A Quick Look at Thirst in the Bible Quiz

Answer: Hagar

Hagar is the correct answer. The story of the struggles of Hagar and her son Ishmael in the desert are told in Genesis 21:8-21.

According to Scripture, Hagar was the maidservant of Sarah who was married to Abraham and the two women had a severe falling out. This even though, at one time, a barren Sarah gave permission to Abraham to sleep with Hagar to produce a child. Ishmael was the result of the union. Genesis 21:14 states Abraham ordered Hagar and Ishmael out of his house, providing them with only some bread and a "skin of water" as they wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. Soon the water was gone and Ishmael was dying of thirst, Scripture states.

Then miraculously, an angel of God informed Hagar of a well of water, saving the life of Ishmael.

Answer: Sisera

A thirsty Sisera, commander of the defeated Canaanite army opposing Israel, asked for water and was given milk by Jael, an Israelite woman. He was also allowed to have a nap in her tent, according to Scripture. However, Jael's hospitality was a deadly ruse and Sisera fell for it. While he was sleeping, Jael drove a tent peg through his head, according to Scripture.

With Sisera's troops being wiped out in a lop-sided battle with the Israelites, Scripture states he fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.

Details can be found in Judges 4:18-21.

Answer: Abraham's servant

Genesis 24:12-14 tells of an unnamed servant of Abraham standing by a well and praying to God for a sign informing him about the right woman to pick as a wife for Isaac. According to Scripture, the servant had been sent to Mesopotamia by Abraham to find a wife for his only son. (In the NIV, Mesopotamia is referred to as Aram Naharaim.) As part of the prayer request, the servant asked God that a sign the woman is the right one for Isaac would be when he asked her for a drink she would oblige and also offer to give his camels some water. Verse 15 goes on to state that before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. The rest, as they say, is history.

While no name is given for Abraham's servant, many theologians believe it was Eliezar. According to Genesis 24, Abraham asked the "oldest servant" of his house to go to go to "my country and to my family" to find a wife for Isaac.
In Genesis 15:2, Abraham, who was without children at the time, in a conversation with God, said his servant Eliezar of Damascus was the heir of his household. Hence, many theologians believe it was Eliezar who was assigned by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac.

Answer: David

David found an unnamed Egyptian man in a field who had not eaten or drunk water in three days, according to Scripture. David found the man while he was searching for his two wives -- Ahinoam and Abigail -- who had been taken captive by the Amalekites.

After giving the Egyptian bread and water, David learned the man was part of the raiding party that caused considerable destruction in Judah and captured Ahinoam and Abigail.

Scripture goes on to tell of the man giving David details about the location of the invaders and in a surprise attack, David's army defeating them and freeing his two wives.

Details can be found in 1 Samuel 30:16-20.

Answer: Samson

Samson was miraculously provided with water by the LORD after he killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, according to Scripture. After the massacre, Samson complained he was about to die of thirst when water was provided by God. Details can be found in Judges 15:17-20. Samson was a colorful judge of Israel who is best known for being betrayed by his Philistine lover, Delilah.

Answer: Job

The correct answer is Job, a man known for his patience and long suffering. The verse featured in the question can be found in Job 24:11. In the chapter, Job complains about violence in the world.

Job, according to Scripture, was a man of immense wealth whose life was turned upside down when a series of calamities struck him. Job 1 reports his seven sons and three daughters were killed, his health deteriorated and his immense wealth evaporated with his wife saying he should curse God and die.

Three friends joined Job -- Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite -- in an attempt to comfort him but they only made matters worse by pointing an accusing finger at him. Later a fourth friend, Elihu, would visit.

Job, however, remained patient though his horrific suffering. The book of Job has a happy ending with Scripture saying his life was immensely blessed in his later years.

Answer: Paul

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is the correct answer. According to 2 Corinthians, Paul suffered from much more than hunger and thirst as he preached the news of a resurrected Jesus. He suffered everything from floggings to shipwrecks.

Details about some of Paul's sufferings can be found in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28. According to Scripture, Paul was born a Pharisee and was vehemently opposed to Christianity until he had a dramatic encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. After the encounter, he became the main apostle to the Gentiles.

Answer: Unnamed rich man

An unnamed rich man, mentioned in a parable by Jesus, is the correct answer. The parable, known as 'The Rich Man and Lazarus' appears in only the Gospel of Luke. The account is found in Chapter 16, Verses 19-31.

According to the parable, Lazarus lived outside the door of a rich man and he was so helpless the dogs would come to lick his sores. No name is given for the rich man.

Scripture tells of Lazarus and the rich man dying, with Lazarus ending up by the side of Abraham and the rich man in a place of torment. When the rich man requests that Lazarus come and dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue, Abraham tells him this is not possible because there is a "great chasm" and no one can cross over it.

There is another Lazarus, of course, who is mentioned in the Gospels. He was the brother of Mary and Martha and was raised from the dead at Bethany, as per John 11:1-44.

Answer: Unnamed Samaritan woman

According to John 4, an unnamed Samaritan woman met Jesus at Jacob's well and it was during their discourse, Jesus offered her "living water," as per John 4:10. Christ went on to make the famous statement to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst." He also added the water He provides is like a fountain "springing up into everlasting life." The statement by Jesus is found in John 4:14.

The chapter concludes by telling of Jesus healing a severely ill son of a nobleman without Him even visiting the boy.

Answer: Jesus

While dying in agony on the cross, Jesus said, "I thirst" and He was given sour wine just before His death, according to Scripture. Shortly after He received the sour wine, Scripture states Jesus said, "It is finished" and bowed His head and died. Details can be found in John 19:28-30.

Three days later, Jesus would triumphantly rise from the dead, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.