Hard Bible Trivia Questions: What the Scriptures Really Say
Judaism
Lo, there is no augury in Jacob, No divining in Israel: Jacob is told at once, Yea Israel, what God has planned. — Numbers 23:23 (JPS Tanakh)
Hard Bible trivia from a Jewish perspective typically centers on the Torah — the Five Books of Moses — and the Nevi'im (Prophets). Some of the trickiest questions involve legal passages in Deuteronomy, where layered commandments trip up even seasoned students. Deuteronomy 6:20, for instance, anticipates the very act of questioning: "When, in time to come, your children ask you, 'What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the ETERNAL our God has enjoined upon you?'" Deuteronomy 6:20 — a verse that itself becomes a trivia challenge when one asks which of the four children at the Passover Seder it represents.
Numbers 23:23 is another notoriously difficult passage, containing a textual ambiguity that even the JPS translators flagged with two competing readings Numbers 23:23. The verse reads: "Lo, there is no augury in Jacob, No divining in Israel: Jacob is told at once, Yea Israel, what God has planned." Numbers 23:23 Scholars like Nahum Sarna (20th century) and medieval commentator Rashi both wrestled with whether this verse prohibits divination or simply declares its irrelevance to Israel. That kind of interpretive complexity is exactly what makes hard Jewish Bible trivia so demanding.
Rabbinic tradition adds another layer: the Talmud (compiled ~200–500 CE) frequently debates the plain meaning of Torah verses versus their legal derivations, meaning a trivia question about a single word can have multiple defensible answers depending on whether one follows the peshat (plain meaning) or derash (interpretive) tradition.
Christianity
This is an hard saying; who can hear it? — John 6:60 (KJV)
Hard Bible trivia in Christianity spans both Testaments, and the difficulty isn't just about obscure facts — it's about passages that were considered hard even by those who first heard them. In John 6:60, Jesus's own disciples reacted to his teaching on eating his flesh and drinking his blood by saying: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" John 6:60 That verse alone spawns dozens of trivia questions about Eucharistic theology, the nature of Jesus's metaphors, and why many disciples left after hearing it.
Mark 10:24 presents another classic hard-trivia moment. Jesus astonishes his disciples with the statement: "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!" Mark 10:24 Scholars like N.T. Wright and Craig Keener have noted that the disciples' astonishment (Greek: ethambēthēsan) reflects a cultural expectation that wealth signaled divine favor — making Jesus's reversal genuinely shocking and a frequent subject of theological trivia.
Hebrews 9:17 offers yet another layer of difficulty, dealing with covenant law: "For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." Hebrews 9:17 This verse is notoriously tricky in trivia because it uses the Greek word diathēkē, which can mean both "covenant" and "testament/will" — a dual meaning that scholars like F.F. Bruce (1964, in his commentary on Hebrews) argued was intentional and theologically loaded.
It's worth noting there's genuine disagreement among Christian denominations about how to interpret these hard passages. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions often land in different places, which means a trivia answer that's "correct" in one tradition may be contested in another.
Islam
Not applicable. This question concerns trivia drawn from the Bible (Old and New Testaments), which is not canonical scripture in Islam; the Qur'an is a distinct text and is not the subject of "Bible trivia."
Where they agree
Both Judaism and Christianity agree that scripture is not always straightforward — hard passages are built into the texts themselves. Both traditions institutionalize the practice of questioning: Judaism through the Passover Seder's four children (rooted in Deuteronomy 6:20 Deuteronomy 6:20) and Christianity through catechism and theological debate (as seen in the disciples' own confusion in John 6:60 John 6:60). Both also acknowledge that difficulty in scripture is often intentional, designed to provoke deeper study rather than surface-level reading.
Where they disagree
| Topic | Judaism | Christianity |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of "the Bible" | Tanakh only (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim); no New Testament | Old and New Testaments; NT adds Gospels, Epistles, Revelation |
| Hard passages in Numbers/Deuteronomy | Interpreted through Talmud, Midrash, and rabbinic commentary; legal precision is paramount | Often read typologically or as foreshadowing Christ; legal nuance less central |
| Meaning of "covenant" (Heb. 9:17) | Not applicable — Hebrews is not Jewish scripture | Debated: does diathēkē mean covenant or will/testament? Hebrews 9:17 Both meanings are theologically significant |
| Hard sayings of Jesus | Not applicable — Jesus is not a prophetic authority in Judaism | Central trivia territory; disciples themselves struggled (John 6:60 John 6:60, Mark 10:24 Mark 10:24) |
Key takeaways
- Hard Bible trivia is in scope for Judaism (Tanakh) and Christianity (Old and New Testaments); Islam is not applicable since the Bible is not its canonical scripture.
- Even Jesus's disciples found certain teachings difficult — John 6:60 records them calling his words 'an hard saying' John 6:60, making it prime trivia material.
- Numbers 23:23 is a classic Jewish trivia challenge because the JPS Tanakh itself offers two competing translations of the same verse Numbers 23:23.
- Hebrews 9:17 Hebrews 9:17 is one of Christianity's hardest trivia verses due to the Greek word diathēkē carrying dual meanings: both 'covenant' and 'last will/testament.'
- Denominational disagreement in Christianity means some 'hard' trivia questions have legitimately different correct answers depending on Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox tradition.
FAQs
What is considered one of the hardest sayings in the New Testament?
Why is Numbers 23:23 a tricky Bible trivia question?
What does Hebrews 9:17 say, and why is it hard trivia?
What did Jesus say about riches that astonished his disciples?
How does Deuteronomy 6:20 connect to hard Jewish Bible trivia?
Judaism
When, in time to come, your children ask you, “What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the ETERNAL our God has enjoined upon you?”
Use these hard Hebrew Bible questions that hinge on precise wording and context:
- In a future dialogue imagined within the Torah, what do children ask about the meaning of the decrees, laws, and rules given by the Eternal? (Quote or paraphrase closely.) Deuteronomy 6:20
- Which verse declares there is no augury in Jacob and no divining in Israel, and what is Israel told in place of divination? Numbers 23:23
Answer keys:
- They ask, “What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the ETERNAL our God has enjoined upon you?” Deuteronomy 6:20
- “Lo, there is no augury in Jacob, No divining in Israel; … what God has planned” is made known, replacing divination with divine disclosure Numbers 23:23.
Christianity
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
Challenging New Testament questions centered on difficult sayings and legal imagery:
- Which verse records disciples reacting, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” and to whom were they responding? John 6:60
- Where does Jesus say it is hard for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God? Mark 10:24
- In which epistle is a testament said to be in force only after the testator has died? Hebrews 9:17
Answer keys:
- John 6:60; they were responding to Jesus’ teaching John 6:60.
- Mark 10:24, where Jesus addresses the difficulty for the rich in entering God’s kingdom Mark 10:24.
- Hebrews 9:17, which states the legal force of a testament begins after death Hebrews 9:17.
These verses themselves frame the challenge—listeners found teachings “hard,” and Jesus explicitly calls entry for the rich “hard” John 6:60 Mark 10:24.
Islam
Not applicable. Concerns Biblical scripture and Christian practice; no direct counterpart required in Islamic scripture for Bible trivia.
Where they agree
Both Jewish and Christian scriptures present moments that prompt questioning and acknowledge difficulty in understanding or accepting teachings: children ask the meaning of God’s commands in Deuteronomy, and disciples call a teaching “hard” in John Deuteronomy 6:20 John 6:60. Both also contrast divine guidance with human alternatives—Israel is told of God’s plan rather than resorting to divination, while Jesus contrasts trust in riches with entry into God’s kingdom Numbers 23:23 Mark 10:24.
Where they disagree
| Topic | Judaism (Hebrew Bible) | Christianity (New Testament) | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Framing | Emphasis on teaching children to grasp the meaning of God’s decrees. | Emphasis on disciples labeling a teaching “hard.” | Deut 6:20; John 6:60 Deuteronomy 6:20 John 6:60 |
| Illustrated Obstacle | Rejection of divination in favor of what God reveals. | Difficulty for those trusting in riches to enter God’s kingdom. | Num 23:23; Mark 10:24 Numbers 23:23 Mark 10:24 |
Key takeaways
- Deuteronomy 6:20 frames hard questions about God’s commands from children seeking meaning Deuteronomy 6:20.
- Numbers 23:23 rejects divination and points Israel to what God reveals instead Numbers 23:23.
- John 6:60 preserves disciples calling a teaching of Jesus “an hard saying” John 6:60.
- Mark 10:24 highlights the obstacle of trusting in riches for entering God’s kingdom Mark 10:24.
- Hebrews 9:17 uses legal language about a testament’s force beginning after death Hebrews 9:17.
FAQs
Which verse famously calls a teaching of Jesus “an hard saying”?
Where does Jesus teach it’s hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?
Which passage instructs how to answer children who ask about God’s laws?
What verse states a testament takes effect after the testator’s death?
Where is divination explicitly denied for Israel?
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