Bible Trivia
Bible Quiz Questions and Answers for Adults: 50 Questions With References
These 50 Bible quiz questions and answers for adults go past the familiar Sunday school stories into the Law, the divided kingdom, the wisdom books, the prophets, and the New Testament letters. Each answer includes a Bible reference so you can read the passage and check the details. The questions assume some familiarity with Scripture but do not require memorizing lists of numbers.
Click "Show answer" to reveal each answer. The sections can be used as separate rounds for a small group, a men's or women's Bible study, or a church fellowship night.
How This Adult Bible Quiz Is Organized
The questions are grouped by section of the Bible: the Law and the historical books, the wisdom and poetry books, the prophets, and the New Testament. Many of the questions focus on people and events that are easy to skim past in a first reading, such as the priests, minor judges, and kings of the divided kingdom.
All answers follow the NIV (2011). If you want a broader list that includes the best-known stories, start with our general Bible trivia questions. For detail-level questions with names and numbers, see hard Bible trivia.
The Law and the Historical Books
These questions come from Genesis through Esther.
Which king of Salem, described as priest of God Most High, brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram?
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Melchizedek. Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Read more in Melchizedek in the Bible. (Genesis 14:18-20)
Which two sons of Aaron died after offering unauthorized fire before the Lord?
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Nadab and Abihu. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them. (Leviticus 10:1-2)
The daughters of Zelophehad asked Moses for what?
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Their father's property. He had died with no sons, and the Lord told Moses their request was right and they should receive his inheritance. (Numbers 27:1-7)
What did Moses make to heal Israelites bitten by venomous snakes?
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A bronze snake on a pole. Anyone who was bitten and looked at it lived. Centuries later King Hezekiah broke it into pieces because the people were burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan. (Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 18:4)
Who succeeded Aaron as high priest?
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His son Eleazar. Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on Eleazar on Mount Hor, and Aaron died there. (Numbers 20:25-28)
What were the cities of refuge for, and how many were there?
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They were places where a person who killed someone accidentally could flee and be protected until trial. There were six. (Numbers 35:11-15)
Whose theft from Jericho caused Israel's defeat at Ai?
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Achan's. He took a robe from Babylonia, silver, and a bar of gold and hid them in the ground inside his tent. (Joshua 7:1, 20-21)
Which tribe received no territory of its own when the land was divided?
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The tribe of Levi. The Lord and the offerings made to Him were their inheritance. (Joshua 13:14, 33)
Which left-handed judge killed Eglon, king of Moab?
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Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite. He hid a double-edged sword on his right thigh. (Judges 3:15-21)
Who prayed so intensely at Shiloh that the priest Eli thought she was drunk?
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Hannah. She was praying for a son, and she later gave birth to Samuel. (1 Samuel 1:12-14, 20)
How was Ruth related to King David?
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She was his great-grandmother. Ruth's son Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. (Ruth 4:13, 17)
Where did King Saul go to consult a medium before his final battle?
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Endor. He disguised himself and went at night. (1 Samuel 28:7-8)
Which prophet confronted David with a story about a rich man who took a poor man's lamb?
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Nathan. When David grew angry at the rich man, Nathan told him that he was the man in the story. (2 Samuel 12:1-7)
Which son of David led a revolt and was left hanging in midair when his hair caught in a tree?
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Absalom. His mule kept going, Joab plunged javelins into him, and Joab's armor-bearers struck him down. (2 Samuel 18:9, 14-15)
During whose reign did the ten northern tribes break away from the house of David?
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Rehoboam son of Solomon. The northern tribes made Jeroboam their king. (1 Kings 12:16-20)
What did Jeroboam set up at Bethel and Dan?
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Two golden calves, so the people would not go to Jerusalem to worship. (1 Kings 12:26-29)
Which king of Judah was granted fifteen more years of life, with a shadow moving back ten steps as a sign?
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Hezekiah. The prophet Isaiah delivered the message. (2 Kings 20:1-11)
During which king's temple repairs was the Book of the Law found?
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Josiah's. Hilkiah the high priest found it, and when the king heard it read he tore his robes. (2 Kings 22:8-11)
Which prophet did Josiah's officials consult about the Book of the Law that had been found?
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Huldah the prophet, the wife of Shallum, who lived in the New Quarter of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 22:12-14)
Which Persian king allowed the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the temple?
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Cyrus. (Ezra 1:1-3)
How long did it take to rebuild Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah?
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Fifty-two days. The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of Elul. (Nehemiah 6:15)
What was Esther's Hebrew name?
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Hadassah. See who was Esther in the Bible for her full story. (Esther 2:7)
What festival did the Jews establish to remember their deliverance in the book of Esther?
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Purim, named after the pur (lot) that Haman cast. (Esther 9:24-26)
Wisdom and Poetry
These questions come from Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Name Job's three friends who came to comfort him.
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Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. A younger man, Elihu, speaks later in the book. (Job 2:11; 32:2)
Which chapter of the Bible has 176 verses?
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Psalm 119. It is divided into 22 sections of eight verses, each headed by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Psalm 119)
Which psalm is titled "A prayer of Moses the man of God"?
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Psalm 90. (Psalm 90, title)
To whom are Proverbs 30 and Proverbs 31 attributed?
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Proverbs 30 is attributed to Agur son of Jakeh, and Proverbs 31 to King Lemuel, who recorded what his mother taught him. (Proverbs 30:1; 31:1)
Which book says there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens?
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Ecclesiastes. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
According to Proverbs, what is the beginning of knowledge?
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The fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 1:7)
The Prophets
These questions come from the Major and Minor Prophets.
Which prophet saw the Lord on a throne and had his lips touched with a live coal?
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Isaiah. A seraph took the coal from the altar. (Isaiah 6:1-7)
Which prophet was lowered into a muddy cistern, and who rescued him?
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Jeremiah. Ebed-Melek, a Cushite official in the royal palace, had him pulled out with ropes. (Jeremiah 38:6-13)
Which prophet saw a valley full of dry bones come to life?
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Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 37:1-10)
Which prophet was told to marry Gomer?
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Hosea. (Hosea 1:2-3)
Which prophet said he was a shepherd who also took care of sycamore-fig trees?
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Amos, who was from Tekoa. (Amos 1:1; 7:14)
Which Old Testament book has only one chapter of 21 verses and is directed against Edom?
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Obadiah. (Obadiah 1:1, 21)
Which prophet named Bethlehem Ephrathah as the place a ruler over Israel would come from?
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Micah. The chief priests quoted this prophecy to Herod. (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6)
Which prophet complained to God about violence in Judah and was told God would raise up the Babylonians?
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Habakkuk. (Habakkuk 1:2-6)
Which prophet said God would send the prophet Elijah before the day of the Lord?
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Malachi, in the closing verses of the Old Testament. (Malachi 4:5)
New Testament Bible Quiz Questions for Adults
These questions come from the Gospels, Acts, the letters, and Revelation.
What was the name of the high priest's servant whose ear Peter cut off?
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Malchus. (John 18:10)
Who was high priest the year Jesus was crucified, and who was his father-in-law?
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Caiaphas was high priest, and Annas was his father-in-law. Jesus was taken to Annas first. (John 18:13)
To whom are the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts addressed?
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Theophilus. (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1)
Who was chosen by lot to replace Judas among the apostles?
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Matthias. (Acts 1:23-26)
Which married couple died after lying about the price of land they had sold?
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Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5:1-10)
In Philippi, which dealer in purple cloth from Thyatira believed Paul's message and was baptized?
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Lydia. The Lord opened her heart, and her household was baptized with her. (Acts 16:14-15)
Which couple worked as tentmakers with Paul in Corinth?
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Aquila and Priscilla, who had recently come from Italy. (Acts 18:1-3)
What was the name of the man who fell from a third-story window while Paul was speaking late into the night?
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Eutychus. Paul went down, put his arms around him, and he was taken home alive. (Acts 20:9-12)
Which slave, who became a believer through Paul, is the subject of Paul's letter to Philemon?
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Onesimus. Paul sent him back to Philemon, asking him to receive Onesimus no longer as a slave but as a dear brother. (Philemon 1:10-16)
Which chapter lists Old Testament believers who acted by faith, including Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Rahab?
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Hebrews 11. (Hebrews 11:4, 7-8, 24, 31)
Which letter says faith that is not accompanied by action is dead?
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James. (James 2:17)
Which letter mentions the archangel Michael disputing with the devil about the body of Moses?
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Jude. (Jude 1:9)
Connections Between the Testaments
Several answers in this quiz point forward to the New Testament. These links make good discussion prompts after a round.
- The bronze snake. Jesus told Nicodemus that just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, the Son of Man must be lifted up (John 3:14-15; Numbers 21:8-9).
- Melchizedek. The letter to the Hebrews describes Jesus as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20; 7:1-3).
- Ruth. Ruth is one of the women named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 1:5).
- Malachi and Elijah. Jesus identified John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come (Matthew 11:13-14; Malachi 4:5).
Tips for Leading an Adult Bible Quiz
- Allow open Bibles in a second pass. Play once from memory, then let teams look up the ones they missed. The references make this quick.
- Discuss one answer per round. Questions such as the bronze snake or Ruth's family line connect to later parts of Scripture and are worth a few minutes of discussion.
- Mix formats. Alternate these questions with a round of the Who Am I? character quiz below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Bible quiz suitable for adults?
An adult Bible quiz includes questions from books that get less attention in children's material, such as Leviticus, the prophets, and the New Testament letters. It also asks about secondary characters and the connections between passages.
How many questions should an adult Bible quiz have?
For a one-hour group session, 30 to 50 questions in four or five rounds works well. This list has 50 questions in four sections, so you can use all of it or pick one section per meeting.
Who were the daughters of Zelophehad?
They were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah (Numbers 27:1). They asked for their father's inheritance because he had no sons, and the Lord granted their request (Numbers 27:7).
Which Persian king let the Jews return to Jerusalem?
Cyrus king of Persia issued a proclamation allowing the exiles to go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-3).