25 Details About the Women of Genesis - A to Z Quiz

Answer: Asenath

The correct answer is Asenath, but not much is known about her as she is mentioned in passing reference. According to Genesis 46:20, she was the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim. At this time, Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt, surpassed by only the Pharaoh. As a result, Asenath would have been one of the most influential women in Egypt.

Notes in the New King James Version Study Bible state Asenath was an Egyptian name meaning 'Belonging to (the goddess) Neith'. The notes also state Poti-Phera means 'He Whom Ra (the sun god) Gave'. On was a city in northern Egypt noted for its worship of Ra.

"But Joseph and his sons were worshipers of the Lord, not Ra," the study notes state. "Although Joseph married a pagan priest's daughter, he trained his sons to worship the living God. Possibly Asenath also became a worshiper of the Lord."

Answer: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel

Scripture describes Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel as beautiful. Sarah was the wife of Abraham, Rebekah was the wife of Isaac, and Rachel was the wife of Jacob. No other woman who is specifically named in Genesis is given such a distinction. However, Genesis 6:1-2 describes women in general as being beautiful. The verses in the NKJV state: "Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose."

For the record, here are the verses in the NKJV that describe Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel as beautiful:
Genesis 12:14 -- "So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman [Sarai who would later be known as Sarah], that she was very beautiful."
Genesis 24:16 -- "Now the young woman [Rebekah] was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up."
Genesis 29:17 -- "Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance."

Answer: Rebekah

Rebekah was the queen when it came to women in Genesis who were connivers. After all, it was largely due to her efforts that Jacob fraudulently obtained the blessing from Isaac, beating out Esau. Scripture states Jacob was a favorite of Rebekah while Esau was a favorite of Isaac.

Jacob disguised himself as Esau with the help of Rebekah to pull off the ruse on Isaac who was elderly and frail and his eyes "were so dim that he could not see." The ruse is recounted in Genesis 27:1-40.

Scripture reports Isaac requested Esau to hunt game for him and make some "savory food" and when he returned he would bless his son. Rebekkah overheard the conversation and swung into action.

Genesis 27:15-17, in the NKJV, states: "Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob."

Jacob in turn went to his father and impersonated Esau. He was so effective at his impersonation he was able to deceive Isaac and receive Esau's blessing. (The goat skins also created the impression he was a hairy man like his brother Esau.)

Later, Jacob would flee for his life as Esau was going to kill him, as per Genesis 27:41-46.

Once again, Rebekah interceded and foiled Esau's plans by telling Jacob to flee to her brother's house in Haran in Padan Aram, also known as Mesopotamia. It was there that Jacob married Leah and Rachel and had sexual relations with their two handmaidens, Bilhah and Silpah.

Answer: Rebekah's nurse

Deborah served as a nurse for Rebekah. However, not much is known about her as only her death is mentioned in Genesis.

Genesis 35:8 in the NKJV states: "Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth." According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible Allon Bachuth means 'weeping'.

Answer: Hagar

Hagar is the correct answer. She was a concubine of Abraham and gave birth to Ishmael who is generally perceived as the father of the Arab world. Genesis 16:1 states Hagar was an Egyptian handmaiden who served Sarah. Meanwhile, Genesis 21:21
tells of Hagar taking a wife for Ishmael from the land of Egypt.

Although Hagar served as a handmaiden for Sarah, the two didn't get along, no doubt causing plenty of grief for Abraham.

Answer: Sarai

Sarai is the correct response. Genesis 17:1-17 in the NKJV tells of the LORD announcing a covenant for Abram. As part of the covenant, Abram was told his new name would be Abraham and Sarai's new name would be Sarah. What's more, the couple was told they would become parents of a baby boy, this even though Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. The baby would be called Isaac.

Answer: Eve

Eve, the world's first woman, is the correct answer. According to Scripture she and Adam were parents of Cain, Abel and Seth as well as a number of other children who are not named in Scripture. Genesis 4:17 states Cain was the father of Enoch, which would mean Eve was his grandmother.

Answer: True

True. The appearance of the angel was a miracle that saved the lives of Hagar and Ishmael.

Here's how the story is told in Genesis 21:14-21 in the NKJV:
"So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, 'Let me not see the death of the boy.' So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

"And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, 'What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.' Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt."

Answer: No names are given in Genesis

No names are given for Lot's two daughters who became impregnated by him when they got him drunk. Their offspring are identified, however. The older daughter gave birth to a boy called Moab who became the father of the Moabites while the younger daughter gave birth to a boy called Ben-Ammi, father of the people of Ammon.

According to Scripture, the two daughters felt they had to take such action because there were no other men available to them and they wanted to preserve their father's lineage.

Here's how Genesis 19:30-38 describes the situation in the NKJV"
"Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. Now the firstborn said to the younger, 'Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.' So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

"It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, 'Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.' Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

"Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day."

With passages like this, it's difficult to fathom how some people describe the Bible as "dry and boring".

Answer: Noah's wife

Noah's wife is the correct answer. However, no name is given for her in Scripture. She would certainly have an interesting story to tell. According to Scripture, Noah, his wife, and their three sons -- Japheth, Ham and Sheth -- and their wives survived a massive flood that engulfed the world by taking shelter in an ark they built. According to Scripture, a male and female of every type of animal was also on the ark and survived the flood as well.

Answer: Rachel and Jacob

Rachel kissing Jacob is the correct answer. Their kiss, as documented in Genesis 29:11, is the first in Scripture involving a male and a female. The verse tells of Jacob lifting the veil on Rachel's face and kissing her.

However, the first documented incident of kissing in the Bible involves Jacob kissing Isaac when he fraudulently obtained Esau's blessing, as per Genesis 27:26. Up to this point in time, there is no mention of kissing in the Bible.

Answer: She looked back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah when she had been instructed not to.

One of the best known stories in the Old Testament involves the LORD bringing down brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah because of its wickedness, with Lot and his family fleeing. However, Genesis 19:26 states Lot's wife (no name is given) was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back. Genesis 19:15-17 tells of angels visiting Lot and advising him of the coming destruction and to flee with his wife and two daughters and not to look back.

Genesis 19:17 quotes one of the angels as saying: "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed."

Answer: Eve

Eve is described as the "Mother of All Living", as per Genesis 3:20 in the NKJV. According to the verse, she was given the name by Adam. They were the parents of Cain, Abel and Seth as well as other sons and daughters, as per Genesis 5:4. However, Scripture does not state how many children Eve had. It could have been a large number because Adam lived to be 930 years old, according to Genesis 5:5. Scripture does not indicate how old Eve was when she died.

With many Christians and Jews believing Eve is the 'mother of all living', it boggles the mind to think how many people she has become the mother of. (I suspect you could call this one the mother of all records!) According to the Website Worldometers.info, the population of the world in 2015 is estimated at 7.32 billion. Some experts believe the population is expected to jump to about 10.5 billion by 2050. The 7.32 billion figure skyrockets when you consider the number of people who have ever lived. In other words, in my reckoning, Eve has become the mother of countless billions.

Answer: Sarah

Going by the NKJV, Sarah is mentioned four times in the New Testament, more than any other woman from the Old Testament. Rahab is mentioned three times, Eve is mentioned twice, Hagar twice, Rachel once and Tamar once. There is no mention of Rebekah in the New Testament.

For the record, Sarah's name can be found in Romans 4:19, Romans 9:9, Hebrews 11:11 and 1 Peter 3:6.

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: Sarah and Hagar

Sarah and Hagar is the correct answer. Going by Scripture, they seldom got along and were bitter adversaries.

Their dislike for each other ultimately resulted in Abraham making a decision to abandon Hagar and her son Ishmael. The problems apparently started shortly after Sarah gave permission to her husband Abraham to sleep with Hagar to produce a child. Sarah was barren at the time.

According to Scripture, Hagar started to despise Sarah for whatever reason. I suppose she felt superior because she could produce a child for Abraham while Sarah was unable. So she made a point of constantly trying to make Sarah feel small and insignificant.

It seems things snowballed with Sarah attempting to get even by being unduly harsh on Hagar. In fact, she was so harsh that Hagar, even before Ishmael was born, fled from Abraham and Sarah. However, an angel of the LORD requested she go back to Abraham and Sarah and produce a child.

But things wouldn't work out. A number of years later, Abraham opted to abandon Hagar and Ishmael, sending them off with some food and water into the desert. (It appears the breaking point was Ishmael's 'scoffing', as per Genesis 21:9) With the two women separated, the turmoil between them would finally come to an end.

Answer: Rebekah was Rachel's aunt.

Rebekah was Rachel's aunt. Scripture states Rebekah was the sister of Laban, as per Genesis 24:29. Meanwhile,Genesis 29:16 states Laban was the father of Rachel and Leah and as a result, Rebekah would be Rachel's aunt. Laban's two daughters would both become wives of Jacob.

Answer: Tamar

The births of Perez and Zerah are told in Genesis 38:29-30. They are the second set of twins mentioned in the Old Testament. The first set was Esau and Jacob, the sons of Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 38:27-30 tells of the birth of Tamar's twins: "Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, 'This one came out first'. Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, 'How did you break through? This breach be upon you!' Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah."

Answer: Rachel

Rachel is the correct answer. According to Scripture, she stole the household gods of her father Laban, as per the 31st chapter of Genesis. Verse 19 tells of Rachel stealing the household gods after her husband Jacob had a quarrel with her father.

Verses 34-35, in the NIV Bible, tells what happened when Laban went looking for his missing items: "Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to her father, 'Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period.' So he searched but could not find the household gods."

In the NKJV, Rachel is quoted as saying she cannot stand up "for the manner of women is with me".

Answer: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel

Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel all had difficulty conceiving. However, they all became mothers thanks to divine intervention.

Sarah gave birth to Isaac with his birth being documented in Genesis 21:1-4. (God promised Isaac would be born in Genesis 17:19.)

Genesis 25:21 tells of Rebekah being barren, but she ended up giving birth to twins, Esau and Jacob, as per Genesis 25:25-26.

Meanwhile, Rachel gave birth to two boys, Joseph and Benjamin. She died giving birth to Benjamin. Joseph's birth is told in Genesis 30:24 and Benjamin's birth told in Genesis 35:18. Meanwhile, Genesis 29:31 tells of Rachel being barren.

Answer: Dinah

Dinah is the correct answer. After she was defiled, a bloody massacre took place with Dinah's brothers killing every male in Shechem's hometown and every woman and child taken captive and every house plundered. The massacre took place after Dinah's brothers convinced the males in Shechem's city they should circumcise themselves. Genesis 34:25, in the NIV Bible, states: "Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male."

Answer: Rebekah

Rebekah is the correct answer. She appeared to be deeply distressed over Esau's choice of wives. And there's an indication that if Jacob went the same route, she would even consider suicide saying "what good will life be to me?" It appears even Isaac was displeased with Esau's wives as well.

Genesis 26:34-35 states: "When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah."

Meanwhile, Genesis 27:46 states: "And Rebekah said to Isaac, 'I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?"

Answer: Rachel

Rachel was younger than Leah. And according to Scripture, Jacob loved Rachel but was largely indifferent to Leah. In addition, Scripture suggests Leah was rather plain while Rachel beautiful.

Genesis 26:16-17 in the NKJV explains things this way: "Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance."

Answer: Zillah

Zillah is the correct answer. Not much is known about her as she is mentioned in passing reference. According to Genesis 4:19 she and Adah were married to Lamech. Genesis 4:22 reports Zillah bore a boy and a girl, Tubal-Cain and Naamah. Scripture reports Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron".

Zillah's husband Lamech has the distinction of being the second murderer in the Bible, after Cain. In Genesis 4:23-24, Lamech is quoted in the NKJV as saying: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech!
For I have killed a man for wounding me,
Even a young man for hurting me.
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,
Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
There are no details in Scripture about the punishment Lamech faced.