Old Testament King and Queen Names Inside Words Quiz

Answer: Ahab

King Ahab, the husband of Jezebel, is the correct answer.

According to Scripture, Jezebel was an evil influence over the throne of her husband. Jezebel is regarded as a villain in the Old Testament because she played a pivotal role in convincing Ahab to stop worshiping God and to start worshiping Baal. (See 1 Kings 21:25.) She also had a number of prophets killed, as per 1 Kings 18:4.

Ahab is perhaps best known for being the main adversary of Elijah. He is also known for being part of the account involving the killing of Naboth. As per 1 Kings 21:1-16, Jezebel orchestrated things so Naboth was stoned to death giving Ahab the opportunity to take control of his land which was used as a vineyard.

Answer: David

David, the shepherd boy who slew Goliath and ascended to become king, is the correct answer. Although David's story smacks of success, his life was filled with considerable heartache and bitter disappointment.

For example, he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then orchestrated the murder of her husband Uriah, only to be confronted by the prophet Nathan. The account of Nathan confronting David is found in the 12th chapter of 2 Samuel. He used a parable to make David aware of the seriousness of his sin when he committed adultery followed by murder. Nathan then made the pronouncement that the child who would be born as a result of the adulterous affair would die, and sure enough it came to pass.

On top of this, David was involved in a full-scale coup attempt when his son Absalom rose up and attempted to oust him. Details about the coup attempt, with Israel plunged into a bloody civil war, can be found in 2 Samuel 15 through to chapter 18.

Civil war was nothing new for David, however. According to Scripture, he became king of Israel when a civil war erupted with one side backing him and the other side backing Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, the first king of Israel. Ish-bosheth reigned for two years after being proclaimed king. David's forces would eventually win and the rest, as they say, is history.

Answer: Athaliah

The sordid story of Queen Athaliah is found in the 11th chapter of 2 Kings as well as the 22nd and 23rd chapters of 2 Chronicles. She was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Kings 8:18) and she was the original 'queen of mean'. In fact, she makes Leona Helmsley look like a Girl Guide.

When her son Ahaziah died, she was unstoppable in her blood-thirsty mission to have herself instilled as queen. To this end, she killed all Ahaziah's children except Joash, the youngest, as per 2 Kings 11:1-2. (The only reason she didn't kill Joash is the fact he was placed in hiding.) In other words, she killed her own grandchildren to cement her hold on power.

Answer: Saul

Saul, the son of Kish, was the first king of Israel. Prior to Saul, the Isrealites were ruled by judges. In addition to being the first king, Saul was extremely handsome.

1 Samuel 9:2, in the NKJV Bible, states: "And he (Kish) had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people."

Saul's reign was initially marked with military victories over other armies, but before long he would become bogged down with an insatiable desire to kill David. He ended up seeking occult advice and Scripture indicates his doom was sealed as a result. It's interesting to note Saul didn't want the position of king in the first place. According to 1 Samuel 10:22, he was attempting to hide among some baggage before he was found and brought out by the people to be proclaimed as their king. The story ends in 1 Samuel 31:1-13 with Saul committing suicide.

Answer: Manasseh

Manasseh became king at the tender age of 12 and, according to Scripture, ruled until he was 67. Scripture states Manasseh was extremely brutal.

2 Kings 21:16, in the NKJV Bible, states Manasseh "shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another." Scripture also reports he worshiped false gods and rebuilt high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed. According to Wikipedia, the name Manasseh means "causing to forget."

Answer: Omri

Omri was king of Israel, ruling for twelve years. Details about his reign are recorded in 1 Kings 16:21-27. He was made king after Israel was embroiled in a civil war with one faction supporting Tibni son of Ginath for king and the other faction supporting Omri.

1 Kings 16:24, in the NKJV Bible, states Omri "bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill."

Answer: Hoshea

Hoshea was the last king of Israel, reigning for nine years. He and his people ended up being captured by an invading Assyrian army.

2 Kings 17:1-4 in the NKJV gives this account of Hoshea's reign: "In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money. And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison."

Scripture goes on to tell of the Israelites being carried captive to Assyria.

Answer: Queen of Sheba

The visit by the Queen of Sheba is recalled in the 10th chapter of 1 Kings and the 9th chapter of 2 Chronicles. Scripture reports she arrived in Jerusalem with "a very great caravan" carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones. Scripture also reports she was "overwhelmed" with Solomon's wisdom and his immense wealth.

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Sheba was located in southwestern Arabia, present-day Yemen.

Answer: Ahaz

Ahaz, like so many of the Israelite monarchs, was wicked in the eyes of the LORD. He was the son of Remaliah.

2 Kings 16: 2-4, in the NKJV, provides these details about his reign:
"Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree."

Answer: Solomon

Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, is the correct answer. He replaced his father David as king and presided over a golden era in Israelite history.

According to Scripture, he was known for his immense wisdom and built a magnificent temple to honor the LORD. Scripture reports he had 700 wives and 300 concubines and they led him astray and he began worshiping foreign gods.

Chapters 2 through 11 in 1 Kings are largely devoted to details about Solomon's life and his reign. Shortly after his death, when his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne, the Israelite nation would split with the northern ten tribes breaking away from the tribes of Judah.