Quiz Who's My Mother

Mothers in the Bible are a varied lot. Some are powerless, some crafty, some faithful and some ambitious.

Try your skill at identifying the mothers of the following:

1. _______ My mother, an Egyptian slave, belonged to the wife of a wealthy man who was barren. Mother was given to the master in hopes she would give them a child—an action not uncommon for the times in which we lived. When my mother became pregnant, her jealous mistress treated her so harshly that she fled. The Angel of the Lord sent her back with promises that she would have a son and eventually many descendants. I was that son. When a miracle happened, and her elderly mistress finally had a son, things went from bad to worse for us both. We were sent into the wilderness to die. God heard my voice, we survived and lived to have many descendants, just as He had promised.

2. _______ My mother had several things against her: she was a gentile; she was a woman; and she had a daughter who was demon-possessed—me. Desperate, my mother went to Jesus, asking for mercy and to have the awful demon cast out. He didn't answer her at first. Then He explained He had been sent to Israel , not to gentiles. Insistently she pleaded, "Lord, help me." His reply? "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Her response? "Even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Because of her faith, I was healed that very hour.

3. _______ Our mother was caught in a web of political intrigue. She was the king's concubine, powerless in her own affairs, and this king brought her nothing but trouble. First his trusted advisor was accused of having slept with her, signaling a possible attempt to usurp the throne. And the king had long been violating an agreement made with the Gibeonites, a violation that finally had to be addressed. Reparation was made by hanging seven of the now deposed king's descendants—including my brother and me. Our mother refused to leave us to the mercy of wild scavengers, and she stayed there guarding our bodies for over five months until King David heard of it and had compassion. We received a proper burial by his command.

4. _______ My mother was ambitious, greedy and an adulteress. She married her uncle, Philip, my father. Then she got an eye for my father's brother. Insisting that he divorce his wife, she also divorced my father, and they married. When John the Baptist said it was not lawful for him to take his brother's wife, my mother wanted John dead. Her opportunity came when I danced at her husband's birthday celebration, and so caught his attention that he promised me whatever I asked for. Mother gave me the answer—demand the head of John the Baptist on a platter. She got what she wanted and our deed has been remembered in infamy.

(a) Herodias

(b) The Syro-Phoenician Woman

(c) Hagar

(d) Rizpah

Answers: 1. c (Genesis 16 and 21:9-21); 2. b (Matthew 15:21-28 [21] Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
[22] And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
[23] But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
[24] But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[25] Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
[26] But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
[27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
[28] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

See All...); 3. d (2 Samuel 3:7-11 [7] And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?
[8] Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
[9] So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
[10] To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.
[11] And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

See All...; 21:1-14); 4. a (Mark 6:14-28 [14] And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
[15] Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
[16] But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
[17] For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.
[18] For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
[19] Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
[20] For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
[21] And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
[22] And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
[23] And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
[24] And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
[25] And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
[26] And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
[27] And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
[28] And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

See All...).