peninnah made life almost unbearable for Hannah, making her feel inferior because she could not conceive.

However, after fervently praying to God, Hannah became the mother of Samuel, who would become a noted judge of Israel.

Following the dedication of Samuel to God, Hannah gave birth to three more sons and two daughters, as per 1 Samuel 2:21.

For details about Hannah being the favorite of Elkinah and her struggles with Peninniah, see 1 Samuel 1.

Answer: Job

The unnamed wife of Job urged him to curse God after the couple suffered a number of calamities. According to Scripture, Job and his wife had ten children -- seven sons and three daughters -- and they all perished in a severe windstorm. On top of this Job lost his immense personal wealth and ended up in failing health.

In Job 2:9, Job's wife is quoted as saying: "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

Job is quoted as responding to his wife by saying: "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"

Answer: Isaiah

Isaiah, a major prophet of God, was married to an unnamed prophetess.

Isaiah 8:3-4 in the NKJV explains things this way: "Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, 'Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; for before the child shall have knowledge to cry 'My father' and 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.'"

An AI overview of the matter offers this explanation: "Isaiah was married to a woman referred to as 'the prophetess' in Isaiah 8:3. While her personal name is not recorded in the Bible, she is identified by this title, indicating she may have had her own prophetic gifts or was known by this title due to her marriage to Isaiah."

There is no further mention of the woman in Scripture.

Answer: Pilate

The correct answer is Pilate, the Roman governor who presided over a hearing involving Jesus.

According to Scripture, Pilate's wife was troubled by a dream she had about Jesus and passed the information onto her husband.

Matthew 27:19 in the NKJV states: "While he [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, 'Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.'"

Her husband, however, did not heed his wife's advice, as he gave into a boisterous crowd and ordered the death of Jesus by crucifixion.

Pilate's wife is not mentioned by name in the Bible.

According to an AI overview, in Christian tradition, Pilate's wife is sometimes referred to as Procula or Claudia Procula and is considered a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Ethiopian churches.

Answer: Aquila

Aquila was the husband of Priscilla. Both were tentmakers and labored along side Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles,in spreading the Gospel.

Without question, they were key figures in the early church.

In Romans 16:3-4, Paul says the couple risked their lives for him but no details are given.

It's interesting to note that often, when the couple is mentioned in Scripture, Priscilla's name appears first before Aquila's name.

Answer: Joanna

Joanna is the correct answer. She was one of a number of women who followed Jesus Christ at some time during His three years of ministry. According to Luke 8:3, her husband was Chuza, the head of Herod's household.

However, little is known about Joanna as she is mentioned in passing reference.

Answer: Felix

Felix, the Roman governor of Judea, was married to Drusilla, as per Acts 24:24.

According to various Websites, Drusilla's marriage to a pagan Roman governor would've been controversial under Jewish law.

In Scripture, Drusilla is mentioned in only passing reference.

Answer: Peter

Going by Scripture, Peter is the only disciple who we know was definitely married -- this even though his wife isn't mentioned in the Bible.

Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31, and Luke 4:38-39 all tell of Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law who was sick in bed with a fever. The mother-in-law is not named in the three passages.