Biblical Fathers and Sons Trivia Quiz

Answer: Seth

According to the book of Genesis chapter 1 the first man was Adam. He had three sons who were mentioned by name. The first two were Cain and Abel (whom Cain killed (see Genesis 4)). After these two, Adam and his wife, Eve, had another son named Seth (Genesis 4:26).

Enosh was Seth's son (Genesis 4:26). Enoch was Seth's 3-greats grandson (Genesis 5:18). Noah was Seth's 6-greats grandson (Genesis 5:28-29). Seth was still alive when Enoch was born but died 14 years prior to Noah's birth.

Answer: Zebedee

Zebedee's sons were the apostles James and John. It was Jesus who nicknamed them the "Sons of Thunder" in Mark 3:17.

Zechariah and Zephaniah were both prophets who have books named after them in the Old Testament. Zebulun was one of Jacob's sons.

Answer: Isaiah

In Isaiah chapter 8 God told Isaiah to write the word "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz" on a scroll. Subsequently Isaiah's wife became pregnant and God told him that their son should be named "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz". This was to be a prophetic sign of what the king of Assyria was about to do, i.e. plunder and spoil.

It just goes to show that it's not just in the 21st century that parents give their children weird and wonderful names! I wonder what Isaiah and his wife called their son for short?

Answer: Jonathan

Jonathan was one of the sons of King Saul of Israel. He became close friends with David when David came to live in the royal household (See 1 Samuel 18:1-4). Shortly after that time Saul became jealous of his son's friend as the people were singing his praises and celebrating him. (1 Samuel 18:5-9) From that time on the relationship between Saul and David deteriorated further with Saul wanting to kill David. He even told Jonathan to kill him! Jonathan however helped his friend to elude his father. (1 Samuel 19 and 20).

David's care for his friend Jonathan continued even after Jonathan's death. In 2 Samuel 9 David took Jonathan's crippled son Mephibosheth to live in his own household.

Answer: Timothy

The apostle Paul wasn't married and didn't have a family of his own. He first met Timothy when he visited Timothy's home town of Lystra. Everyone there spoke well of Timothy and Paul was obviously impressed as he decided to take Timothy with him on his missionary journey. (Acts 16:1-5) The two must have developed a close relationship during this time.

Paul later wrote two letters to Timothy (the books of 1 and 2 Timothy) in which he refers to him several times as his "son". Timothy is also mentioned as being with Paul in some of Paul's other letters such as Colossians and 1 Thessalonians.

Barnabas and Silas were also fellow workers with Paul. Paul had contact with Stephen too. He was present at Stephen's stoning to death (Acts 7:54-8:1). This is the first mention of Paul in the Bible. His name was still Saul at this point.

Answer: Zechariah

The angel Gabriel appeared and spoke to Zechariah while he was carrying out his priestly duties in the temple. Gabriel told Zechariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son named John. Zechariah was doubtful about this as he and his wife were rather past the childbearing stage of life, so Gabriel told him that he wouldn't be able to speak again until the day that John was born. You can read about this in Luke 1:5-25.

Joseph was the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus. He also had an encounter with an angel when he was told that Mary was expecting Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)

Elkanah was the husband of Hannah. She was barren and desperate to have a child. God heard her prayers and their son Samuel was born. You can read about this in 1 Samuel 1.

Abraham was another man with a barren wife, Sarah. They experienced the miracle of a child being born to them in old age. (Genesis 18:1-15 and 21:1-7)

Answer: Jesse

In 1 Samuel 16 God told Samuel the prophet to visit Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of sons as his king. Jesse presented his seven older sons to Samuel, expecting one of them to be chosen. God told Samuel that none of these was the one so Samuel had to ask Jesse if he had any more sons! Jesse didn't seem to have considered David, his youngest, as he was out in the fields looking after Jesse's sheep. When David arrived however God told Samuel that David was the one to anoint as the next king of Israel.

Obed was Jesse's father and Boaz his grandfather.

Answer: Enoch

Enoch was Methusaleh's father. He is described as a man who "walked with God". The Bible doesn't record that he died but simply that God took him away. It is generally taken that this means that God took him alive into heaven.

Methuselah is recorded as having lived 969 years. That's the equivalent of someone dying today who had been born not long before William the Conqueror invaded Britain (1066)!

Interestingly Methuselah died the year that the flood associated with Noah came upon the earth. Noah was Methuselah's grandson. Jared was Enoch's father.

You can read about Enoch and Methuselah in Genesis 5:21-27.

Answer: Jesus

God the Father announced this about his son Jesus on the occasion of Jesus' baptism. (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22)

John the Baptist was the one who baptised Jesus and one of Jesus' disciples was also called John.

There are several men named James mentioned in the New Testament, one being John's brother and another Jesus' half-brother (son of Mary and Joseph).

David was the king of Israel who was described later by the apostle Paul as a "man after God's own heart". (Acts 13:22)

Answer: Mahlon and Kilion

Mahlon and Kilion were the sons of Elimelech and Naomi as found at the beginning of the Old Testament book of Ruth. One of them married Ruth in Moab.

Boaz was Ruth's second husband whom she married at the end of the book of Ruth.

Amos and Obadiah are two of the prophets who have books named after them in the Old Testament.

Jabez was a descendant of Judah and can be read about in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

Joshua also has an Old Testament book named after him. He was Moses' assistant and became Israel's leader after Moses' death. Joshua is probably best known for his association with the collapse of the walls of the city of Jericho.