A Quick Look at Romance in the Old Testament Quiz

Answer: David

David, according to Scripture, spotted Bathsheba from his rooftop while she was taking a bath. He would go on to have an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then end up taking her as his wife. Scripture states Bathsheba became pregnant as a result of her adulterous affair and David then proceeded to orchestrate the murder of her husband Uriah, a soldier who was away at war. With Uriah out of the way, David married Bathsheba. Later, she would become the Queen Mother when her son Solomon assumed the throne.

As a result, she would be the most powerful woman in the land. Details about the romance of David and Bathsheba can be found in 2 Samuel 11.

Answer: Esau

Esau's marriage to Judith and Basemath did not go over well with his parents, Isaac and Rebekah. Genesis 26:34-35 tells of Esau, at age forty, taking as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite with the women being "a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah." However, no details are given as to what actions the women did that caused grief to Esau's parents.

Answer: Jacob

Jacob, according Scripture, ended up working fourteen years to win the hand of his Rachel simply because her father Laban was shrewd and devious. Jacob agreed to work for seven years for Laban if he could marry his younger daughter Rachel. However, at the end of seven years, Laban gave Jacob his older daughter Leah in marriage, saying "it is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one." So, Jacob agreed to work an additional seven years for Rachel's hand. Details can be found in Genesis 29:1-28.

It was a case of what goes around, comes around. After all, Jacob was a master deceiver as he had duped his elderly father Isaac into giving him his blessing over his twin brother Esau, as per Genesis 27: 1-40. After this incident, Jacob ended up fleeing as Esau plotted to kill him.

Answer: Hosea

Hosea is the correct answer. Details are reported in Hosea 3:1-3. In the passage, the LORD instructs Hosea to "love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery". According to Scripture, the union would symbolize how the people of Israel had turned away from the LORD and worshiped other gods.

The passage goes on to state Hosea bought the unnamed woman for fifteen shekels of silver and one and one-half homers of barley. No further details are given.

Answer: Michal

Michal, the daughter of King Saul, became David's wife after he was requested by her father to produce one hundred Philistine foreskins to win her hand, as per 1 Samuel 18:25. According to Verse 27 of the same chapter, David complied by producing two hundred foreskins, and Michal became his first wife.

Michal, similarly to her brother, Jonathan, played a key role in thwarting her father's attempts to kill David. She informed David that King Saul had sent people to murder him and he was able to take evasive action. Details about David killing the Philistines to win Michal's hand can be found in the 18th chapter of 2 Samuel. Scripture states she would later despise her husband for "dancing and celebrating" as he helped bring back the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. According to 2 Samuel 6:23, Michal had "no children to the day of her death."

Answer: Hagar

Hagar chose a bride for her son Ishmael, according to Genesis 21:21. However, little in the way of details are given. Verse 21 simply states, "He [Ishmael] dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt."

Abraham was the father of the Ishmael. Scripture states Abraham's wife Sarah gave him permission to sleep with her handmaiden Hagar to produce offspring. Sarah was unable to conceive at the time. Later, Sarah would miraculously give birth to Isaac.

Answer: Ruth

Ruth became the wife of Boaz after he purchased a parcel of land, as per Ruth 4:1-9. Scripture goes on to tell of Boaz and Ruth becoming parents of Obed, who was the father or Jesse. One of Jesse's sons was none other than David.

Previously, Ruth had been married to Mahlon, the son Elimelech and Naomi. However, Scripture states Mahlon died of unknown causes and she became a widow.

Answer: Delilah

The story of Samson and Delilah is one of the most colorful ones in the Old Testament. According to Scripture, his long hair was the secret to his strength and when his locks were cut by Delilah, he lost his power. According to Judges 16:5, five Philistine leaders each offered her 1,100 pieces of silver if she would betray Samson. In other words, she was offered 5,500 pieces of silver from the five rulers.

Samson, however, would have his final hurrah. With his hair partially grown back, the 16th chapter of Judges states he used his remaining strength to get revenge against the Philistines who had taken him captive. While the Philistine rulers were offering "a great sacrifice" to Dagon their god, it was decided to bring out Samson for "entertainment" purposes. A crucial mistake was made when Samson was placed by the pillars that supported the temple.

Judges 16:30 states: Samson "pushed with all his might", causing the temple to collapse, killing all the people inside.

Answer: Rebekah

Rebekah was selected as a wife for Issac by a servant of his father Abraham, according to Scripture. In Genesis 24, the unnamed servant is requested by Abraham to go to Mesopotamia to get a wife for his son. (In the NIV, Mesopotamia is referred to as Aram Naharaim.)

Many theologians believe Eliezer was the unnamed senior servant who found a wife for Isaac as Genesis 15:2 states Abraham's servant was Eliezer.

Answer: Leah

Leah is the correct answer. According to Genesis 30:14-16, she bought a night with Jacob by exchanging mandrakes with Rachel.

Jacob never loved Leah, even though she was his first wife, as he was tricked into marrying her. Later he would marry Leah's younger sister Rachel and she would always be his preferred wife, with Leah being unloved.

Genesis 29:17, in the NKJV Bible, states Leah had "delicate eyes", but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.

According to Genesis 35:23, Leah was the mother of six sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. In Genesis 34:21, it states she was also the mother of Dinah.