Bible People With the Same Name -- #2 Quiz

Answer: Levi

Levi was the son of Jacob and Leah, according to Genesis 29:34. In addition to Levi, Jacob and Leah were parents of six other sons -- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as per Genesis 35:23. They were also the parents of one girl, Dinah, as per Genesis 30:21.

Meanwhile, Levi, who was also known as Matthew, was one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, as per Mark 2:14. He was a tax collector and its widely believed he was the author of the Gospel of Matthew.

Answer: Simeon

Simeon was a son of Jacob and Leah, as per Genesis 35:23. Simeon is perhaps best known for going on a ruthless vigilante killing spree with his brother Levi after Shechem sexually assaulted their sister Dinah. (See Genesis 34)

Meanwhile, Luke 2:25-35 tells of an elderly man called Simeon seeing God's salvation when he saw the infant Jesus. According to Luke 2:26, it had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit he "would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

Verses 28 to 32 tells of Simeon taking Jesus into his arms and proclaiming:
"'Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.'"

In Verse 34, Simeon is quoted as telling Mary, the mother of Jesus, that "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel."

Answer: Basemath

According to Scripture, Esau was married to two women who were both named Basemath.

The first Basemath, is mentioned in Genesis 26:34. In addition to being the wife of Esau, she was the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

The second Basemath is mentioned in Genesis 36:3. In addition to being the wife of Esau, she was the daughter of Ishmael, sister to Nebajoth and mother of Reuel.

According to 1 Kings 4:15, Solomon also had a daughter named Basemath, who was a wife of Ahimaaz.

Answer: Tola

Tola is the name of two men mentioned in the Bible.

The first Tola was a son of Issachar and, according to Genesis 46:13, Numbers 26:23 and 1 Chronicles 7:1, he was one of the seventy people to migrate to Egypt with Jacob.

The second Tola was a judge of Israel, as per Judges 10:1-2. Scripture states he judged Israel for twenty-three years and when he died he was buried in Shamir. Tola was followed by Jair as judge.

Answer: Zechariah

Zechariah is the correct answer.

The first Zechariah is the author of the Old Testament book that bears his name. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Zechariah means 'Yahweh Remembers'.

Zechariah lived and prophesied during the period following the Babylonian captivity, 597 to 538 B.C., notes in the NKJV Study Bible state.

"Zechariah's prophecies had two purposes," the notes state. "First they challenged the returning exiles to turn to the LORD, to be cleansed from their sins, and to experience again the LORD'S blessing. (See 1:3) Second, Zechariah's words comforted and encouraged the people regarding the building of the temple and God's future work among His people. (1:16-17, 2:12, 3:2, 4:9, 6:14-15.)"

The name of the second Zechariah is found in the NIV. (In the KJV and the NKJV, he is known as Zecharias.) According to Scripture, he was rendered speechless by an angel until John the Baptist was born. Scripture states Zechariah was a priest who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah and his wife was also a descendant of Aaron, as per Luke 1:5.

Luke 1:11-25 tells of the angel Gabriel appearing before Zechariah and telling him of the upcoming birth of their son, who would become John the Baptist. When Zechariah doubted Gabriel's claims, he was rendered speechless as per Luke 1:20.

There's a happy ending to the story, however. After the baby was born, Zechariah wrote on a tablet that the infant was to be called John and, according to Verse 64, "immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God."

Answer: Abijah

Abijah is one of the few names in Scripture shared by males and females.

Abijah was married to King Ahaz of Judgah, as per 2 Chronicles 29:1. Her father's name was Zechariah and she was the mother of King Hezekiah, according to 2 Chronicles 29:1. In 2 Kings 18:2, Abijah is called Abi.

Meanwhile, the other Abijah in the question, was the son of Rehoboam and succeeded his father as king of Judah. Rehoboam was the son of Solomon, king of a united Israel. (Shortly after Rehoboam became king, the northern ten tribes split from Judah.) 1 Kings 15:1 states Abijah reigned for three years. However, Abijah "was not fully devoted to the LORD", as per 1 Kings 15:3. The verse also states "he committed all the sins his father had done before him."

Answer: Ahaziah

According to 1 Kings 22:51, Ahaziah became king of Israel during the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Scripture states Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and reigned over Israel two years. 2 Kings 1:2 states Ahaziah sustained serious injuries when he fell through a lattice in his upper room and died shortly afterwards. According to Scripture, his death was divine retribution.

Meanwhile, a second man called Ahaziah became king of Judah in the twelfth year of Joram, king of Israel, as per 2 Kings 8:26. Scripture states Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. According to 2 Kings (9:27-29, he was killed by Jehu, the same man who played a pivotal role in the death of Jezebel.

Answer: Simon

After raising Dorcas from the dead, Scripture states Peter stayed "many days" with Simon, a tanner. Not much is known about Simon the tanner as he is mentioned in passing reference. However, Acts 10:6 states his house was "by the sea". Simon is the only person in the Old Testament and New Testament to be described as a tanner.

Meanwhile, Acts 9 tells of a man known as Simon the Sorcerer, who made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Scripture, he offered Peter money to have the power of the Holy Spirit when he saw Peter healing people of diseases by simply laying his hands on them.

Acts 8:18-24 explains things this way in the NKJV: "And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, 'Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'

"But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.'

"Then Simon answered and said, 'Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me'."

Answer: James

James is a popular name in the New Testament with three of them being James the brother of John, James the son of Alphaeus and James the brother of Jesus.

Acts 12:2 tells of Herod putting James, the brother of John, to death with the sword. In other words, James, one of the original Twelve Disciples, was beheaded. According to Scripture he was the first of the original disciples to be executed. (Bear in mind Judas Iscariot had committed suicide before James' death, as per Matthew 27:5.)

Meanwhile, James, the son of Alphaeus, was also one of the Twelve Disciples. He is known largely as James the Lesser to distinguish him from James, the brother of John.

Answer: Mary

There are a number of women in the New Testament who share the first name Mary. The two best known women are Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.

However, there is also Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, and Mary the wife of Cleopas.

Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, is the woman who washed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume.

Here's how John 12:1-3 reads in the NKJV:
"Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil."

Scripture goes on to tell of Judas Iscariot being indignant about the display of affection, claiming the fragrant oil, or perfume, should have been sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to the poor. Footnotes in the NKJV Study Bible state three hundred denarii was the equivalent of about one year's wages for the average worker.

John 12:6 claims Judas was not sincere about helping the poor: "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it."

Meanwhile, Mary, the wife of Clopas, is mentioned in passing reference in John 19:25, Scripture telling of women near the cross when Jesus was crucified.

John 19:25-27 in the NKJV states: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home."

Tradition holds that the 'disciple Jesus loved' was John, but some modern day theologians dispute this fact.

In total, there are no less than six women in the New Testament who are called Mary.