Biblical Oddities #30 - Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: David

According to Scripture, David had a wife and a mother-in-law sharing the same name -- Ahinoam.

David was married to Ahinoam who was the mother of his firstborn, Amnon.

Meanwhile, Ahinoam was the mother of David's first wife, Michal. She was also the wife of King Saul, the father of Michal.

David is the only man in the Bible to have a wife and a mother-in-law with the same name.

Answer: Miriam

Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, is the first woman described as a prophetess in the Old Testament.

After God parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to successfully cross over, Miriam helped lead a massive victory celebration with Scripture telling of her leading the women in dancing and singing, as per Exodus 15:20. It's in this verse she is identified as a prophetess.

Other women described as prophets in the Bible include Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), and Anna (Luke 2:36).

Answer: Jair

Jair was a judge of Israel but not much is known about him as he is mentioned in only three verses, Judges 10:3-5.

According to Scripture, he was a Gileadite who judged Israel for twenty-two years, replacing Tola.

Verse 4 in the NKJV states: "Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called 'Havoth Jair' to this day, which are in the land of Gilead."

Answer: Naamah

Naamaah is the first person who is specifically mentioned as being a daughter in the Old Testament. In Genesis 4:22, it states she was the daughter of Lamech and Zillah.

She is the fourth female mentioned in Scripture. The other females appearing before Naamah are Eve, Adah and her mother Zillah. However, the three other women are not identified as being daughters of anyone.

Answer: Job

Job is the correct answer.

The Book of Job tells of Job's three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar attempting to comfort him after he was hit by a number of calamities including the loss of his ten children and the loss of his personal fortune. Job's friends had the audacity to suggest his suffering was the result of his sinning.

Job's response to his friends is documented, in part, in Job 12:7-8 in the NKJV: "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you."

An AI overview sums up things this way: "Job was sarcastically suggesting that even the lowest creatures of nature could teach them that it is God who controls all life and holds the breath of all mankind, implying that his friends' 'wisdom' was lacking."

Answer: Adam

According to Genesis 5:5, Adam, the first man, lived for 930 years. His wife was Eve but no information is given in Scripture about how old she was when she died.

Going strictly by Scripture, Adam was the fourth oldest man. Only Methuselah (969 years), Jared: (962 years) and Noah (950 years) were older.

Answer: Michal

Michal, the daughter of King Saul, has the distinction of being the only woman in the Bible who was in love with a man.

! Samuel 18:20 tells of her being in love with David, the young man who was famous for slaying the Philistine giant Goliath with a slingshot.

Saul pretended to be in favour of the romance because he was extremely jealous of David and wanted him killed. So in attempt to remove David from the scene, Saul said he could marry his daughter if he could produce one hundred Philistine foreskins. Saul was convinced David would end up being killed in trying to achieve such a lofty goal.

To Saul's amazement and deep disappointment, David produced two hundred foreskins to win Michal's hand.

Obviously, many other women in the Bible were in love with their partners, but Michal is the only one who is stated as being in love.

Answer: The Pharaoh

The first recorded birthday party in the Bible appears in Genesis 40:20-22.

The verses tell of the Pharaoh of Egypt celebrating his birthday by hosting a gala feast for his servants. It was during this event the Pharaoh restored his chief cupbearer to his position and hanged the chief baker.

Answer: Herod

Herod is the only person in the New Testament to hold a birthday party, with details appearing in Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:21.

The birthday party ended with the beheading of John the Baptist.

Scripture tells of the unnamed daughter of Herodias dancing before people at the party and Herod being so pleased that he offered her up to one-half his kingdom. Herodias took full advantage of the situation and convinced her daughter to request the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

According to Scripture, Herodias detested John because he had denounced her marriage to Herod. Previously, she had been married to Philip, Herod's brother as per Matthew 14:3.

Answer: Simon

Luke 22:31 quotes Jesus in the NKJV as saying, "And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.'"

This is one of only three time Jesus is quoted as saying a person's name twice in one breath.

In Luke 10:41, He states, "Martha, Martha" and in Acts 9:4 He states, "Saul, Saul."

In His conversation with Simon, also known as Peter, Jesus predicted the disciple would deny knowing Him on three different occasions and then a rooster would crow. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened, according to Scripture.

For details, see Luke 22:31-34.