Dancers and Dancing in the Bible Quiz

Answer: Miriam

Exodus 15:20-21 tells of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, taking a timbrel and leading the Israelite women in a victory song and dance. The main refrain of the song was, "Sing to the LORD for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!"

The song is in reference to the Egyptian army which was drowned in their ruthless pursuit of the Israelites. Scripture states the LORD parted the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to safely cross to the other side. It was a different story for the Egyptian army, however. Scripture reports the Egyptians also attempted to cross the Red Sea when the waves were parted, but when they got part way across, the waves suddenly stopped being parted. As a result, the Egyptian soldiers all drowned.

Answer: Aaron

Aaron made the gold calf at the behest of the people, who had become impatient and frustrated waiting for Moses to come back down from Mount Sinai, where he had gone to meet with God. It was on Mount Sinai that Moses received the Ten Commandments. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he ended up burning with uncontrollable rage when he saw the Israelites dancing around a gold calf made by his brother Aaron.

Moses was not alone in his anger. Exodus 32:10 states the LORD was burning with wrath over the sight of the Israelites dancing around the gold calf.

Answer: The wicked

According to Job 21:7-12, Job questioned why the children of the wicked dance and make music, in other words enjoying life to the fullest. And while the wicked were enjoying life, Job couldn't help but wonder why he was suffering through a series of tragedies -- everything from the loss of his ten children to ending up in failing health.

To put Job's concerns in perspective, here's how Job 21:9-12 reads in the NKJV:
"Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves without miscarriage.
They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance."

Much of Job 21 contains a lengthy discourse from Job about the wicked. Job made the statements while he was visited by his friends who attempted to comfort him after his life was turned upside down, and inside out, due to a series of calamities.

Answer: True

True. The women of Israel came out dancing in the days after David killed Goliath, as per 1 Samuel 18:6-7. Their actions, however, deeply infuriated King Saul. The verses state the women came "out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet" the king. As the women danced, they sang "Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands."

(It must be pointed out there is no exact time frame given for when the women of Israel came out dancing. However, details follow after the account of David killing the Philistine giant Goliath.)

From this point on Saul despised David. In fact, he would end up spending much of his life attempting to kill the former shepherd boy. This even though David had no hard feelings against Saul.

Answer: David

David is the correct answer. Scripture states David's wife Michal despised him for "dancing and celebrating" as he helped bring back the ark of God to Jerusalem. According to 2 Samuel 6:14-20, David was wearing a linen ephod as he danced "before the LORD with all his might" and exposed himself.

In Verse 20, Michal tells David: "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

According to 2 Samuel 6:23, Michal had "no children to the day of her death." She was the daughter of Saul, the first king of Israel.

Answer: Jephthah

Jephthah's unnamed daughter was so delighted to see her father home from war she came out of her house dancing, as per Judges 11:34. However, the young woman's actions would end up costing her her life.

Scripture states Jephthah, commander of the Israelite army, made a vow with God while his soldiers were involved in a bloody battle with the Ammonites.

As part of the vow recorded in Judges 11:30-31, Jephthah promised he would offer a burnt offering of the first person who came out of his house if the LORD delivered the Ammonites into his hands.

Sure enough, Scripture tells of the Israelites routing the Ammonites, however, when Jepthhah returned home, he deeply regreted the vow he had made. The first person to come out of his house was his only child, a daughter.

Scripture states the unnamed girl celebrated her father's return with timbrels and dancing.

The story concludes with Jephthah fulfilling his vow to God, with his daughter being fully understanding and accepting of the situation.

Answer: Amalekites

The Amalekites had raided Israel and taken a number of women and children captive, including two of David's wives -- Ahinoam and Abigail. Scripture tells of David and his soldiers tracking down the Amalekite raiders, finding them "spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken."

The joy of the Amalekites would be short lived. While they were dancing and partying, Scripture states David and his soldiers attacked and freed the Israelite captives, including Ahinoam and Abigail. In addition, David was able to recover all the loot the Amalekites had taken.

For further details, see 1 Samuel 30:1-20.

Answer: Benjamin

The tribe of Benjamin is the correct answer. According to Scripture, the Benjamites were involved in a bloody civil war against the eleven other tribes of Israel and the tribe suffered immense losses. In fact, 1 Samuel 20:47 states only six hundred Benjamite men survived.

At the end of the civil war, it was recommended the Benjamites take wives from among the dancers at Shilo. Judges 21:20 tells of the Benjamites receiving instructions to "lie in wait in the vineyards" and when the daughters of Shilo come to perform their dances every man was to "catch a wife for himself."

Verse 23 states the Benjamites were successful in taking "enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught."

For further details about the civil war and the capture of the dancing women, see Chapters 20 and 21.

Answer: Father of the Prodigal Son

The father of the Prodigal Son threw a lavish banquet, complete with music and dancing, to welcome home his long-departed son.

The ever-popular parable by Jesus appears in the Gospel of Luke and nowhere else in the Bible. It is known by millions as the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The parable, also known as the Parable of the Lost Son, appears on the heels of the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. All three parables are found in Luke 15.

Answer: Herodias' daughter

Herodias' unnamed daughter performed a dance that pleased King Herod so much that he said she could request anything she wanted. At the prompting of her mother Herodias, the girl requested John the Baptist's head on a platter.

Herod, seeing he was outmaneuvered, had no choice but to grant the dancing girl her macabre request. While Herodias' daughter is not named in Scripture, tradition holds her name was Salome.