Influential Women From the Bible Quiz

Tasha Moore

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About This Quiz

The heroines of the Bible are the core of this quiz. How many Biblical women can you correctly identify? The Bible is jam-packed with women who did some amazing and courageous things. Some interceded on behalf of individual men as well as whole nations. Quite a few times, female intuition saved the day and a few or more lives. For example, when Nabal of the Old Testament almost lost his life on account of a snub and some vittles, his wife Abigail whipped up a feast to save his life and the lives of all males associated with him. Abigail must have been a good cook, not to mention a quick thinker!

When you mosey over to tales of Jesus's time in the New Testament, you may get the impression that the Messiah held a tender place in his heart for influential women. He cast out demons in Martha and read her like a book, as you will see in this quiz. Barrenness is also a major theme in the Bible, a condition to be remedied. Children are a blessing, especially of the male variety. Some of the most influential women of the Bible bore male children to their respective husbands, and lots of them.

And speaking of Lot, his wife stars in this test too. See if you can guess Lot's wife's significance and other lady trivia!

What influential woman from the Bible turned into a pillar of salt?

God told Lot that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed by brimstone and fire because of the wickedness there, and he was told to flee. Lot and his family were warned not to look back, but Lot's wife didn't want to let go and turned into a pillar of salt as a result of defying God's instruction.

Who said, "whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God"?

Ruth was totally committed to her mother-in-law, Naomi, to whom she is speaking in the referenced quote. Ruth, a Moabite, was willing to leave her people in order to embrace Naomi, Naomi's people, the Israelites, and Naomi's God.

Who led the battle to draw out Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army?

Jabin, king of Canaan, had been oppressing Israel. God advised Deborah, a judge and prophetess, that He would give Jabin's army into the hands of Israel.

Who said, "and if I perish, I perish"?

Esther was wife to King Ahasuerus, who has been tricked into issuing a decree to destroy all Jewish people. Ahasuerus's trickster was Haman, who was an enemy of the Israelites. Esther, a secret Jew, risked her life to plead to the king without having been summoned.

Which influential woman from the Bible caused Jacob's son Joseph to be put in jail?

Potiphar's wife lied on Joseph, who resisted her sexual advances, saying that he tried to seduce her. Potiphar, an Egyptian Officer, believed his wife and jailed Joseph.

Whose swift action kept David from taking vengeance upon her husband?

Nabal's wife, Abigail, heard that Nabal had scorned David's request for food and that he sent David's men back empty-handed. David vowed to kill Nabal for the dishonor. In reaction to her husband's foolishness, Abigail bribed David to forgive her husband.

Who was the influential woman who was removed from among her people for seven days?

Miriam was sister to Moses and Aaron. God afflicted Miriam with leprosy and exiled her from the camp for seven days, because she and Aaron questioned Moses's relationship with God.

Who was the Egyptian maid who became Abram's wife?

Abram's wife, Sarai, was advanced in years, and she believed she could not bare Abram any children. Sarai gave Hagar, her Egyptian maid, to Abram so that Sarai might obtain children by her. Ishmael was the result of Abram and Hagar's union.

Who dedicated her firstborn child to God?

Hannah was very troubled because she had no children. Hannah prayed and promised that if God would give her a son then she would offer him back to God all of the days of his life.

Who drew baby Moses out of the water?

A Hebrew infant was placed in an ark of bulrushes and placed in the river. While Pharaoh's daughter was washing herself in the river, she saw the child, rescued him and named him Moses.

Which influential woman from the Bible anointed Jesus's feet and wiped them with her hair?

Mary's action toward Jesus was truly humble and showed her level of devotion. Tending to the feet of guests was the work of servants.

Who was John the Baptist's mother?

Although Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias were both up in age, God blessed them with a male child. When the baby was born, they named him "John," just as the angel of God had instructed.

God's angel Gabriel said to one influential woman, "blessed art thou among women"? To whom did Gabriel say this?

Mary was a virgin espoused to Joseph, of David's lineage. Angel Gabriel informed Mary that she would conceive through the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son, who would be called Jesus.

What influential woman was told, "thou art careful and troubled about many things"?

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha's home, Martha was very concerned about making necessary preparations while Mary sat at Jesus's feet. Martha asked Jesus to send Mary to assist her with the preparations, but Jesus told Martha that she was troubled by many things and that Mary was concerned about the correct part.

Which mother's name is not mentioned in the Bible?

Jesus's mother was the Virgin Mary; John the Baptist's mother was Elizabeth; and Moses's mother was Jochebed. The name of Samson's father, Manoah, is given in the book of Judges, but Samson's mother's name is not mentioned. She is referred to as "the woman."

Who sent word to Elijah saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them"?

Elijah had been a nuisance to Jezebel. He killed eight hundred and fifty of her false prophets on Mount Carmel. When Jezebel heard of the slayings, she was infuriated and swore to kill him.

Who told her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist?

Herod's wife, Herodias, held a grudge against John the Baptist because he informed her husband that it was unlawful for him to have his brother's wife. Herodias arranged to have John placed in prison, and asked for his head through her daughter during the daughter's dance.

Which influential biblical woman said, "Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee"?

The Shunammite woman and her husband lodged the prophet Elisha during his visit to their area, and as a reward for her kindness, Elisha prophesied that the childless couple would have a son.

Who was Isaac's wife?

Abraham instructed his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.

The New Testament book of Mark recounts that a woman cast two mites into the treasury. Who was this biblical woman?

While Jesus and his disciples observed how the people were putting money into the treasury, they noticed rich people contributing large sums of money. But a poor widow also came to contribute two mites, which equaled two small copper coins or one cent.

Who said to her husband, "Give me children, or else I die"?

Both Rachel and her sister Leah were Jacob's wives, but Jacob loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. Rachel had been barren, but Leah was able to give Jacob children.

Who was Jacob's first wife and bore him six sons?

Laban tricked Jacob, who loved his younger daughter Rachel, into marrying his eldest daughter Leah first. Jacob eventually took both daughters as wives. God saw that Jacob did not love Leah, and He opened her womb to bring forth the blessing of six sons.

Who said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table"?

The Syrophenician woman's daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit. She'd heard of Jesus and went to him, falling at his feet and begging that he cast out the demon from her daughter.

Which influential woman from the Bible said, "Surely a bloody husband art thou to me"?

God intended to kill Moses because he had not circumcised his son. Moses's wife Zipporah used a sharp stone to remove her son's foreskin, which she threw at Moses's feet.

The apostle Paul mentions his protege Timothy's grandmother in the second book of Timothy. What was her name?

Paul regarded Timothy as his son in the gospel. Paul addressed Timothy in the second book of Timothy in the New Testament, bringing to his remembrance that Timothy's grandmother Lois shared Timothy's same level of sincere faith.

Who was Boaz's mother?

The book of Matthew lists Jesus's genealogy to include Rahab as Boaz's mother. Boaz was the husband of Ruth, who was King David's great-grandmother, as recorded in the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

Which influential woman of the Bible wanted to be called "Mara"?

Naomi preferred to be called Mara because she said that God had dealt very bitterly with her. Naomi suffered many hardships. She left Israel with a husband and financial security, and she returned widowed and poor.

Who was Solomon's mother?

Bathsheba grieved heavily over the death of her first child. Shortly thereafter, David married her. She conceived and gave birth to Solomon.

Who said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy"?

The Israelite maid refers to Naaman as "lord" and the "prophet" is Elisha. The Israelite maid's level of faith motivated Naaman to humble himself to Elisha's healing care.

Which biblical woman said, "The half was not told to me thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard"?

When the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she asked him a series of difficult questions. Solomon answered all of her questions to her satisfaction. The Queen of Sheba told him that everything she had heard was a true report.

Who said, "Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ"?

The Samaritan woman was extremely humbled by the fact that Jesus knew all about her private life. She ran back to her village to tell the people, "come see a man."

Which influential woman sent a message to Pilate during the time of Jesus's trial?

As Pilate decided Jesus's fate during his trial, his wife sent him a message to tell him not to have anythig to do with "that just man." Pilate's wife suffered many things that day in a dream because of Jesus.

What influential woman was with Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, who came to the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus?

Salome was one of the women who ventured to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun to anoint Jesus's body because the Sabbath had passed. It was a violation of Jewish law to do physical work on the Sabbath.

Jesus cast out seven devils from what influential woman?

Jesus cast out evil spirits and healed Mary Magdalene as well as other women. Mary Magdalene and other women started following Jesus, and he counseled them according to their individual needs.

What was the crime of the woman who the scribes and Pharisees brought before Jesus?

Jewish leaders ignored the law by accusing the woman and not the man for the offense. The leaders questioned Jesus about the accused woman in order to trick him.

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