Significant OT People

Question 1

Adam

Answer 1

The first human being; covenant head of the entire human race; mediator of the
covenant of works; his sin resulted in the fall of God’s entire creation (Gen. 1-5).

Question 2

Seth

Answer 2

3rd son of Adam and Eve, and ancestor of Christ (Gen. 4)

Question 3

Noah

Answer 3

Created an ark to rescue God’s creature from the flood; mediator of the Noahic
covenant (Gen. 6-10).

Question 4

Tera

Answer 4

Father of Abraham (Gen. 11)

Question 5

Abraham

Answer 5

mediator of the Abrahamic covenant; father of the nation of Israel; sons were Isaac
and Ishmael; God instituted the covenant sign of circumcision with him (Gen. 12-25).

Question 6

Hagar

Answer 6

Maidservant of Sarai who bore Ishmael to Abraham; Paul refers to her in Gal. 4 (Gen. 16).

Question 7

Isaac

Answer 7

Son of Abraham and father of Jacob; was nearly sacrificed by Abraham at the Lord’s
command (Gen. 25-26) [21-27, 35].

Question 8

Jacob

Answer 8

Son of Isaac; father of the men for whom the 12 tribes of Israel are named; chosen
above his brother Esau as the child of blessing (Gen. 27-35/36).

Question 9

Laban

Answer 9

Brother of Rebekah (Isaac’s wife); father of Rachel and Leah (Jacob’s wives);
Jacob’s boss for 14 years (Gen. 24; 29-31).

Question 10

Joseph

Answer 10

Son of Jacob; sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually became a ruler in
Egypt who was second only to Pharaoh, which ultimately led to the people of Israel living in
Egypt for over 400 years (Gen. 37-50).

Question 11

Moses

Answer 11

Led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, through the wilderness for 40 years,
and to the threshold of the Promised Land; mediator of the Mosaic covenant; author of the
Pentateuch (Exod.-Deut.).

Question 12

Zipporah

Answer 12

Wife of Moses, who circumcised their son (Exod. 2; 4).

Question 13

Caleb

Answer 13

One of the spies who spied out the Promised Land; he and Joshua were the only spies
to give a good report (Num. 13; Josh. 14-15).

Question 14

Joshua

Answer 14

One of the spies who spied out the Promised Land (see above); took over for Moses
and led Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land (Exod. 17; Num. 13; Joshua).

Question 15

Achan

Answer 15

Stole plunder from Jericho, which caused Israel to be defeated by Ai. All of his
possessions and family were destroyed (Josh. 7).

Question 16

Deborah

Answer 16

Prophetess and judge of Israel who helped defeat Jabin and Sisera (Jud. 4-5)

Question 17

Gideon

Answer 17

Judge of Israel who defeated Midian; makes an ephod that became a snare to
himself, his family and Israel (Jud. 6-8)

Question 18

Samson

Answer 18

Judge of Israel who combated the Philistines; a Nazarite from birth; his lover
Delilah led to his capture by the Philistines (Jud. 13-16).

Question 19

Samuel

Answer 19

Prophet and last judge of Israel; anointed Saul and David as king (1 Sam. 1-16; 25).

Question 20

Saul

Answer 20

First king of Israel; rejected by the Lord for failing to devote all of Amalek to
destruction (1 Sam. 9-31; 1 Chr. 8-10).

Question 21

David

Answer 21

The great king of Israel and mediator of the Davidic covenant; God promised his heir
would rule forever (fulfilled in Jesus Christ); killed Goliath; his son is Solomon (among
others); the author of numerous Psalms (1 Sam. 16 – 1 Kgs. 2; 1 Chr. 11-29).

Question 22

Bathsheba

Answer 22

Woman with whom David committed adultery and murdered her husband, Uriah
the Hittite. She then married David, and became the mother of Solomon (2 Sam. 11-12).

Question 23

Solomon

Answer 23

David’s heir, who ruled over Israel during an unprecedented period of peace and
prosperity. Built the first temple. In his old age he committed idolatry and sent Israel down a
path that would lead to the exile. Wrote most of Proverbs, as well as the Song of Songs and
Ecclesiastes (1 Kgs. 1-11; 1 Chr. 28-2 Chr. 9).

Question 24

Rehoboam

Answer 24

Solomon’s heir, during whose reign the kingdom was divided (1 Kgs. 12-14; 2
Chr. 10-12)

Question 25

Jeroboam son of Nebat

Answer 25

First king of the Northern Kingdom, who set up two golden calves to rival Yahweh worship in the North. This made him the ultimate example of evil against which future Northern kings were measured (1 Kgs. 11-14).

Question 26

Elijah

Answer 26

Prophet to the Northern Kingdom who opposed Ahab and Baal worship. He was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (1 Kgs. 17-2 Kgs. 2).

Question 27

Elisha

Answer 27

apprentice and successor of Elijah as prophet to the Northern Kingdom. He performed many miracles and was a prophet for 55 years (1 Kgs. 19; 2 Kgs. 2-6).

Question 28

Sargon II

Answer 28

The Assyrian king who captured Samaria and exiled the Northern Kingdom (2 Kgs. 17 (“king of Assyria”); Isa. 20).

Question 29

Isaiah

Answer 29

Prophet to Judah who predicted the exile, restoration, and Messiah. Generally considered the greatest of the writing prophets (2 Kgs. 19-20; Isaiah).

Question 30

Hezekiah

Answer 30

King of Judah who instituted religious reform and improved the safety and prosperity of the nation. He was king when Sennacherib attacked Judah, and was rebuked for showing-off his prosperity to the Babylonian envoys (2 Kgs. 18-20).

Question 31

Josiah

Answer 31

King of Judah who instituted massive religious reforms, but was killed fighting Neco (2 Kgs. 22-23).

Question 32

Neco

Answer 32

King of Egypt, who killed Josiah and fell to Nebuchadnezzar at Carchemish (2 Kgs. 23; 2 Chr. 35).

Question 33

Nebuchadnezzar

Answer 33

King of Babylon who destroyed Judah and exiled the people, and interacted with Daniel (2 Kgs. 24-25; 2 Chr. 36; Dan. 1-4; Jer. 29).

Question 34

Jeremiah

Answer 34

Prophet to Judah just before the exile, and author of the book of Jeremiah

Question 35

Zedekiah

Answer 35

The last king of Judah before the exile (2 Kgs. 24-25; 2 Chr. 36).

Question 36

Ezekiel

Answer 36

Prophet during the exile who explained that in occurred because of Israel’s sin, predicted the restoration, and authored the book that bears his name (Ezekiel).

Question 37

Daniel

Answer 37

Prophet during the exile who occupied an important leadership positions in the Babylonian and Persian Empires. Predicted many future events, including the rise of the Persian, Greek and Roman Empires, and the Messiah (Daniel).

Question 38

Ezra

Answer 38

Priest during the restoration who led religious reform (Ezr. 7-10; Neh. 8-10)

Question 39

Zerrubbabel

Answer 39

Governor during the restoration who rebuilt the temple (1 Chron. 3; Ezr. 3; Neh. 7; Hag. 2; Zech. 4).

Question 40

Nehemiah

Answer 40

Post-exilic governor of Jerusalem who helped rebuild the city, and authored the book that bears his name. Previously a cup-bearer to the Persian king (Nehemiah).

Question 41

Sanballet

Answer 41

Post-exilic Governor of Samaria, who opposed the rebuilding of the wall (Neh. 2-6).

Question 42

Ahasuerus (Xerxes)

Answer 42

King of Persia who took Esther as his wife, hanged Haman and exalted Mordecai (Esther; Dan. 9).

Question 43

Malachi

Answer 43

The last of the OT prophets, and a contemporary of Nehemiah (Malachi).

Question 44

Ruth

Answer 44

A Moabite, the widow of the Judahite Mahlon (Ruth 1:2-5); the central figure of the book of Ruth, and an ancestor of David and Jesus (Matt. 1:5; cf. Ruth 4:17-22).

Question 45

Esther

Answer 45

Jewish queen of Persia

Question 46

Mordecai

Answer 46

Esther’s cousin and who becomes her foster father (Esth, 2:5, 7). Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman, the highest official of the Persian king Ahasuerus, causes Haman to plan a pogrom of all Persian Jews.