Biblical Oddities #16 - Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: Candace

Candace is the only queen mentioned by name in the New Testament. According to Scripture, she was queen of Ethiopia.

Acts 8:26-40 tell of Philip meeting up with a man from Ethiopia who was riding in his chariot.

The man is described as "a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship."

Scripture goes on to tell of Philip converting the Ethiopian to Christianity, making him possibly the first believer in a resurrected Jesus Christ in Africa.

Answer: Jehu

In the NIV, Jehu, a military commander who became king of Israel, is described as driving his chariot like a "maniac", as per 2 Kings 9:20 in the NIV.

(In the NKJV, it states Jehu drove his chariot "furiously".)

Jehu was a vehement opponent of King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel and was responsible for eliminating Baal worship in Israel. His ascension to the throne was fulfillment of a prophecy by Elijah.

Answer: Paul

In various Bible translations, Paul writes in Galatians 5:12 he wishes false teachers would get castrated.

In the NIV, he states, "As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!"

In the NKJV, he states, "I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!"

Some Bible versions that use the word 'castrate' include God's Word Translation, Good News Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible, International Standard Version and International Children's Bible.

For example, the Good News Translation states: "I wish that the people who are upsetting you would go all the way; let them go on and castrate themselves!"

Answer: Eli

Eli was the judge and high priest of Israel and when he heard the Philistines had captured the ark of God and his two sons died in battle he fell backward off his seat, broke his neck, and died.

Details are found in 1 Samuel 4:12-22.

According to the passage, Eli was 98 years old, his eyes "were so dim that he could not see", and he was "heavy".

Scripture tells of a messenger breaking the terrible news to Eli and his death.

"So the messenger answered and said, 'Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.' Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years."

Answer: Elijah

Elijah is the prophet who mockingly said Baal was sleeping and unable to answer a request being made to him. Elijah made the quip while engaged in a showdown with 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.

As part of the showdown, the prophets and Elijah were both to call on a higher power to ignite a sacrificial offering. The prophets called on Baal and Elijah called on the LORD.

Scripture states Elijah was the clear victor.

At one point during the showdown when the prophets of Baal were whipping themselves in to a frenzy and cutting themselves calling on Baal with nothing happening, Elijah suggested the reason for the lack of action could be Baal was sleeping.

Verse 27 in the NKJV states: "And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, 'Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.'"

The same verse in the NIV reads this way: "At noon Elijah began to taunt them. 'Shout louder!' he said. 'Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.'"

Some Bible versions quote Elijah as stating Baal was unable to act because he was relieving himself. Bible versions making such a claim include the English Standard Version, God's Word Translation, Good News Translation and International Standard Version.

Answer: Peter

Peter, after following instructions from Jesus, found a coin in the mouth of a fish he caught to pay a temple tax. The incident took place in Capernaum, a fishing community on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Details can be found in Matthew 17:24-27.

According to various Web sites, the fish caught is commonly referred to as 'St. Peter's fish', a species of tilapia found in the Sea of Galilee.

Answer: Goliath

When it comes to numbers, those involving Goliath are enormous.

1 Samuel 17:4-7 in the NIV provides the following statistics: "His height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels."

Various Web sites suggest Goliath was as tall as 9 feet 9 inches, his armor weighed over 125 pounds and he carried a spear with a 15-pound iron point.

However, he was no match for David, a fearless shepherd boy who killed Goliath with a slingshot.

Answer: Moses

The only man in the Bible to have veil over his face is Moses, as per Exodus 34:33-35.

According to Scripture, Mosses put a veil over his face after receiving the Ten Commandments from God as his face was so brilliant.

Verses 32 to 35 in the NKJV explain things this way: "Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him."

In 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. Paul makes reference to Moses covering his face with a veil.

Answer: Jubal

Going strictly by Scripture, Jubal was the first musician. According to Genesis 4:21, he was the "father of all those who play the harp and flute."

Jubal was the son of Lamech and Adah and he had two brothers, Jabal and Tubal-cain (who was actually a half-brother, having a different mother).

Answer: Tubal-cain

The first metalworker mentioned in the Bible is Tubal-cain. According to Genesis 4:22, he was "an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron."

Tubal-cain was the son of Lamech and Zillah and his sister was Naamah.