Conceive This: 'Barren' Women Become Mothers Quiz

Answer: Ninety

According to Genesis 17:17, Sarah was ninety years old when she became a mother. Genesis 17:15-16 tells of the LORD announcing to Abraham his wife Sarah would be finally able to conceive. Verse 17, in the NKJV, tells of Abraham's reaction to the news: "Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?'"

In verse 18, the LORD tells Abraham his son is to be called Isaac.

Answer: Esau

Esau was born just before Jacob, according to Scripture. Genesis 25:25-26, in the NKJV, states: "And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob."

Scripture goes on to tell of Rebekah favoring Jacob while her husband Isaac favored Esau.

Answer: Ben-Oni

The original name of Benjamin was Ben-Oni, according to Scripture. Genesis 35:18, in the NKJV, states this about Rebekah's death and the name she selected for her son: "And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state Ben-Oni means 'Son of My Sorrow' while Benjamin means 'Son of the Right Hand'.

Answer: True

While Leah is known for bearing a number of children, she too was unable to conceive for a few years. In fact, because she was unable to conceive, Genesis 30:9 states she gave her handmaiden Zilpah to her husband Jacob to sleep with to produce children. Verse 17 goes on to state God listened to Leah and she gave birth to another son.

According to 35:23, Leah was the mother of six sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun) and one daughter (Dinah). The lone daughter is mentioned in Genesis 34:1.

Answer: Samson

According to Scripture, Manoah's wife was the mother of Samson. He would go on to be known for his brute strength and then ended up being betrayed by his Philistine lover, Delilah. According to Scripture, Samson's final act was to kill a large number of Philistines when he caused a temple to collapse. Judges 16:30 states Samson was killed in the collapsed temple "along with all the people who were in it."

Judges 13:2-5 tells of Manoah's wife receiving news from an angel she would become a mother: "Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, 'Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.'"

Answer: Peninnah

Peninnah is the correct answer. If a movie was made about her, it would be perhaps called "Mean Girl". It seemed she did everything possible to make life miserable for Hannah.

Reading between the lines, it appears Hannah despised Peninnah and it appears Peninnah took delight in making Hannah miserable.

Hannah was unable to conceive while Peninnah had given birth to an undisclosed number of children.

1 Samuel 1:6-7, in the NKJBV Bible, states: "And her rival [Peninnah] also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat."

Things would change dramatically, however, as 1 Samuel 1 goes on to tell of Hannah fervently praying to become a mother with the end result that she gave birth to Samuel. More children were to come. 1 Samuel 2:21, in the NKJV Bible, states: "And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD."

Incidentally, there is no further mention of Peninnah after Scripture tells of her taunting Hannah.

Answer: Elisha

Elisha made the bold prediction than came true for the unnamed Shunammite woman. According to 2 Kings, the woman showed considerable kindness to Elisha and his servant Gehazi. 2 Kings 4:16-17 tells of an interchange between Elisha and the woman: "Then he said, 'About this time next year you shall embrace a son.' And she said, 'No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!' But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her."

The chapter goes on to tell of the boy dying and Elisha miraculously bringing him back to life.

Answer: Psalms

The statement is from Psalm 113:9.

Here's how Psalm 113 reads in its entirety in the NKJV:
"Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD!
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The LORD'S name is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people.
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!"

Answer: Gabriel

The angel Gabriel visited Zecharias and told him his elderly wife would conceive, as per Luke 1:5-25.

In Luke 1:13-17, in the NKJV, Gabriel is quoted as telling Elizabeth's husband: "'Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Answer: Deuteronomy

The statement is from Deuteronomy 7:14. To put the verse in context, here's how Deuteronomy 7:12-15, reads in the NKJV: "Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you."