Weeping and Tears in the Bible -- #1 Quiz

Answer: Jacob

Jacob is the correct answer. After Joseph's brothers sold him for twenty pieces of silver to Midianite traders, they took his tunic and smeared some blood from a goat on it. The brothers then took the blood-smeared tunic and showed it to their father Jacob, stating Joseph had been slain by a wild beast.

According to Scripture, Jacob was overcome with grief. Genesis 37:35 states Jacob wept for Joseph and refused to be comforted by his family members. The verse quotes Jacob as saying, "For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning."

Answer: Hagar

Hagar, the mother of Ishmael and the concubine of Jacob, is the correct answer. Scripture tells of Abraham ordering Hagar and Ishmael out of his house, providing them with only some bread and a skin of water. After the water was used up, Hagar feared her son would die. According to Genesis 21:16, she lifted her voice and wept.

Scripture goes on to tell of an angel calling out to Hagar and God opening her eyes, with a well miraculously appearing in her sight.

Answer: Esau

Esau broke down crying, begging his father Isaac for the blessing that was intended for him. According to Genesis 27, Esau's slightly younger twin brother Jacob duped Isaac into blessing him instead. Jacob was assisted by his mother Rebekah in pulling off his ruse.

When Esau found out Jacob had fraudulently obtained his blessing, he broke down in tears. Genesis 27:38 in the NKJV states: "And Esau said to his father, 'Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me -- me also, O my father!' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept."

Answer: Hannah

According to Scripture, Hannah was ruthlessly teased by Peninnah over her inability to conceive. Both women were married to Elkanah and, according to Scripture, Peninnah was the mother of an unstated number of sons and daughters, and she took delight in making Hannah miserable.

1 Samuel 1:6-7 in the NKJV gives this account of Hannah's suffering: "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."

Answer: Hezekiah

Hezekiah, the fourteenth king of Israel, had fifteen years added to his life after the prophet Isaiah told him to get his house in order "because you are going to die, you will not recover." Scripture tells of Hezekiah being shaken to the inner core by Isaiah's pronouncement and pouring out his heart to God.

The king's prayer, and his tears, got quick action. 2 Kings 20:4-5 tells of God instructing Isaiah to go back and inform Hezekiah, "the ruler of My people", that his prayer had been heard and his tears seen. As a result, fifteen more years were added to Hezekiah's life, as per Verse 6.

Answer: Job

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar broke down and wept when the saw their friend Job after his life was turned upside down and inside out by a series of calamities.

Job 1:12-13 in the NKJV tells what happened when the three men saw Job: "And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great."

Answer: Esther

Esther 8:1-6 tells of Esther falling at the feet of Ahasuerus, king of Persia, and imploring him with tears to prevent a diabolical plan by Haman from taking place. Haman, an assistant of the king, came up with a diabolical plan to annihilate all the Jews in the vast empire ruled by Ahasuerus.

Scripture goes on to tell of the king agreeing to Esther's plea, and the subsequent execution of Haman. Esther was the cousin of Mordecai and the two of them formed a key alliance in preventing Haman's scheme for coming to fruition.

Answer: Dorcas or Tabitha

Dorcas, also known as Tabitha, is the correct answer. According to Acts 9:36-42, she was raised from the dead by Peter, one of the original Twelve Disciples.

Scripture tells of Peter being greeted by weeping widows prior to raising Dorcas from the dead. However, their weeping quickly ended when Peter miraculously brought the woman back to life.

Dorcas lived in Joppa. The community is now known as Jaffa and is part of Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean Sea. 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.

Answer: Lazarus

John 11:35 states Jesus wept when He saw people filled with grief at the tomb of Lazarus in Bethany. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha and had died four days before. However, it must be stressed Jesus did not weep in hopeless despair and grief.

He knew that, by raising Lazarus from the dead, He could bring an instant end to the grief of everyone who was at the tomb of Lazarus. And according to Scripture that's exactly what happened: Christ brought Lazarus back to life and everyone's grief turned to ecstasy.

Answer: Paul

2 Timothy, as well as 1 Timothy, was written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

To put the verse in context, here's how 2 Timothy 1:3-4 reads in the NKJV: "I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy."

It has been speculated that Paul greatly desired to see Timothy because he was possibly aware his life was near an end. It is believed he was executed shortly after 2 Timothy was written.

Timothy was a worker in the early church who was known for being young and timid. He appears to have been a favorite of Paul.