50 Hard Bible Trivia Questions Most Christians Can't Answer

Think you know your Bible? Most Christians are comfortable with the well-known stories — Noah's ark, David and Goliath, the resurrection of Christ. But how deep does your knowledge really go? These 50 questions go beyond Sunday school basics into the details that separate casual readers from serious students of God's Word.

Each question is followed by its answer and the Scripture reference. Challenge yourself first — then check the answers. No peeking!

The 50 Questions

1. What was the name of the giant that David's nephew Elhanan killed?

Reveal Answer

✓ Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (1 Chronicles 20:5)

2. How many years did Solomon reign over Israel?

Reveal Answer

✓ 40 years (1 Kings 11:42)

3. Which prophet was swallowed by a great fish?

Reveal Answer

✓ Jonah (Jonah 1:17)

4. What was the name of Abraham's father?

Reveal Answer

✓ Terah (Genesis 11:26)

5. In which city was Jesus born, and which city did He grow up in?

Reveal Answer

✓ Born in Bethlehem; grew up in Nazareth (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:51)

6. How many chapters are in the book of Psalms?

Reveal Answer

✓ 150 chapters

7. Who was the first king of Israel?

Reveal Answer

✓ Saul (1 Samuel 10:24)

8. What did God change Jacob's name to?

Reveal Answer

✓ Israel (Genesis 32:28)

9. Which disciple walked on water with Jesus?

Reveal Answer

✓ Peter (Matthew 14:29)

10. How many books are in the Old Testament?

Reveal Answer

✓ 39 books

11. Who wrote most of the Psalms?

Reveal Answer

✓ King David

12. What was the name of Moses' mother?

Reveal Answer

✓ Jochebed (Exodus 6:20)

13. How many plagues did God send on Egypt?

Reveal Answer

✓ 10 plagues (Exodus 7–12)

14. Which king of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the First Temple?

Reveal Answer

✓ Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:1–10)

15. What was the name of the pool in Jerusalem where Jesus healed a man who had been ill for 38 years?

Reveal Answer

✓ The Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2)

16. Which book of the Bible contains the Ten Commandments in their second recording?

Reveal Answer

✓ Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 5)

17. Who was Barnabas' cousin who accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey?

Reveal Answer

✓ John Mark (Colossians 4:10, Acts 12:25)

18. What was the Hebrew name of the apostle Paul?

Reveal Answer

✓ Saul (Acts 13:9)

19. In the book of Revelation, what do the four living creatures around the throne represent?

Reveal Answer

✓ They are described as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle — representing all of God's creation (Revelation 4:6–8)

20. Which woman in the New Testament was described as a seller of purple cloth?

Reveal Answer

✓ Lydia (Acts 16:14)

21. What was the name of the well where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman?

Reveal Answer

✓ Jacob's Well (John 4:6)

22. How many sons did Jacob have?

Reveal Answer

✓ 12 sons (Genesis 35:22–26)

23. Who was the father of John the Baptist?

Reveal Answer

✓ Zechariah (Luke 1:13)

24. What is the shortest verse in the Bible?

Reveal Answer

✓ "Jesus wept." — John 11:35

25. Which prophet was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire?

Reveal Answer

✓ Elijah (2 Kings 2:11)

26. What was the name of the high priest who tore his clothes when Jesus confessed He was the Son of God?

Reveal Answer

✓ Caiaphas (Matthew 26:65)

27. In which book does the phrase 'the valley of the shadow of death' appear?

Reveal Answer

✓ Psalm 23:4

28. Who was the mother of King Solomon?

Reveal Answer

✓ Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:24)

29. What metal was used to make the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream?

Reveal Answer

✓ Gold (head), silver (chest/arms), bronze (belly/thighs), iron (legs), iron and clay (feet) — Daniel 2

30. How many times did Peter deny Jesus?

Reveal Answer

✓ Three times (Matthew 26:34)

31. Which book of the Bible begins with 'In the beginning was the Word'?

Reveal Answer

✓ The Gospel of John (John 1:1)

32. What was the name of the blind man Jesus healed near Jericho?

Reveal Answer

✓ Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46)

33. Who was the first person to see the risen Jesus according to the Gospel of John?

Reveal Answer

✓ Mary Magdalene (John 20:14–16)

34. What does the name 'Emmanuel' mean?

Reveal Answer

✓ God with us (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14)

35. How many people were in Noah's family on the ark?

Reveal Answer

✓ 8 people — Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives (1 Peter 3:20)

36. Which king built the first Temple in Jerusalem?

Reveal Answer

✓ Solomon (1 Kings 6:1)

37. Who replaced Judas Iscariot as the 12th apostle?

Reveal Answer

✓ Matthias (Acts 1:26)

38. In the parable of the talents, how many servants were given talents?

Reveal Answer

✓ Three servants (Matthew 25:14–30)

39. What was the name of the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to death?

Reveal Answer

✓ Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:24)

40. Which chapter of Isaiah is most closely associated with the suffering servant and the crucifixion?

Reveal Answer

✓ Isaiah 53

41. What crime was the thief crucified next to Jesus promised paradise for?

Reveal Answer

✓ The Bible doesn't state his specific crime — it only says he acknowledged Jesus as Lord (Luke 23:42–43)

42. How many days and nights was Jesus tempted in the wilderness?

Reveal Answer

✓ 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:2)

43. Who was the first Gentile to receive the Holy Spirit?

Reveal Answer

✓ Cornelius (Acts 10:44–45)

44. What language was most of the Old Testament originally written in?

Reveal Answer

✓ Hebrew (with small portions in Aramaic)

45. What is the meaning of the Hebrew word 'Hallelujah'?

Reveal Answer

✓ Praise the LORD (from 'hallel' = praise, 'Yah' = the LORD)

46. Who was king of Israel when the northern kingdom fell to Assyria?

Reveal Answer

✓ Hoshea (2 Kings 17:1–6)

47. Which New Testament epistle was written to a slave owner about his runaway slave?

Reveal Answer

✓ Philemon

48. What was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified?

Reveal Answer

✓ Golgotha (also called Calvary) — Matthew 27:33

49. How many years did the Israelites wander in the wilderness?

Reveal Answer

✓ 40 years (Numbers 14:33–34)

50. Who wrote the book of Revelation?

Reveal Answer

✓ John the apostle, while exiled on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9)

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