Answer: Esau
Insight: Unlike Abraham, who carefully sought a covenant-aligned wife for Isaac (Genesis 24), Esau married Hittite women, bringing deep grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Bible Stumpers
The Number 40 in the Bible
The number 40 appears more than 140 times in Scripture.
From the rains of the Flood to Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, “40” often marks a period of testing, preparation, or transition.
See how many of these key moments you can identify before checking the answers.
1. Which son of Isaac was 40 years old when he married two Hittite women, bringing "bitterness of spirit" to his parents?
2. Which leader fasted for 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai on two separate occasions, yet the first period ended in national rebellion?
Answer: Moses
Insight: The first 40 days were for receiving the Law, while the second followed Israel’s sin with the golden calf and were spent interceding for the people.
3. Which leader of Israel later declared at age 85 that he was still as strong for war as he had been 45 years earlier, when Moses first sent him out as a 40-year-old spy?
Answer: Caleb
Insight: Caleb’s strength at 85 reflects the “different spirit” he showed when he fully followed the LORD while others faltered in the wilderness.
4. Which judge of Israel, the nephew of Caleb, defeated Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia (Aram-Naharaim), and brought 40 years of peace to the land?
Answer: Othniel
Insight: Othniel is the first and “model” judge. His victory establishes the recurring theme in Judges: when the people cry out, the Spirit of the LORD empowers a leader to provide rest for a generation.
5. Which king of Judah reigned 40 years in Jerusalem and did what was right in the eyes of the LORD during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest?
Answer: Joash (Jehoash)
Insight: Joash’s faithfulness was closely tied to Jehoiada’s influence, showing how leadership can falter when godly guidance is removed.
6. Which foreign city was given a 40-day warning of destruction because of its sin, yet was spared when the people repented?
Answer: Nineveh
Insight: This 40-day warning demonstrates God’s mercy, showing that even a pagan empire was not beyond forgiveness when it turned from its sin.
7. This prophet was commanded to lie on his left side for 390 days for Israel’s sin, and then on his right side for 40 days to represent 40 years of Judah’s sin.
Answer: Ezekiel
Insight: By lying on his right side for the final 40 days, Ezekiel visually demonstrated the coming judgment and the bearing of Judah’s iniquity.
8. During the 40 days after His resurrection, what did Jesus tell His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait for before beginning their mission?
Answer: The promise of the Holy Spirit
Insight: Jesus instructed them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promised Holy Spirit, showing that their mission would begin not with action, but with dependence on God’s power.
9. In Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin, he describes Moses as taking what bold action when he was exactly 40 years old, supposing that his brothers would recognize him as their deliverer?
Answer: He visited his people, saw one being mistreated, and killed the Egyptian
Insight: Moses was ready to act, but the people were not ready to receive him, reflecting a pattern of rejecting the deliverers God sends, a pattern later repeated with Christ.
10. According to the Book of Acts, how did God deal with Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness?
Answer: He cared for them even while putting up with their rebellion.
Insight: In Acts 13:18, Paul uses the Greek word etropophorēsen (ἐτροποφόρησεν), which carries the idea of patiently enduring or bearing with someone. It beautifully shows God’s tender care. He continued to provide for, protect, and lead Israel through the wilderness even while patiently putting up with their stubbornness and repeated rebellion for an entire generation.
Bonus: How many times did the Apostle Paul receive “forty lashes minus one” from the Jewish authorities?
Answer: Five times
Insight: By stopping at 39 lashes, the authorities showed a legalistic “mercy,” strictly following the letter of the Law (Deuteronomy 25:3) while missing its heart as they persecuted the Apostle.
Whether you aced every question or found something new, each passage is worth a closer look. Explore the significance of the number 40 in the Bible.
