An Expert Challenge

Hard Bible Quiz: 40 Questions Only Experts Know

Updated: June 17, 2026 · Reading time: 10 minutes

Expert level Here it's no longer enough to remember names. You have to connect characters, places and the order of events.

Try to answer without peeking, then head to the game and see whether you keep your cool when the clock is running too.

Think you're truly strong in the Bible? Now's the time to find out. We've put together a hard Bible quiz with 40 especially challenging questions, suited for Bible lovers, advanced contestants, families who enjoy a challenge, and anyone who has already cleared the easy questions and wants to see whether they're truly an expert.

The questions here deal with characters, kings, prophets, events, books, places and small details that are easy to miss. If you manage to answer most of them correctly — you have every reason to be proud.

What makes a Bible quiz truly hard?

A hard Bible quiz isn't just a quiz with complicated names. A good quiz tests whether you truly understand the biblical story, remember the order of events, know how to link characters, and can identify small details from across the Torah, Prophets and Writings.

Score table: how strong are you really?

Hard Bible Quiz — 40 questions with answers

Ready? Try to answer without peeking at the answers. You can play alone, in pairs, in groups or as a family game.

1. What was Joshua son of Nun's name before Moses changed it?

A. Hoshea
B. Caleb
C. Eliezer
D. Phinehas

Correct answer: A. Hoshea

2. Who was the spy from the tribe of Judah?

A. Joshua son of Nun
B. Caleb son of Jephunneh
C. Shammua son of Zaccur
D. Gaddi son of Susi

Correct answer: B. Caleb son of Jephunneh

3. Who was the father of Phinehas?

A. Aaron
B. Eleazar
C. Ithamar
D. Moses

Correct answer: B. Eleazar

4. How many cities of refuge were designated in the Torah?

A. Three
B. Four
C. Six
D. Twelve

Correct answer: C. Six

5. Who was the king of Salem who met Abraham?

A. Abimelech
B. Melchizedek
C. Pharaoh
D. Ephron

Correct answer: B. Melchizedek

6. From whom did Abraham buy the Cave of Machpelah?

A. Melchizedek
B. Abimelech
C. Ephron the Hittite
D. Laban the Aramean

Correct answer: C. Ephron the Hittite

7. Who was the mother of Benjamin?

A. Leah
B. Rachel
C. Bilhah
D. Zilpah

Correct answer: B. Rachel

8. What was the name of Moses's first son?

A. Eliezer
B. Gershom
C. Phinehas
D. Nadab

Correct answer: B. Gershom

9. Who made the golden calf?

A. Korah
B. Dathan
C. Aaron
D. Balaam

Correct answer: C. Aaron

10. How old was Moses when he died?

A. 100
B. 110
C. 120
D. 130

Correct answer: C. 120

11. Who hid the spies in Jericho?

A. Deborah
B. Rahab
C. Jael
D. Miriam

Correct answer: B. Rahab

12. Who killed Eglon king of Moab?

A. Gideon
B. Jephthah
C. Ehud son of Gera
D. Samson

Correct answer: C. Ehud son of Gera

13. From which tribe was Ehud son of Gera?

A. Judah
B. Benjamin
C. Ephraim
D. Manasseh

Correct answer: B. Benjamin

14. What was Gideon's other name?

A. Jerubbaal
B. Abimelech
C. Barak
D. Elkanah

Correct answer: A. Jerubbaal

15. Who was the father of Gideon?

A. Joash
B. Manoah
C. Elkanah
D. Kish

Correct answer: A. Joash

16. Which judge made a harsh vow before his war against the Ammonites?

A. Samson
B. Jephthah
C. Barak
D. Othniel

Correct answer: B. Jephthah

17. Who discovered the secret of Samson's strength?

A. Delilah
B. Jael
C. Michal
D. Abigail

Correct answer: A. Delilah

18. What were the names of Eli the priest's sons?

A. Nadab and Abihu
B. Hophni and Phinehas
C. Gershom and Eliezer
D. Manasseh and Ephraim

Correct answer: B. Hophni and Phinehas

19. Who was the father of King Saul?

A. Jesse
B. Kish
C. Samuel
D. Abner

Correct answer: B. Kish

20. Who was Saul's son and David's close friend?

A. Ish-bosheth
B. Jonathan
C. Abner
D. Mephibosheth

Correct answer: B. Jonathan

21. Who was the commander of David's army?

A. Abner
B. Joab
C. Benaiah
D. Ahithophel

Correct answer: B. Joab

22. Who rebuked David with the parable of the poor man's ewe lamb?

A. Samuel
B. Nathan
C. Elijah
D. Gad

Correct answer: B. Nathan

23. Who killed Absalom?

A. David
B. Joab
C. Abishai
D. Benaiah

Correct answer: B. Joab

24. Who was Absalom's counselor who took his own life after his advice was rejected?

A. Hushai the Archite
B. Ahithophel
C. Abner
D. Shimei son of Gera

Correct answer: B. Ahithophel

25. Who was the prophet who tore his garment into twelve pieces as a sign to Jeroboam?

A. Elijah
B. Ahijah the Shilonite
C. Nathan
D. Elisha

Correct answer: B. Ahijah the Shilonite

26. Who was the first king of the Kingdom of Israel after the kingdom split?

A. Rehoboam
B. Jeroboam son of Nebat
C. Baasha
D. Omri

Correct answer: B. Jeroboam son of Nebat

27. Who set up the golden calves in Bethel and Dan?

A. Ahab
B. Jeroboam son of Nebat
C. Manasseh
D. Rehoboam

Correct answer: B. Jeroboam son of Nebat

28. Who was the prophet who rebuked Ahab over the affair of Naboth's vineyard?

A. Elisha
B. Elijah
C. Micaiah son of Imlah
D. Isaiah

Correct answer: B. Elijah

29. Who was Ahab's wife?

A. Athaliah
B. Jezebel
C. Michal
D. Abigail

Correct answer: B. Jezebel

30. Who hid Joash from Athaliah?

A. Jehosheba
B. Huldah
C. Abigail
D. Esther

Correct answer: A. Jehosheba

31. In the days of which king was the scroll of the Torah found in the Temple?

A. Hezekiah
B. Josiah
C. Manasseh
D. Uzziah

Correct answer: B. Josiah

32. Who was the priest who found the scroll of the Torah in the days of Josiah?

A. Zadok
B. Hilkiah
C. Jehoiada
D. Abiathar

Correct answer: B. Hilkiah

33. Which prophetess did they turn to in the days of Josiah after the scroll of the Torah was found?

A. Deborah
B. Huldah
C. Miriam
D. Esther

Correct answer: B. Huldah

34. To which king was it said that fifteen years would be added to his life?

A. David
B. Hezekiah
C. Solomon
D. Josiah

Correct answer: B. Hezekiah

35. In the days of which king did the kingdom split into the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah?

A. Solomon
B. Rehoboam
C. Asa
D. Jehoshaphat

Correct answer: B. Rehoboam

36. Who led the building of the wall of Jerusalem after the return to Zion?

A. Ezra
B. Nehemiah
C. Daniel
D. Haggai

Correct answer: B. Nehemiah

37. Who was the scribe who read from the Torah before the people after the return to Zion?

A. Ezra
B. Nehemiah
C. Zerubbabel
D. Mordecai

Correct answer: A. Ezra

38. Who were the three men thrown into the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel?

A. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah
B. Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah
C. Elijah, Elisha and Jonah
D. Mordecai, Haman and Ahasuerus

Correct answer: A. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah

39. Which prophet saw the vision of the dry bones?

A. Isaiah
B. Jeremiah
C. Ezekiel
D. Hosea

Correct answer: C. Ezekiel

40. Who was the prophet who came from Tekoa?

A. Amos
B. Hosea
C. Joel
D. Micah

Correct answer: A. Amos

How do you improve at a hard Bible quiz?

If you got some of the questions wrong, that's excellent. Hard Bible questions are meant to reveal where your knowledge is strong and where it needs review. Instead of studying everything from the start, it's best to identify recurring topics: the kings of Judah and Israel, the prophets, the Book of Judges, the return to Zion, secondary characters and the order of events.

1. Don't study only the famous stories

Everyone remembers Noah, Moses and David. A hard Bible quiz also tests Gideon, Ahijah the Shilonite, Huldah the prophetess, Hilkiah, Nehemiah and Amos. That's exactly where many players fall.

2. Keep a list of your mistakes

Every time you get one wrong, note the topic: kings, judges, prophets, scrolls or Torah. After a few quizzes you'll see exactly what keeps coming up.

3. Play by levels

Don't jump straight to the hardest questions. Start with Bible quiz questions with answers, move on to the online Bible quiz, and only then try the hard quiz again.

Who is the hard Bible quiz for?

This quiz is especially suited to adults, strong students, Bible lovers, families who enjoy competition, teachers who want a challenging final round, and anyone who has already cleared a Bible quiz for kids or the easy questions and wants to level up.

Frequently asked questions about the hard Bible quiz

Is the quiz suitable for children?

Some of the questions may suit advanced children, but most of the quiz is intended for those who already know the Bible stories well. For younger children it's better to start with a Bible quiz for kids.

How many correct answers count as a good result?

If you answered more than 25 out of 40 correctly, you have strong biblical knowledge. Over 30 is already expert level.

Can the questions be used in class?

Yes. Teachers can use the questions as a final round, an enrichment activity, a group competition or a challenge for advanced students.

Which is better: reading questions or playing online?

Reading questions helps you learn at your own pace. Playing online adds tension, scoring, levels and the feel of a real quiz.

Summary: are you really a Bible expert?

A hard Bible quiz is an excellent test of memory, understanding and broad knowledge. It checks not only whether you know the big stories, but also whether you remember lesser-known characters, prophets, kings, places and the order of events.