Well, Well, Well! -- A Bible Quiz About Wells

Answer: Abraham's servant

Genesis 24:12-14 tells of an unnamed servant of Abraham standing by a well and praying to God for a sign informing him about the right woman to pick as a wife for Isaac. According to Scripture, the servant had been sent to Mesopotamia by Abraham to find a wife for his only son. (In the NIV, Mesopotamia is referred to as Aram Naharaim.)

As part of the prayer request, the servant asked God that a sign the woman is the right one for Isaac would be when he asked her for a drink she would oblige and also offer to give his camels some water. Verse 15 goes on to state that before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. The rest, as they say, is history.

While no name is given for Abraham's servant, many theologians believe it was Eliezar. According to Genesis 24, Abraham asked the "oldest servant" of his house to go to go to "my country and to my family" to find a wife for Isaac. In Genesis 15:2, Abraham, who was without children at the time, in a conversation with God, said his servant Eliezar of Damascus was the heir of his household.

Answer: Hagar

The sixteenth chapter of Genesis tells of Hagar fleeing after her mistress Sarai, who later became known as Sarah, dealt harshly with her. Scripture also tells of an Angel of the LORD finding Hagar by a "spring of water in the wilderness," as per Verse 7 of the NKJV. (While most Bible translations use the words 'spring of water', the Wycliffe Bible says the Angel of the LORD found Hagar by a well.)

In Genesis 16:9-10, the Angel of the LORD instructed Hagar to return to Sarai her mistress and promised "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude."

The chapter goes on to tell of Hagar returning to Sarai and her husband Abram, who later became known as Abraham. Genesis 16:15 states Hagar bore Abraham a son who was called Ishmael.

Answer: Abimelech

Abimelech is the correct answer. Genesis 21 tells of a feud between Abimelech and Abraham largely over the fact Abimelech's servants seized a well from Abraham. Verses 25 and 26 tell of Abraham rebuking Abimelech over the actions of his servants with Abimelech responding he was not aware of the situation.

The chapter goes on to tell of Abimelech and Abraham agreeing to live in peace with Abraham calling the well Beersheba, "because the two of them swore an oath there."

Answer: Jacob

Jacob met his future wife Rachel at a well in Padam Aram, according to Genesis 29:1-12. Genesis 28:2 states Jacob was sent to Padan Aram by his father, Isaac, who advised him to see his uncle, Laban, who was the brother of Rebekah, Isaac's wife and Jacob's mother.

While it was love at first sight for Jacob when he met Rachel at a well, he would end up being tricked into marrying her oldest sister Leah. After working for Laban for fourteen years, Jacob would end up marrying Rachel.

Answer: Moses

Scripture states Moses killed an unnamed man in Egypt and after his crime became known to the Pharaoh, he fled for Midian. Exodus 2:15 tells of Moses ending up by a well in Midian when he met seven daughters of Reuel. (Elsewhere in Scripture, Reuel is known as Jethro.)

Verses 21-22 tell of Moses ending up living with Reuel's family and taking his daughter Zipporah as his wife. The same verses state Moses and Zipporah had a son and Moses called him Gershom, for "I have been a stranger in a foreign land."

Answer: Isaac

Isaac is the correct answer. Details about his servants naming wells Esek, Sitnah, Rehoboth and Beerhseba can be found in Genesis 26:17-33. Scripture states the wells were established in Gerar in Philistine. According to Genesis 26:18, the wells had originally been dug in the days of Isaac's father Abraham, but the Philistines "had stopped them up after the death of Abraham."

Answer: Ahimaaz and Jonathan

The correct answer is Ahimaaz and Jonathan, supporters of David during a civil war which saw one side backing David and the other side backing his son Absalom. Scripture tells of Absalom being informed by a young boy about the whereabouts of Ahimaaz and Jonathan. However, when Absalom's men went looking for the couple they came up empty. 2 Samuel 17:18 tells of Ahimaaz and Jonathan going to a man's house in Bahurim who had a well in his court and the two men entering into the well. Scripture goes on to tell of an unnamed woman spreading a covering over the well's mouth and spreading ground grain on it. When Absalom's men came to the woman at the house wanting to know the whereabouts of Ahimaaz and Jonathan, she told them they had gone "over the waterbrook."

It must be pointed out the Jonathan in the account of the men hiding in the well is not to be confused with Saul's son and David's best friend, who was also called Jonathan. As notes in the MKJV Study Bible point out, the Jonathan in this incident was the son of Abiathar while Ahimaaz was the son of Zadok.

Answer: David

David is the one who craved for a drink from the well at Bethlehem during a time he and his men were holed up while in battle against the Philistines. According to Scripture, after David made it known he craved for water from the well, three of his finest soldiers broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem and took it and brought it to him. Surprisingly, David refused to drink the water and poured it out as an offering to the LORD. (See 2 Samuel 23:14-17 for details.)

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state David offered the water as a sacrifice to the LORD because he saw it been offered at such great risk he regarded it as too precious to drink.

Answer: The Rabshakeh

The Rabshakeh promised the people of Jerusalem they could continue to drink from their own cisterns as well as eat from their own vines and fig trees if they surrendered, as per 2 Kings 18:31. (It is not known for certain, but notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the Rabshakeh was probably a title for Chief of Staff, or Governor, of Syria.)

Scripture goes on to tell of an Angel of the LORD killing one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrian soldiers and the people of Jerusalem no longer threatened. (See 2 Kings 19:35)

Answer: Jacob's well

The historic encounter took place at Jacob's well, according to Scripture. John 4:5-6 states the well was in the city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible explain Jacob had purchased a parcel of land (Genesis 33:18-19) which he bequeathed to Joseph on his deathbed (Genesis 48:21-22).