25 Bible Names Starting with the Letter 'S' Quiz

Answer: Sarai

The correct answer is Sarai. Prior to becoming known as Abraham, her husband was called Abram, according to Scripture. The names Sarah and Abraham were given to the couple by God. In Genesis 17:15-16 God announces Sarai's new name and proclaims she will the mother of nations, and kings of people will come from her.

Answer: Saul

Saul was the first king of Israel. Scripture states Saul was the son of Kish, a Benjamite. According to 1 Samuel 9:2, Saul was "choice and handsome".

1 Samuel 10:20-22 tells of the people coming together for the coronation of the new king and at the key moment Saul couldn't be found. According to Verse 22 in the NKJV, the LORD advised Saul could be found hidden among the equipment. Rather than use the word 'equipment', the NIV uses 'supplies'. (The Amplified Bible uses the word 'baggage'.)

Scripture records Samuel, the last judge of Israel, was strongly opposed to having a monarchy for Israel, but the overwhelming majority of the people wanted a king, so he had to concede defeat.

Answer: Shadrach

Nebuchadnezzar was burning with uncontrollable rage after he learned Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego had refused to bow down and worship an image of gold he had made that measured ninety feet high and nine feet wide, according to the third chapter of Daniel. As a result, he ordered the three Jewish men to be bound and thrown into a fiery furnace. According to Scripture, the furnace was so hot the flames killed the soldiers who were attempting to take Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego to their doom. However, the trio was not harmed by the immense heat, and Nebuchadnezzar, after seeing a fourth men in the furnace who looked like "the Son of God", ordered their release. The story ends with the king singing the praises of "the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!" The three men, according to Scripture, were subsequently promoted by the king.

Daniel, a friend of the three men, assumed the name Belteshazzar while the three other Jewish men were re-named, as per Daniel 1:7. As a result, Hananiah became known as Shadrach while Mishael became known as Meshach and Azariah as Abed-Nego.

Answer: Samson

Samson is the correct answer. Details about his time spent with an unnamed prostitute in Gaza can be found in Judges 16:1-3. According to the passage, word spread among the Gazites that Samson was with a prostitute and his enemies quickly surrounded the place and waited at the gate of the city to kill him. Their efforts to kill the super strong Samson were in vain, however. Scripture states he rose at midnight, "took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron."

The very next verse tells of Samson meeting Delilah in the Valley of Sorek.
Delilah would become Samson's lover and would end up betraying him, resulting in his capture by the Philistines.

Answer: Simeon

Simeon is the correct answer. Simeon is perhaps best known for going on a ruthless killing spree with his brother Levi after their sister Dinah was defiled by Shechem, as per the 34th chapter of Genesis. The 49th chapter of Genesis tells of Jacob blessing his twelve sons. However, he had unkind things to say about Simeon, as well as Levi. (See Genesis 49:5-7.)

Answer: Shamgar

Shamgar killed six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, according to Scripture.

However, little is known about him as he rates only a verse in the Bible. Judges 3:31, in the NKJV, simply states "After him [Ehud] was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel."

Shangar succeded Ehud and was replaced by Deborah.

Answer: Shem

According to Scripture, Shem was one of three sons of Noah and his unnamed wife. In addition to Shem, the two other sons were Ham and Japheth, with Shem being the oldest, as per Genesis 5:33.

Scripture states Noah and his wife and their three sons and their unnamed wives took refuge in a gigantic ark and were saved when floodwaters engulfed the world. Details about the flood can be found in Genesis 7 and 8.

Answer: Solomon

According to Scripture, Nathan, a prophet of God, received word from the LORD that Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba, should be called Jedidiah. (Their first son died a few days after birth.) For whatever reason, the name never stuck and the child became known as Solomon.

Details can be found in 2 Samuel 12:24-25. According to Wikipedia, Jedidiah means beloved of the LORD.

A number of years later, Nathan would be instrumental in making sure Solomon would become king. According to the first chapter of 1 Kings, he joined forces with Bathsheba to torpedo plans for Adonijah to become king and to make certain Solomon would ascend to the throne, replacing David. 1 Kings 1:8, 11 states he was a confidant to both David and Solomon.

The 34th chapter of 1 Kings tells of "Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet" anointing Solomon as king over Israel.

Answer: Samuel

Unlike Samuel, his two sons Joel and Abijah were apparently as crooked as a barrel of fishhooks. Scripture states an elderly Samuel appointed his two sons as his replacements as judge, but the move riled the the people. 1 Samuel 8:3 states his two sons participated in dishonest gain, taking bribes, and perverting justice.

Verse 4 goes on to tell of the Israelites demanding the end of being represented by judges and the installation of a monarchy "like all the nations".

Answer: Shechem

Shechem is the correct answer. Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, was the first rape victim in the Bible. According to Genesis 34:1-31, she was violated by Shechem. Scripture states two of her brothers, Simeon and Levi, went on a ruthless rampage killing a large number of men to avenge her defilement.

The city where the killing took place had the same name as the rapist, Shechem. In addition to killing the men, Simeon and Levi took a number of women and children captive and plundered the city.

Answer: Salmon

Salmon was the father of Boaz who ended up marrying Ruth when she was a widow. Not much is known about Salmon, apart from the fact his father was Nahshon, as per Ruth 4:20-21. However, his name is part of the genealogy of Christ, appearing in Matthew 1:4-5 and Luke 3:32.

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Salmon is also known as Salmah in Hebrew.

Answer: Shimei

Shimei is the correct answer. According to Esther 2:5, Shimei was the father of Jair who was the father of Mordecai.

Mordecai and Esther would join forces to prevent Haman from carrying out a diabolical plan to kill all the Jews in the Persian empire.

There are a number of other men in Scripture who are called Shimei. Some of them, as per information gleaned from Wikipedia, include:
-- A friend of King David (1 Kings 1:8).
-- A a son of Gera and a Benjamite who was an adversary of David (2 Samuel 16:5-14, 19:16-23; 1 Kings 2:8-9, 36-46).
-- A son of Elah, one of Solomon's prefects, over the district of Benjamin (1 Kings 4:18).
-- A grandson of Jeconiah and brother of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:19).

Answer: Sisera

Canaanite leader Sisera was the one to die the unusual death. Scripture states Sisera hid in the tent of Heber and after he fell asleep, Heber's wife Jael killed him by driving a tent peg through his skull. Jael's actions are celebrated in the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:24-27). Sisera had sought refuge in the tent after the stinging defeat of his army by the Israelites under the leadership of Deborah and Barak.

For details about the highly unusual method of killing of Sisera, see Judges 4:17-22.

Answer: Shaphat

Shaphat is the correct answer. However, not much is known about him as he is mentioned in passing reference. 1 Kings 19:16 states he was from Abel Meholah. The Website Presciousseed.org states Shaphat means 'judge'. The same website states Elisha means 'my God is salvation', indicating Shaphat was loyal to God and did not worship Baal like many of the Israelites during the reign of King Ahab.

Answer: Sanballat

According to Scripture, Sanballat was "furious and very indignant" when he learned Nehemiah and his workers were rebuilding a wall around Jerusalem. His efforts to stop Nehemiah, however, were in vain. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state Sanballat was the governor of Samaria. Details about Sanballat can be found in Nehemiah 2:10, 4:7-8 and 6:1-14.

Answer: Salome

It is believed Salome was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John, two of the original Twelve Disciples.

Many theologians have come to the conclusion after linking two verses in Matthew and two verses in Mark:

1.) "And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons." (Matthew 27:55-56).
2.) "There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem." (Mark 15:40-41).

The mother of James and John is noted for requesting Jesus that her two sons sit in places of honor in the kingdom, as per Matthew 20:20-21.

Answer: Syntyche

Euodia and Syntyche, it seems, were like cats and dogs. Although they both lived in Philippi and were members of the early church, they didn't get along. However, little light is shed on the situation. In Philippians 4:2-3 Paul writes he "implores" Euodia and he "implores" Syntyche to get along together and put their disagreements aside. Paul also states both women labored with him in the gospel.

Philippi is the same community in which Paul converted Lydia and her family, as well as the jailer and his family, to Christianity. Details of their conversion are found in Acts 16:11-40.

Answer: Sosipater

Sosipater, described by Paul as his "countryman", is the correct answer. In other words, Sosipater, like Paul, was a Jew. However, not much is known about Sosipater as he is mentioned in passing reference.

Some people believe he is the same man mentioned in Acts 20:4. In that verse, Luke, the writer of Acts, makes mention of a man called "Sopater of Berea".

Answer: Susanna

Susanna is the correct answer, but little is known about her as she is mentioned in passing reference. Luke 8:1-3 tells of Jesus being accompanied by the Twelve Disciples as well as Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna "and many others who provided for Him from their substance." Susanna's name appears only once in the Bible, in this passage in the Gospel of Luke.

Answer: Simeon

Simeon is the correct answer. According to Luke 3:25-35, Simeon was just and devout and the Holy Spirit had revealed to him he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. When Simeon saw the Baby Jesus, he was convinced he had seen God's salvation. Scripture tells of Simeon taking Jesus into his arms and proclaimed the baby would "bring revelation to the Gentiles" and be the "glory" of God's people, Israel.

Answer: Silvanus and Sosthenes

Apart from Timothy, Silvanus and Sosthenes are the only two people mentioned in the salutations of the thirteen books Paul is credited with writing in the New Testament. In his salutations in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, Paul refers to Silas as his Roman name, Silvanus. Silas, figures prominently in the Book of Acts with Scripture telling of him serving faithfully along side Paul.

Meanwhile, Sosthenes' name appears at the beginning of 1 Corinthians. However, little is known about him. There is a Sosthenes mentioned in Acts 18:17, a Synagogue ruler who was beaten by an unruly mob, but there is no conclusive proof he is the same person referred to by Paul in his salutations in 1 Corinthians. If it is the same person, he obviously had become a Christian after being a ruler of the synagogue.

Answer: Sapphira

Sapphira and her husband Ananias were stuck dead after selling their property and withholding part of the money from going to the Lord's work, as per Acts 5: 1-11. According to Scripture, they were struck dead after they met separately with Peter and both claimed they had turned over the entire proceeds from the sale of their property.

Answer: Silas

Silas was called upon by the church council to deliver with Judas, also known as Barsabas, what is known as the Jerusalem decree. They were selected to accompany Paul and Barnabas to present the decree to Gentile believers in Antioch. According to Acts 15:1, the council deemed it necessary to draw up the decree because "certain men" from Judea were teaching that to be saved one had to be circumcised "according to the custom of Moses."

Details about the decree can be found in Acts 15:23-29.

Silas would go on to become a key member of the early church, serving with Paul on his missionary journeys.

Answer: Saul

Paul was also known by the name Saul. In fact, whenever his name is mentioned in the first twelve chapters of Acts in the NKJV, the name Saul appears. It's not until Acts 13:9 when reference is made to the fact Saul was also known as Paul. In Acts 13:13, his name appears as Paul and no mention is made of Saul. From this point on, he is continually referred to as Paul, with the lone exception of Acts 22:7.

Answer: Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene is the correct answer. Little is known about Simon, but Mark 15:21 states he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. According to the
"International Standard Bible Encyclopedia", Cyrene was a city of Libya in North Africa. It was separated from ancient Egypt by a portion of the Libyan desert.