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40 Bible Riddles with Answers: Who Am I?

Updated November 10, 2026

Quick answer

Here are 40 Bible riddles with answers and Scripture references, in the "Who am I?" format: 20 about people of the Bible, 10 about objects and places, and 10 simpler ones for kids. For example: "I was cupbearer to a Persian king, I wept over the fallen walls of Jerusalem and then rebuilt them." The answer is Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:11; 6:15). Use them as icebreakers, a small group game or a special round in a Bible quiz competition.

Bible riddles work because they make you remember the whole story, not just a name. Each of these 40 gives clues in the first person, what the character did, where they were, what happened to them, until someone in the group figures it out.

Under each riddle you will find the answer and the reference, so you can read the passage after the guess. If you want easier clues, start with the kids block; if your group already knows the Bible well, read only the first half of the clue and give bonus points to whoever answers early. You can print the list after a free sign-up or show it on a screen in presentation mode.

The questions, with answers and references

Who am I? Bible characters

People from the Old and New Testaments.

  1. 1. Who am I? I built an altar on Mount Carmel, had it soaked with water three times, and God answered with fire.

    Answer: Elijah — 1 Kings 18:30-38

  2. 2. Who am I? I lived in a house on the wall of Jericho and tied a scarlet cord in my window.

    Answer: Rahab — Joshua 2:15, 18-21

  3. 3. Who am I? I left my homeland without knowing where I was going, and at a hundred years old I became the father of the promised son.

    Answer: Abraham — Hebrews 11:8; Genesis 21:5

  4. 4. Who am I? I was raised in Pharaoh's palace, fled to Midian, and was tending my father-in-law's flock when God spoke to me from a bush.

    Answer: Moses — Exodus 2:10, 15; 3:1-2

  5. 5. Who am I? I was a foreigner, gathered grain in the fields of Bethlehem, and became the great-grandmother of King David.

    Answer: Ruth — Ruth 2:2-3; 4:13-17

  6. 6. Who am I? I was a Nazirite from my mother's womb, a judge of Israel, and I tore a lion apart with my bare hands.

    Answer: Samson — Judges 13:5; 14:5-6

  7. 7. Who am I? I prayed at Shiloh moving only my lips, and the priest thought I was drunk.

    Answer: Hannah, the mother of Samuel — 1 Samuel 1:12-14, 20

  8. 8. Who am I? I was cupbearer to a Persian king, I wept over the fallen walls of Jerusalem, and we rebuilt them in fifty-two days.

    Answer: Nehemiah — Nehemiah 1:3-4, 11; 6:15

  9. 9. Who am I? I uncovered a plot to kill the king, and I would not bow down to Haman.

    Answer: Mordecai — Esther 2:21-22; 3:2

  10. 10. Who am I? I was a chief tax collector in Jericho, and I promised to give half of my goods to the poor.

    Answer: Zacchaeus — Luke 19:2, 8

  11. 11. Who am I? I was a fisherman, Jesus gave me a new name, and I said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

    Answer: Peter (Simon Peter) — John 1:42; Matthew 16:16

  12. 12. Who am I? I said I would not believe until I put my finger in the mark of the nails.

    Answer: Thomas — John 20:24-25

  13. 13. Who am I? I was the first king of Israel, and when they looked for me to present me to the people, I was hiding among the baggage.

    Answer: Saul — 1 Samuel 10:21-24

  14. 14. Who am I? I was a priest, I did not believe the angel Gabriel, and I could not speak until my son was born.

    Answer: Zechariah, father of John the Baptist — Luke 1:18-20, 63-64

  15. 15. Who am I? The apostles called me "son of encouragement"; I sold a field and laid the money at their feet.

    Answer: Barnabas — Acts 4:36-37

  16. 16. Who am I? I studied at the feet of Gamaliel, persecuted the church, and was struck blind on the road to Damascus.

    Answer: Saul, who later became the apostle Paul — Acts 22:3; 9:3-9

  17. 17. Who am I? I was a prophetess and Aaron's sister; after crossing the sea I took a tambourine and led the women in song.

    Answer: Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron — Exodus 15:20-21

  18. 18. Who am I? My brothers hated me because of my dreams, I was a slave and a prisoner, and I came to rule Egypt.

    Answer: Joseph, son of Jacob — Genesis 37:8; 39:20; 41:41

  19. 19. Who am I? Two women argued over a baby, and I ordered it cut in two to find the true mother.

    Answer: Solomon — 1 Kings 3:16-27

  20. 20. Who am I? I was an official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, I was reading Isaiah in my chariot, and I was baptized along the road.

    Answer: The Ethiopian eunuch — Acts 8:27-38

Objects and places

  1. 21. What am I? I was made of gopher wood, I have three decks and a door in my side.

    Answer: Noah's ark — Genesis 6:14-16

  2. 22. What am I? I was a dry staff, and in a single night I budded, blossomed and bore almonds.

    Answer: Aaron's staff — Numbers 17:8

  3. 23. What am I? I appeared every morning in the wilderness, I looked like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

    Answer: Manna — Exodus 16:14, 31

  4. 24. What am I? My walls fell after the people marched around me for seven days.

    Answer: The city of Jericho — Joshua 6:15-20

  5. 25. What am I? I am the place where Jesus prayed in deep anguish before he was arrested.

    Answer: Gethsemane — Matthew 26:36-39

  6. 26. What am I? I am a well at Sychar, and beside me Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink.

    Answer: Jacob's well — John 4:5-7

  7. 27. What am I? A man saw me in a dream, set up on the earth with my top reaching to heaven, with angels going up and down.

    Answer: The ladder in Jacob's dream — Genesis 28:12

  8. 28. What am I? I was made of bronze and set on a pole; anyone who had been bitten and looked at me lived.

    Answer: The bronze serpent — Numbers 21:8-9

  9. 29. What am I? I am the town where King David was born and, centuries later, Jesus as well.

    Answer: Bethlehem — 1 Samuel 17:12; Luke 2:4-7

  10. 30. What am I? When Jesus died, I was torn in two, from top to bottom.

    Answer: The curtain of the temple — Matthew 27:50-51

Bible riddles for kids

Short clues about the best-known stories.

  1. 31. What am I? I appear in the clouds to remind us of God's promise never to destroy the earth with another flood.

    Answer: The rainbow — Genesis 9:13-15

  2. 32. Who am I? I disobeyed God, boarded a ship, and a great fish swallowed me.

    Answer: Jonah — Jonah 1:3, 17

  3. 33. Who am I? I am an animal who spoke to the prophet Balaam.

    Answer: Balaam's donkey — Numbers 22:28

  4. 34. Who am I? I gave Jesus my five loaves and two fish, and thousands of people ate.

    Answer: A boy — John 6:9-11

  5. 35. Who am I? I was a very tall giant, and a little stone brought me down.

    Answer: Goliath — 1 Samuel 17:4, 49

  6. 36. Who am I? I looked back as we fled from Sodom and became a pillar of salt.

    Answer: Lot's wife — Genesis 19:26

  7. 37. Who am I? I tended sheep, played the harp for King Saul and became king.

    Answer: David — 1 Samuel 16:11, 23; 2 Samuel 5:3

  8. 38. What am I? I went ahead of the wise men until I stopped over the place where the child Jesus was.

    Answer: The star — Matthew 2:9

  9. 39. Who am I? I was sleeping in the boat during the storm, and when I woke up I calmed the wind and the sea.

    Answer: Jesus — Mark 4:38-39

  10. 40. Who am I? When I was a baby, they put me in a basket of reeds on the river, and a princess found me.

    Answer: Moses — Exodus 2:3-10

How to play Bible riddles

  1. 1.Divide the group into teams and read the riddle slowly, clue by clue.
  2. 2.If a team guesses after the first clue, it earns 3 points; after the second, 2; at the end, 1.
  3. 3.A wrong answer costs the team its turn on that riddle.
  4. 4.After each answer, a volunteer reads the reference in the Bible to confirm.
  5. 5.To close, each team writes its own "Who am I?" riddle about a character and presents it to the others.

Adaptations for kids and adults

  • With young children, show a picture after reading the clue or let them answer by acting it out.
  • With teens and adults, read only the first clue and give double points to whoever guesses without hearing the rest.
  • As an icebreaker: tape the name of a character on each person's back; everyone asks yes-or-no questions until they find out who they are.

Activities to use with these questions

Open the meeting with a Bible activity and close with the questions from this list. Each page has step-by-step instructions, a key verse and a variation for your group.

See all church activities →

Frequently asked questions

What are Bible riddles?

They are puzzles with clues about a person, object or place in the Bible, almost always in the first person ("Who am I?"), that the group has to guess. This list has 40, each with an answer and a Scripture reference.

Are there Bible riddles for kids?

Yes. The last 10 riddles on the list are for kids, with short clues about stories like Noah's ark, Jonah, David and Goliath, and the birth of Jesus.

How do I use the riddles in a small group or Sunday school?

As an icebreaker at the start, in teams, giving more points to whoever guesses with fewer clues. At the end you can read the reference for each answer together.

Can I print the riddles?

Yes. After a free sign-up you can print the list as a PDF, with or without the answers, or show it on a screen in presentation mode.

Is there a printable PDF?

Yes. With a free Cinira Master account you can print this list or save it as a PDF.

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