Biblical Oddities #6 -- Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: Abimelech

The first person to commit suicide in the Bible was Abimelech, as per Judges 9:53-55.

It must be pointed out there are multiple people in the Old Testament known as Abimelech. The Abimelech who committed suicide was a wicked and evil ruler who according to Scripture, killed 70 of his brothers to seize power.

His downfall came when he attacked the city of Thebez and the citizens took refuge in a tower within the city. Abimelech would do anything to ensure victory so he approached the tower to set it on fire.

However, an unnamed woman in the tower dropped a millstone on his head, which resulted in Abimelech's skull being crushed.

Judges 9:54 in the NKJV explains what happened next: "Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, 'Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, 'A woman killed him.' So his young man thrust him through, and he died."

Answer: Rebekah

Rebekah gave birth to the first set of twins in the Bible. The twins were Esau and Jacob with Esau being born first. The father of the twins was Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah.

According to Genesis 25:22, the two babies "struggled together within her"
before they were born.

Later in life, they would still be struggling against each other.

Answer: Tamar

Tamar certainly lived an interesting life. She was initially married to Er, a son of Judah. However, Er was killed in a case of divine retribution.

After Er's death, she married his brother Onan. He too died in a case of divine retribution.

Later Tamar would pose as a prostitute and have intimacy with her father-in-law Judah. This even though Judah apparently didn't know it was Tamar he was intimate with.

As a result of the tryst with Judah, Tamar ended up becoming pregnant and giving birth to twin boys -- Perez and Zerah.

Tamar's story is told in Genesis 38.

Answer: Stephen

Stephen became the first martyr in the early church when he was stoned to death preaching the Gospel message. Stephen was a Grecian Jew and one of seven men who was chosen to oversee the distribution of food to needy widows.

According to Acts 6:5, Stephen was "full of faith and the Holy Spirit."

His execution is documented in Acts 7.

Answer: Cornelius

Going strictly by what is printed in the New Testament, the first Gentile to become a follower of Jesus Christ was Cornelius, a Roman centurion.

In Acts 10:2 in the NKJV, Cornelius is described as "a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always."

According to Acts 10:48, Peter baptized Cornelius and his entire household.

Cornelius lived in Caesarea, a major port city on the Mediterranean Sea, part of present-day Israel.

Answer: Rhoda

Like a scene out of a Hollywood movie, Scripture tells of Peter miraculously escaping from prison but when he tries to gain entry into a house where Christians are praying for him, he experiences difficulty.

According to Scripture, when Peter started knocking on the door to the house, Rhoda, a young servant girl went to open it. However, when she heard Peter's voice on the other side of the door, she joyfully ran to tell the other people in the house Peter was at the door and leaving him knocking.

However, when Rhoda tells them Peter is at the door, the people in the house refuse to believe her -- even going as far as to say she is crazy. This even though they had been fervently praying for Peter's safe release from prison.

Eventually things settled down and the door to the house was opened and Peter was allowed inside.

It's a good thing prison guards were not in hot pursuit of Peter as he would've easily been recaptured with his initial failure to get inside the house.

See Acts 12:5-19 for details.

Answer: Isaiah

Why people say the Bible is boring is beyond me. Some of the accounts contained in the sacred book make plots in many Hollywood movies appear timid.

A case in point is the prophet Isaiah who received divine instructions to walk naked for three years to illustrate coming judgment against Egypt and Ethiopia.

Isaiah 20:2-5 in the NKJV explains things this way: "...at the same time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, 'Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.' And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the LORD said, 'Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.'"

Answer: Amos

Amos was a sheepbreeder before becoming a prophet of God. His hometown was Tekoa, a town in Judah.

The Book of Amos is part of the Old Testament and consists of nine chapters. The book tells of coming punishment for the people as well as their restoration.

Answer: Malachi

The last book in the Old Testament was written by Malachi, a prophet of God. It is believed Malachi wrote the book after the Israelites returned from exile in Babylon.

The book consists of four chapters and contains messages about judgment and faithfulness.

Malachi means "my messenger".

Answer: Malchus

Malchus is the correct answer. He was a servant of the high priest Caiaphas and had his ear sliced off by Peter, one of the original twelve disciples. Peter took such action when a group of men arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus.

Luke 22:51 tells of Malchus' ear being miraculously restored by Jesus.