Popular Bible People and Bible Characters

Many Bible figures have intriguing stories to tell.

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Below are some of the most popular Bible characters.

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Jonah

• A messenger of God used a fish for transport.
  God had a preaching job for Jonah.
  Jonah did not want to do the job, so Jonah tried to run away from God in a boat to Tarshish in Spain.
  God caused a massive storm around the boat, forcing Jonah to jump overboard.
   

• God sent a big sea creature after Jonah to grab him from the water.
  The creature swallowed Jonah and carried him to Nineveh.
  Upon arrival, the creature spat Jonah up on the beach.
  The sea creature was most likely a whale, a mammal, not a fish, as most people believe.
  Read about the story in the Book of Jonah in chapter one.
  Take this Bible class on Jonah.
   

Balaam

• In the Bible, a donkey talked.
  Balaam was the son of Beor and lived along the Euphrates River in Pethor, Mesopotamia.
  Even though Balaam was not an Israelite, he was a prophet of sorts that God influenced.
  Balaam was neither a bad person nor wholly a virtuous one.
  He was sufficiently immoral that King Balak of Moab wanted to hire him to curse Israel, but Balaam refused.
  Balaam was riding his donkey through Moab when the donkey suddenly stopped.
  A spiritual being was in front of the donkey, blocking the way.
  The donkey wouldn't move, so Balaam beat it.
  At that moment, the donkey turned its head and asked Balaam, "What have I done to deserve your beating?"

• Here are the facts about the talking donkey!
  Numbers 22:21-39
   

Stephen

• Synagogue members falsely testified against a disciple they disapproved of.
  Jesus chose seven disciples with genuine faith to minister and preach "the Word" to the world.
  These seven were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.
  The apostles laid hands upon these seven to sanctify them into service.
   

• Stephen, filled with faith and power, performed numerous miracles and signs among the people.
  He was very outspoken and adamant about his faith, more so than the other six.
  Stephen greatly disturbed those who had religious power and those faithful to the synagogue.
  The elders and scribes approached him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
  They sentenced Stephen for "speaking blasphemous words" and then stoned him to death in the public area.
  Stephen became the first Christian martyr.
  Read the whole story about Stephen.
  Acts 6:1-15
   

Judas Iscariot

• The story of Judas tells of a man who "sold out" the Messiah for 30 pieces of silver.
  Thirty silver pieces were the usual amount paid for the purchase of a slave.
  The "church authorities" insulted Jesus by giving Judas this amount based on their hatred of him.
  Jesus was only worth the cost of a slave in their eyes; what an insult.
   

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples who betrayed Jesus by leading the riotous religious leaders to Him.
  He was the apostles' treasurer, possibly motivated by greed but definitely influenced by Satan.
  Judas was also from the South and looked upon as an outsider, which he may have resented.
  At the Last Supper, Jesus identified Judas as a betrayer by dipping bread into a dish and giving it to him.
   

• Judas led the hateful and vengeful religious "authorities" and identified Jesus by kissing Him on the cheek.
  After everything had taken place, Judas regretted his actions and gave the money back to the church leaders.
  The leaders refused the "blood money" and used it to purchase a potter's field.
  Judas died afterward in that field by committing suicide.
  It is believed that he was so upset over his deed that he hanged himself.
  Matthew 27:3-8
  
  Another belief is that Judas went into a field and exploded, with his guts gushing forth.
  Perhaps the phrase means he threw up or had a severe case of diarrhea.
  Acts 1:16-20
  
  Perhaps he hung himself, the rope came loose, he fell to the ground, and God gushed his bowels.
  Read this analysis of the death of Judas.

Elijah

• A prophet is whisked away into heaven in a fiery chariot.
  God called Elijah to a pickup site on the far side of the Jordan River and took him alive to Heaven.
  This was a previous prophecy that came true.
  All those present at the time knew of this prophecy except Elisha.
  Elisha learned about the prophecy at the last moment as he accompanied Elijah to the pickup area.
  Elijah, Elisha, and fifty other sons of the prophets gathered on the near side of the River Jordan.
  
  When it came time to go, Elijah parted the river.
  Elisha and Elijah crossed over to the far side.
  Fifty people stayed on the near side, watching.
  The chariot arrived, and as Elijah climbed aboard, he dropped his robe.
  The river parted open again when his robe struck the water.
  Elisha picked up the robe and crossed back through the parted water to the near side, meeting with the fifty onlookers.
  Was it a chariot that took Elijah?
  2 Kings 2:1-14
   

• Elijah raised the son of the widow of Zarephath from death.
  There was a drought in the land, and God instructed Elijah to go to Zarephath and locate a certain destitute Gentile widow for food and water.
  Elijah ended up boarding at her house for a period before moving on.
  He promised that her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run out until the Lord caused it to rain.
  Some time later, her son got sick and eventually died.
  The woman sent word to Elijah, who returned and raised the boy after he died.
  1 Kings 17:17-24

Elisha

• This passage is a little-known piece of Bible trivia about a prophet who caused bears to maul a group of young men (rowdy teenagers).

Elijah's apprentice, Elisha, assumed leadership after Elijah's ascension to heaven.
As Elisha was walking along, a large group of undisciplined teenagers (brats) teased Elisha about his baldness.

Elisha could not hold his anger and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord.

Instantly, two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys.
Bears attacked children
2 Kings 2:23-25
 

• Elisha raised the son of a Shunammite woman.

He had stayed at this woman's home years earlier and prayed for her to have a son.

Her son was born, and several years later, the son died. 

The woman called upon Elisha, and he came and raised the boy from his deathbed.
2 Kings 4:8-37
 

• Elisha resurrected an Israelite man during his funeral, a fascinating piece of Bible trivia.

Gravediggers were burying a man when they became startled by invaders.

They were scared and wanted to depart as quickly as possible.

Hastily, they threw the man's body into a nearby tomb.
This tomb belonged to Elisha.

Elisha's dead body was lying in the tomb.

The dead man immediately came back to life when his body made contact with Elisha's bones.
2 Kings 13:20-21
 

Paul

• A captivating Bible story recounts how a man died during a sermon that Paul was giving.
  Paul was giving a long-winded sermon late into the night in a room on the second floor.
  Eutychus was sitting on a windowsill listening when he dozed off and fell out of the window to his death.
  Paul had to go down and revive the young man.
  Acts 20:7
   

Peter

• Peter resurrected Dorcas of Joppa.
  Dorcas was a well-known social worker who helped everyone.
  Peter was also well-known, and he was nearby.
  The family called Peter to the room where Dorcas lay.
  Peter raised her from the dead.
  Acts 9:23-43
   

Jacob

• He believed he wrestled with God.
  "Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak."
  This unknown wrestler was unable to win the wrestling match.
  The wrestler made contact with Jacob's hip, causing it to become dislocated.
  After the match, the unknown wrestler said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob."
  When Jacob asked for the stranger's name, the stranger responded,
  "You have struggled with God and men and won, so your name will be Israel.”
  Genesis 32:22-31

Samson

• The feats of Samson are remarkable.
  He married a Philistine woman and is known for his hatred of the Philistines for what they did to her.
  
  Samson killed a lion that came from nowhere when he was traveling to visit his soon-to-be Philistine wife.
  Judges 14:5–9
  
  To celebrate his marriage, Samson killed 30 Philistines, a rather unconventional way to mark the occasion.
  Judges 14:19
  
  Because they burned his wife and her father to death, Samson killed many Philistines.
  Judges 15:7-8
  
  Samson set the tails of foxes on fire, and this action resulted in the burning of the Philistines' crops.
  Judges 15:4-6
  
  Samson killed 1,000 Philistines with the jaw of a jackass when they came for revenge for the above.
  Judges 15:14-17
  
  Samson tore down the gates of the city and their posts when he found out the virtuous citizens were plotting to kill him.
  Judges 16:1-3
  
  Samson snapped apart 16 bowstrings that Delilah bound him with.
  Judges 16:6-8
  
  He also snapped apart the strong rope that Delilah bound him with.
  Judges 10:12
   

David

• Was David the one who killed Goliath?
  1 Samuel says, yes.
  2 Samuel says, no.
  Please review those two Bible books to make your own decision.​​