Bible Quiz: Who Are the Answers in Scripture?

The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is rich with named individuals whose identities form the backbone of any serious Bible quiz. Two figures who appear repeatedly as answers to 'who' questions are Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh. Numbers 32:12 singles them out explicitly as the only two of their generation who remained fully loyal to God during the wilderness period Numbers 32:12. Their names are essentially inseparable in the text.

Eleazar the priest is another recurring answer. Numbers 34:17 identifies him alongside Joshua as the men appointed to divide the Promised Land among the tribes Numbers 34:17. Moses commanded them jointly in Numbers 32:28 as well Numbers 32:28, so if a quiz asks 'who was tasked with dividing the land,' both Eleazar and Joshua are correct.

The books of Nehemiah offer a different category of quiz answers — the Levites and leaders who signed the covenant. Nehemiah 10:10 names Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel Nehemiah 10:10, while Nehemiah 12:34 lists Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah among those who participated in the dedication of the wall Nehemiah 12:34. These are classic 'who are these people?' passages that trip up casual readers.

Rabbinic tradition, particularly through commentators like Rashi (1040–1105 CE), emphasizes that knowing who the biblical figures are is foundational to understanding the text's legal and narrative weight. The names aren't incidental — they carry covenantal significance.

Christianity inherits the Old Testament in full, so all the same 'who' answers from the Hebrew Bible apply here too. Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar, and the Levites of Nehemiah are all valid Bible quiz answers for Christian audiences Numbers 34:17Numbers 32:12Nehemiah 10:10. Christian biblical scholars like F.F. Bruce (1910–1990) have long noted that typological reading of the Old Testament gives these figures additional significance — Joshua, for instance, is frequently read as a type of Jesus (the names share the same Hebrew root).

Genesis 48:8 captures a quintessential quiz moment: Israel (Jacob) looks at Joseph's sons and asks, 'Who are these?' — and the answer, of course, is Manasseh and Ephraim, who go on to become two of the twelve tribes Genesis 48:8. That's a classic Sunday school question.

It's worth noting that Christian quiz traditions often extend into the New Testament, where 'who' questions multiply — who betrayed Jesus, who wrote Revelation, who was the first martyr. But the Old Testament passages retrieved here are equally in scope for Christian Bible trivia, since most Protestant and Catholic canons include them without alteration.

There's some disagreement among denominations about whether deuterocanonical books (like parts of Nehemiah's extended narrative) carry the same authority, but the core figures — Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar — are universally recognized Numbers 32:28.

The Qur'an doesn't function as a quiz book in the same way the Bible does, but it does independently name several figures who appear in Bible quizzes. Surah 6:85 lists Zechariah, John, Jesus, and Elias (Elijah) together, describing each as among the righteous Quran 6:85Quran 6:85. For a Muslim audience, these names carry Qur'anic authority independent of their biblical context.

Hadith literature adds further named figures. Sahih al-Bukhari 3969 names Hamza, Ali, Ubaida bin Al-Harith, Utba, Shaiba, and Al-Walid bin Utba as the men about whom Surah 22:19 was revealed — specifically those who fought at the Battle of Badr Sahih al Bukhari 3969. These are distinctly Islamic 'who are these?' answers, not shared with the Bible.

Islamic scholarship, including the work of Ibn Kathir (1301–1373 CE) in his Qur'anic commentary Tafsir Ibn Kathir, treats the Qur'anic prophets as a confirmed lineage of righteous messengers. So while Islam doesn't have a 'Bible quiz' tradition per se, the question of 'who are the righteous figures in scripture' has a clear Qur'anic answer that partially overlaps with both Judaism and Christianity.

For Bible-quiz identifications drawn from the Tanakh, note the following:

• Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are explicitly named to divide the land (Numbers 34:17). Numbers 34:17
• Moses commanded Eleazar, Joshua, and the chiefs of the tribes concerning the Transjordan settlement (Numbers 32:28). Numbers 32:28
• Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun are singled out as remaining loyal to God (Numbers 32:12). Numbers 32:12
• “Israel” (Jacob) asks of Joseph’s sons, “Who are these?” (Genesis 48:8)—a common quiz clue linking Jacob to Ephraim and Manasseh’s blessing scene. Genesis 48:8
• Nehemiah records named Levites—Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui (of Henadad), and Kadmiel (Nehemiah 10:10)—and other leaders: Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah (Nehemiah 12:34). These lists often anchor name-identification questions. Nehemiah 10:10Nehemiah 12:34

These identifications are straightforward from the Hebrew text and standard Jewish editions. There’s no live intra-Jewish dispute on who these named figures are in these specific verses. Numbers 34:17Genesis 48:8Numbers 32:28Numbers 32:12Nehemiah 10:10Nehemiah 12:34

Christian readers of the Old Testament identify the same figures for quiz-style questions:

• Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are named to divide the land (Numbers 34:17). Numbers 34:17
• Moses commands Eleazar, Joshua, and tribal heads regarding Reuben/Gad/Manasseh (Numbers 32:28). Numbers 32:28
• Caleb and Joshua are the two who “remained loyal” (Numbers 32:12). Numbers 32:12
• In the blessing narrative, Israel (Jacob) asks of Joseph’s sons, “Who are these?” (Genesis 48:8). Genesis 48:8
• Nehemiah contains helpful lists for name ID, including Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui, Kadmiel (Nehemiah 10:10) and Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah (Nehemiah 12:34). Nehemiah 10:10Nehemiah 12:34

Across mainstream Christian traditions, these Old Testament identifications are read the same way at the verse level; differences here are about translation wording, not who’s being named. Numbers 34:17Genesis 48:8Numbers 32:28Numbers 32:12Nehemiah 10:10Nehemiah 12:34

Not applicable. Concerns Bible/Tanakh passages and quiz identifications; no direct Islamic-practice counterpart.