Biblical Alphabetics -- The Letter 'D' Quiz

Answer: Deborah

Deborah is the correct answer. Her story is told in the fourth and fifth chapters of Judges. Notes in the NIV Study Bible indicate Deborah was the only judge referred to as a prophetess. And according to Wikipedia, she was the "fourth, and the only female, Judge of pre-monarchic Israel in the Old Testament (Tanakh)." Her husband's name was Lappidoth, but little is known about him as he is mentioned only in passing reference.

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. However, with his hair partially grown back, Samson had his final hurrah in the 16th chapter of Judges as 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 said, 'Let me die with the Philistines!' Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived."

According to Wikipedia, Delilah means "One who weakened or uprooted or impoverished."

Answer: David

David had a number of wives with Bathsheba being the best known. Although few of his wives are mentioned by name in Scripture, it is recorded that three of them were Abigail, Ahinoam and Michal, as per 1 Samuel 25:43-44. In the cases of Abigail and Bathsheba, the women had been married to other men before they became David's wives. Bathsheba was married to Uriah when she had an adulterous affair with David while Abigail had been married to Nabal, described as "surly and mean" in Scripture.

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: Daniel

According to the fifth chapter of Daniel, the fingers on an disembodied hand started writing a message on the wall after King Belshazzar hosted a lavish banquet in which he, his wives and his concubines drank from goblets taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. Scripture states the king's gathering drank the wine from the sacred goblets and "praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone." When the king brought in the prophet Daniel to interpret the writing on the wall, no punches were pulled. Daniel told the king "God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end".

The fifth chapter of Daniel concludes with these two verses from the NIV Bible: "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two." As result, the term 'to see the handwriting on the wall' refers to when one can envision their misfortune or fall.

Answer: 2

Deuteronomy and Daniel are the names of the two books that start with the letter 'D'. Both books are in the Old Testament. No book in the New Testament starts with the letter 'D'.

Answer: Demetrius

Demetrius lived in Ephesus and according to Acts 19:23-41 he made things interesting when he caused a "great disturbance." Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's traveling companions, were ushered into a theater and so great was the anger of the assembled people they shouted "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours, Scripture states. According to verse 35, the city clerk eventually quieted down the crowd and the riot came to an end.

Answer: Drusilla

Drusilla was a Jewish woman who was married to Felix, governor of Judea when the apostle Paul appeared before him. According to the Web site Biblical-Baby-Names.com Drusilla means 'watered by the dew.' She is mentioned only in passing reference in Scripture so little is known about her. However, the same Web site states she was the daughter of Herod Agrippa.

Answer: Damascus

Paul, who was known as Saul at the time of the encounter, was heading to Damascus. The story is perhaps the best known one in the Book of Acts. Saul was a vehement opponent of the early church and according to Acts 7:58, oversaw the execution of Stephen, the first reported Christian martyr. Things changed dramatically, however, when according to Scripture, Saul encountered a blinding light while on his way to Damascus and he heard the voice of Jesus.

He would later become known as Paul and serve as the main apostle to the Gentiles.

Answer: Dorcas

Tabitha was also known as Dorcas. According to Acts 9:36-42, she was raised from the dead by Peter, one of the original 12 Disciples. She lived in Joppa. The community is now known as Jaffa and is part of Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean Sea. Scripture states Dorcas/Tabitha was "always doing good and helping the poor." In different places in the Bible, helping the poor is pointed out as a strong virtue. In Acts 10:2, for example, Cornelius, a Roman centurion who was also a Christian believer, is described as "giving generously" to those in need.

According to Scripture, after Peter raised the woman from the dead the miracle became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. The story of Dorcas being raised from the dead is only one of several incidents in which Peter performed miracles in Acts. For example, in Acts 9:32-25, just before the report about Dorcas, Scripture tells of Peter healing Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.