Old Testament Names of Women Inside Words Quiz

Answer: Sarah

Sarah, who was originally known as Sarai, is the correct answer. She was the wife of Abraham, who was originally known as Abram, according to Scripture.
As per Genesis 21:5, she was the mother of Isaac.

In Genesis 17:16, Scripture states Sarah would be blessed "and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."

In verse 19, God is quoted, in the NKJV, as stating the following to Abraham: "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him."

According to Genesis 23:1, Sarah was 127 years old when she died. This is the only case in the Bible where a woman's age is given at time of death. Luke 2:37 states the prophetess Anna was a widow of about 84 years old but no details are given about her age when she died.

Answer: Tamar

Tamar experienced many things in her lifetime, not the least of which were the deaths of her first two husbands, Er and Onan, who were struck down by the LORD, as per Genesis 38:6-10. The two men were sons of Judah.

However, after the two sons died, Judah apparently thought Tamar was a prostitute when he met up with her along the side of a road and as a result of the union, she gave birth to twins Perez and Zerah. (Scripture reports her face was covered during intercourse.) About three months later, when it was reported Tamar was pregnant and proclaimed a prostitute, Judah announced she should be brought out and "burned to death." However, Judah had to do some serious backpedaling when Tamar was able to prove he was actually the man who had impregnated her. (Genesis 38:18 states Judah had given Tamar his "seal and its cord, and the staff in his hand" as a pledge before he slept with her. When she was about to be put to death, she was able to produce Judah's pledge to her and her life was spared.)

According to Wikipedia, Tamar means 'date palm' in Hebrew and is the original form of the names Tamara and Tammy.

Answer: Vashti

Vashti is the correct answer. There's no mistaking the fact she was independent minded and believed in taking a stand -- regardless of the consequences. In fact, she could very well have been the world's first women's libber.

Queen Vashti was deposed after she refused to obey a request of King Ahasuerus in the NKJV and KJV and King Xerxes in the NIV Bible. In Esther 1:10, it states the king asked Queen Vashti to wear her royal crown and come before him to "show her beauty" to the people and the nobles. Esther 1:12, in the NKJV Bible, states: "But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him." It was the end for her and a new beginning for Esther who would become queen.

Esther, of course, would play a major role in preventing a diabolical plan by Haman to exterminate the Jews from coming to fruition.

Meanwhile, there is no further mention of Vashti in Scripture.

Answer: Rachel

Rachel, the daughter of Laban and the sister of Leah, who was also married to Jacob, is the correct answer. According to Scripture, Rachel's father tricked Jacob into working for him for 14 years to win her hand, as per the 29th chapter of Genesis. Rachel was unable to conceive for a number of years, but due to divine intervention, ended up given birth to Joseph, as per Genesis 30:22-25.

She died giving birth to a second son, Benjamin. Her death is recorded in the 35th chapter of Genesis.

Answer: Orpah

Orpah was the sister-in-law of Ruth and she was married to Kilion. (In the KJV and the NKJV, Kilion is called Chilion.)

Not much is known about her, however. After her father-in-law (Elimelek) died and her husband died, Orpah, a Moabite, opted to return to her homeland, according to the first chapter of Ruth.

Ruth decided to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth would go onto marry Boaz and her name is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, as per Matthew 1:5.

Answer: Naomi

For a time, it seemed Naomi had everything going against her. According to Ruth 1:3, she was left a widow when her husband Elimelek died. Then things got worse when according to verse 5, in the NIV, her two sons Mahlon and Kilion both died. (In the KJV and the NKJV, Kilion is called Chilion.)

Mahlon's widow was Ruth and she opted to stay with her mother-in-law, even though Naomi suggested it would be best for her to return to her home in Moab.

According to Ruth 1:16-18, in the NKJV Bible, Ruth replied: "'Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you for wherever you go, I will go and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people,
and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also if anything but death parts you and me'."

Ruth was true to her words and according to Scripture ended up marrying Boaz. Their marriage resulted in the birth of Obed, according to Ruth 4:17. The same verse states Obed would become the grandfather of King David.

Answer: Deborah

Deborah is the correct answer. There's no doubt she was a spark plug who made things happen. Her story is told in the fourth and fifth chapters of Judges. According to Judges 4:2, Jabin king of Canaan ruled over the Israelites who were cruelly oppressed by Sisera, the commander of his army. Things changed dramatically, however, when Deborah rose to power.

The Israelites, led by Deborah and her general Barak, scored a decisive military victory over Sisera and their freedom was gained. According to Judges 4:16, "all Sisera's troops fell by the sword; not a man was left." Notes in the NIV Study Bible indicate Deborah was the only judge referred to as a prophetess. And according to Wikipedia, she was the "fourth, and the only female, Judge of pre-monarchic Israel in the Old Testament (Tanakh)." Her husband's name was Lappidoth, but little is known about him as he is mentioned in passing reference.

Answer: Gomer

According to Scripture, Gomer became Hosea's wife as a result of instruction from the LORD. Hosea 1:2-3, in the NKJV, states: "When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: 'Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD.' So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son." Scripture states the son was called Jezreel.

Incidentally, the NIV Bible, refers to Gomer as a "promiscuous woman" rather than a harlot.

Answer: Esther

Esther, of course, played a a key role in preventing the extermination of the Jews in the vast area ruled by the king known as Ahasuerus in the NKJV and KJV and Xerxes in the NIV Bible.

Incidentally, Hadassah is the original name of Queen Esther, as per Esther 2:7. The passage in the NIV Bible states: "Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died."

Answer: Jael

With Sisera's troops being wiped out in a lop-sided battle with the Israelites, he had no choice but to run -- and run fast. Scripture states he fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Sisera's acceptance of Jael's offer of hospitality would prove to be a deadly mistake.

Judges 4:18-21, tells what happened: "Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, 'Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid.' So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. 'I'm thirsty,' he said. 'Please give me some water.' She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. 'Stand in the doorway of the tent,' he told her. 'If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone in there?' say 'No.' But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died."