60 hard Bible trivia questions, ranked from hard to hardest, and why each one trips people up

These 60 hard Bible trivia questions are ranked in six levels, from "hard for most people" to "scholar level." Each answer gives the King James Version reference and a short note on why the question is hard: a detail buried in a less-read book, two people with the same name, a number nobody remembers, or a tradition that contradicts the text.

Most "hard" trivia lists aren't ranked at all, or they call everything hard. Here, the ranking is the point. Work down until you start missing questions, and you've found your level.

A note on how we ranked them: this is our editorial judgment, based on how far each detail sits from the stories most people know and how much reading it takes to find. It isn't based on player data. If a question feels easier or harder to you, you're probably right about yourself.

What makes a Bible trivia question hard?

Knowing why a question is hard helps you get better at the next one. Almost every hard Bible question falls into one of six types:

The questions below are tagged with these reasons, so you can see your own pattern. If you keep missing "less-read book" questions, that's a reading plan. If you keep missing "two people share a name," that's a habit of reading too fast.

If you want questions that adapt as you improve, the app's quiz path runs from beginner to expert, with every answer explained by its verse.

Level 1: Hard for casual readers

If you grew up in church, you'll get most of these. If you didn't, these are where real Bible knowledge starts.

1. What was the name of Isaac's wife? Answer: Rebekah (Genesis 24:67). Why it's hard: Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel are famous couples; Isaac's marriage gets less attention.
2. Who was Jacob's firstborn son? Answer: Reuben, son of Leah (Genesis 35:23). Why it's hard: Joseph and Judah dominate the story, so people guess them.
3. What was the name of Jacob's daughter? Answer: Dinah, daughter of Leah (Genesis 30:21). Why it's hard: "Twelve sons" is so well known that people forget Jacob also had a daughter.
4. What did Samson find in the carcass of the lion he had killed? Answer: A swarm of bees and honey (Judges 14:8). Why it's hard: a buried detail; it becomes his riddle at the wedding. See Samson.
5. What was the name of Moses' sister, who led the women in song after the Red Sea? Answer: Miriam (Exodus 15:20). Why it's hard: in the basket story (Exodus 2) she isn't named. See Miriam.
6. Who was the father of the apostles James and John? Answer: Zebedee, a fisherman (Matthew 4:21). Why it's hard: he's mentioned in passing, in a boat, mending nets. See James, son of Zebedee.
7. By what other name is the apostle Matthew called in Luke? Answer: Levi, the publican at the receipt of custom (Luke 5:27; compare Matthew 9:9). Why it's hard: one person, two names.
8. Who replaced Judas Iscariot among the twelve apostles? Answer: Matthias, chosen by lot (Acts 1:26). Why it's hard: he's named only twice, both in Acts 1.
9. Which Roman centurion was the first Gentile whose household received the Holy Ghost through Peter's preaching? Answer: Cornelius, of the Italian band, at Caesarea (Acts 10:1, 10:44). Why it's hard: people remember Peter's vision, not the man. See Cornelius.
10. Where did Peter find the money to pay the temple tax for himself and Jesus? Answer: In the mouth of the first fish he caught (Matthew 17:27). Why it's hard: only Matthew tells it. Read the coin in the fish's mouth.

Level 2: Details in stories you think you know

These come from famous stories. The hard part is the detail.

1. How old was Abraham when Isaac was born? Answer: One hundred (Genesis 21:5). Why it's hard: people remember Sarah laughing, not the ages.
2. How old was Sarah when she died? Answer: 127 years (Genesis 23:1). Why it's hard: very few women's ages are recorded in the Bible, so nobody expects to be asked. See Sarah.
3. Besides the rod becoming a serpent, what second sign did God give Moses? Answer: His hand became "leprous as snow" and was then restored (Exodus 4:6-7). Why it's hard: the serpent sign overshadows it.
4. Which two of the twelve spies said Israel could take the land? Answer: Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:6-9). Why it's hard: people know "ten bad reports," not the two names. Read the twelve spies and see Caleb.
5. What did Rahab tie in her window as a sign? Answer: A line of scarlet thread (Joshua 2:18, 2:21). Why it's hard: the spies' escape is remembered; the sign isn't. See Rahab.
6. How many times in total did Israel march around Jericho? Answer: Thirteen: once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day (Joshua 6:3, 6:15). Why it's hard: everyone remembers "seven," so few do the math.
7. What did Gideon lay on the floor to test God's promise? Answer: A fleece of wool (Judges 6:37). Why it's hard: the word "fleece" is familiar, the reference isn't. See Gideon.
8. How tall was Goliath according to the KJV? Answer: "Six cubits and a span" (1 Samuel 17:4), about 9 feet 9 inches if a cubit is taken as 18 inches. Why it's hard: ancient units, and the conversion is approximate.
9. How did Jonathan signal David that Saul meant to kill him? Answer: By shooting arrows and calling to a lad where they fell (1 Samuel 20:20-22). Why it's hard: the friendship is famous, the code isn't. Read David and Jonathan.
10. How long did David reign, and where? Answer: Forty years: seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem (1 Kings 2:11). Why it's hard: the split is the detail people miss. See David.

Level 3: Less-read books

These come from the books most readers skip. Each one is short enough to read this week.

1. What was sent into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement, carrying the people's sins? Answer: The scapegoat, chosen by lot (Leviticus 16:10). Why it's hard: Leviticus is where many reading plans stall. Start with our Leviticus summary.
2. What did God tell Ezekiel to eat, and how did it taste? Answer: A roll (a scroll), and it was "in my mouth as honey for sweetness" (Ezekiel 3:1-3). Why it's hard: Ezekiel is long and strange, and this is in chapter 3. See Ezekiel.
3. Which prophet said, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son," but a herdman? Answer: Amos, "a gatherer of sycomore fruit" (Amos 7:14). Why it's hard: the minor prophets blur together. See Amos.
4. Which one-chapter book is a vision "concerning Edom"? Answer: Obadiah, the shortest book of the Old Testament at 21 verses (Obadiah 1:1). Why it's hard: one chapter, rarely preached. Try the Obadiah quiz.
5. Which prophet first wrote "the just shall live by his faith," later quoted by Paul? Answer: Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:4). Why it's hard: people know the line from Romans, not its source. See the Habakkuk summary.
6. Which prophet saw a man with a measuring line and, later, a flying roll? Answer: Zechariah (Zechariah 2:1, 5:1). Why it's hard: Zechariah's visions are many and vivid. See the Zechariah summary.
7. Which prophet told the returned exiles "Consider your ways" because the temple lay unfinished? Answer: Haggai (Haggai 1:5). Why it's hard: two chapters, easy to miss. See the Haggai summary.
8. How many days did it take to rebuild Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah? Answer: Fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15). Why it's hard: a number in a book many people never finish. Read Nehemiah rebuilds the wall.
9. Which book says, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth"? Answer: Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Why it's hard: people guess Proverbs. See the Ecclesiastes summary.
10. Who prayed, "give me neither poverty nor riches"? Answer: Agur the son of Jakeh (Proverbs 30:1, 30:8). Why it's hard: most people assume Solomon wrote all of Proverbs. See the Proverbs summary.

Here are three questions from the app's question bank on a less-read book. See how you do.

Quick quiz: Habakkuk

With what question does Habakkuk open his dialogue with God?

“Who am I, Lord?”“O LORD, how long shall I cry?”“Why hast thou forsaken me?”“Where is the LORD thy God?”

Which people does God announce he will raise up to punish Judah?

The AssyriansThe EgyptiansThe ChaldeansThe Persians

Complete Habakkuk 2:4: “But the just shall live…”

by his faithby his worksaccording to the lawin fear

Continue the quiz

There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.

Level 4: Names people mix up

The Bible has several Jameses, Marys, Philips and Herods. These questions test whether you know which is which.

1. How many of the twelve apostles were named James? Answer: Two: James the son of Zebedee and James the son of Alpheus (Matthew 10:2-3). Why it's hard: a third James, the Lord's brother, wasn't one of the twelve. See James, the Lord's brother.
2. Who was Bath-sheba's first husband? Answer: Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11:3). Why it's hard: he's remembered as a victim, not by name. See Bathsheba.
3. Which Herod had John the Baptist beheaded? Answer: "Herod the tetrarch" (Matthew 14:1-10), known to historians as Herod Antipas. Why it's hard: at least four Herods appear in the New Testament. See the Herods.
4. Who was high priest the year Jesus was crucified? Answer: Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas (John 11:49, 18:13). Why it's hard: Annas questions Jesus first, so people name him. See Caiaphas.
5. In John's Gospel, which Mary anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair? Answer: Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12:3). Why it's hard: people often confuse her with Mary Magdalene. Read Mary of Bethany's perfume.
6. Name the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Answer: Only one is named: Cleopas (Luke 24:18). The other is never identified. Why it's hard: it's a trick; half the answer doesn't exist. Read the road to Emmaus.
7. Who became the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the split? Answer: Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:20). Why it's hard: Jeroboam and Rehoboam sound alike. See Jeroboam I.
8. Which son of Solomon answered the people harshly and lost the ten northern tribes? Answer: Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:13-16). Why it's hard: same confusion, other side. See Rehoboam.
9. Which Philip baptized the Ethiopian official? Answer: Philip the evangelist, "one of the seven" deacons, not the apostle (Acts 6:5, 21:8). Why it's hard: two Philips, and most people assume the apostle. See Philip the evangelist.
10. Which Persian king couldn't sleep and had the chronicles read, leading to Mordecai's honor? Answer: Ahasuerus (Esther 6:1). Why it's hard: the king is less memorable than Esther, Mordecai and Haman. See Mordecai.

Level 5: Numbers

Numbers are hard because they're easy to skim. Each of these is stated plainly in the text.

1. How many men were fed in the second miraculous feeding, and how many baskets were left? Answer: Four thousand men, besides women and children, and seven baskets (Matthew 15:37-38). Why it's hard: it blurs with the five thousand and twelve baskets.
2. How old was Noah when the flood came? Answer: Six hundred (Genesis 7:6). Why it's hard: people remember Methuselah's 969, not Noah's age.
3. How many years did Jacob serve Laban for his two wives? Answer: Fourteen: "I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters" (Genesis 31:41). Why it's hard: people remember "seven years for Rachel" and stop there. See Jacob.
4. How old was Moses when he died? Answer: 120 years, and "his eye was not dim" (Deuteronomy 34:7). Why it's hard: the end of Deuteronomy is rarely read.
5. How long did Israel live in Egypt, according to Exodus? Answer: 430 years (Exodus 12:40). Why it's hard: Genesis 15:13 gives a round 400, so both numbers float around.
6. How many were sealed from the tribes of Israel in Revelation 7? Answer: 144,000, twelve thousand from each tribe (Revelation 7:4). Why it's hard: the number is famous; the reference and the breakdown aren't.
7. How many years did Jeremiah say the nations would serve the king of Babylon? Answer: Seventy (Jeremiah 25:11; also Jeremiah 29:10). Why it's hard: Daniel 9 builds on it, which confuses the source.
8. How many fish were in the net when the risen Jesus appeared at the sea of Tiberias? Answer: 153, "and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken" (John 21:11). Why it's hard: an oddly specific number in the last chapter of John.
9. For how many days was the risen Jesus seen before his ascension? Answer: Forty (Acts 1:3). Why it's hard: the Gospels don't give the number; Acts does.
10. How many chapters are in the book of Psalms? Answer: 150 (Psalm 150:6 is the last verse). Why it's hard: easy to guess, hard to be sure. Try the Psalms quiz.

Level 6: Scholar level

These need you to connect passages, know a rare word, or read a book closely. Seven or more out of ten is excellent.

1. In which book does Satan appear among "the sons of God" before the Lord? Answer: Job (Job 1:6). Why it's hard: people expect this scene to be in Genesis or Revelation. See Job.
2. Which Old Testament prophet named Bethlehem as the ruler's birthplace, quoted in Matthew 2? Answer: Micah (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5-6). Why it's hard: people guess Isaiah. See Micah.
3. What does "Ebenezer" mean in 1 Samuel? Answer: "Stone of help." Samuel set up a memorial stone, called it Eben-ezer and explained, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12). Why it's hard: most people know the word from a hymn or from Dickens. See Samuel.
4. In which king's reign was the book of the law found in the temple? Answer: Josiah's, in his eighteenth year; Hilkiah the high priest found it (2 Kings 22:3, 22:8). Why it's hard: two names to remember, and the king didn't find it himself. Read Josiah finds the book of the law.
5. Where did the woman with a familiar spirit live whom Saul consulted? Answer: En-dor (1 Samuel 28:7). Why it's hard: the story is known as "the witch of Endor," but that phrase isn't in the KJV. Read Saul and the medium of Endor.
6. Which apostle wrote that Paul's letters contain "some things hard to be understood"? Answer: Peter (2 Peter 3:15-16). Why it's hard: it's a surprising line in a short, late letter.
7. Which woman called "the harlot" in the KJV is named in the faith chapter of Hebrews? Answer: Rahab (Hebrews 11:31). Why it's hard: people don't expect her in the same list as Abraham and Moses.
8. For whom does Paul plead in his shortest letter? Answer: Onesimus, a servant who had "departed" from Philemon (usually understood as a runaway slave) and became a believer through Paul (Philemon 1:10, 1:15-16). Why it's hard: Philemon is one chapter and easy to skip. Read Onesimus.
9. Why does Acts call the Bereans "more noble" than those in Thessalonica? Answer: They received the word readily and "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Why it's hard: the phrase "Berean" is used often; the reason less so. Read the Jews of Berea.
10. What was the name of Jonah's father? Answer: Amittai (Jonah 1:1). Why it's hard: it's the first verse of the book, and almost everyone skips straight to the fish.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Find your level

Go back through the levels and count your correct answers in each. Your level is the first one where you scored below 7.

The fastest way to move up a level is the same at every stage: read a chapter, then answer questions about it before you look back. That's how the app works, and it's why its explanations always quote the verse. When you get one wrong, you see exactly where the answer was.

If you'd like more by theme, try Bible trivia for adults for history and context questions, the Old Testament quiz questions by book, or our list of interesting Bible facts. Every book also has its own quiz on the Bible trivia hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest Bible trivia question?

There's no single hardest question, but the hardest ones combine a less-read book with a precise detail. Good examples: Jonah's father was Amittai (Jonah 1:1); Agur, not Solomon, prayed "give me neither poverty nor riches" (Proverbs 30:8); and only one of the Emmaus disciples, Cleopas, is named (Luke 24:18).

How do you make Bible trivia harder?

Ask about details in less-read books, numbers stated in the text, people who share a name, and places where tradition differs from Scripture. Avoid questions with more than one defensible answer. Always keep the verse reference, so a disputed answer can be settled by reading the text rather than by arguing.

What are good Bible trivia questions for experts?

Expert questions often require connecting two passages. Examples: Habakkuk 2:4 is the source of "the just shall live by his faith," quoted by Paul; Micah 5:2 names Bethlehem, quoted in Matthew 2:6; and Rahab appears in Hebrews 11:31's list of faith. Questions about the minor prophets and Chronicles also challenge experienced readers.

How many times did the Israelites march around Jericho?

Thirteen times in total. They circled the city once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day, before the walls fell (Joshua 6:3, 6:15). Many people answer "seven," remembering the seventh day, which is why it's a good hard trivia question.

Who wrote Proverbs 30?

Proverbs 30 is credited to "Agur the son of Jakeh" (Proverbs 30:1), and Proverbs 31 to "king Lemuel" (Proverbs 31:1). Most of the book is attributed to Solomon (Proverbs 1:1, 10:1, 25:1), but these final chapters name other authors, which surprises many readers.