34 Bible Verses about Riddles

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Judges 14:5-14

Then Samson went down in the direction of Timnah with his father and mother and arrived as far as the vineyards of Timnah. And surprise! a young lion came roaring at him! The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he ripped the lion apart as one might dissect a young goat, even though he carried nothing in his hand. But he didn't tell his father and mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked to the woman, and she looked fine to Samson. read more.
When he came back later to marry her, he turned aside to observe the lion's carcass. Amazingly, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, complete with honey. So he scraped some out into his hands and went on his way, eating all the while. When he met his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate it, too. But he didn't inform them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion. Later on, when his father went down to visit the woman, Samson threw a party there, since young men customarily did this. When they saw him, they brought 30 companions to accompany him. "Let me tell you a riddle," Samson told them. "If you can solve it during this week-long festival, I'll give you 30 linen garments and 30 formal garments. But if you don't solve it, then you'll give me 30 linen garments and 30 formal garments." "Tell us your riddle and we'll solve it," they responded. So he told them: From the eater came something edible; from the strong something sweet. For three days they couldn't solve the riddle.

Judges 14:15-20

The next day, they told Samson's wife, "Coax your husband to explain the riddle or we'll set fire to your father's house with you in it! You've invited us here to make us paupers, haven't you?" So Samson's wife cried in front of him and accused him, "You only hate me. You don't love me. You've told a riddle to my relatives, but you haven't told the solution to me." Samson responded, "Look, I haven't told my parents, either. Why should I tell you?" So she kept on crying in front of him for the entire seven days of the wedding party. On the seventh day he told the solution to her because she nagged him, and then she told the solution to the riddle to her relatives.read more.
Then the men of the city answered him just before sunset on the seventh day: "What is sweeter than honey? What are stronger than lions?" Samson responded, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle." Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed 30 men, took their belongings, and gave the garments to those who had told him the solution to the riddle. He remained furious, left for his father's house, and Samson's wife went to the best man at his wedding.

Genesis 37:5-9

Right about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the more! "Let me tell you about this dream that I had!" he said. "We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!"read more.
At this, his brothers replied, "Do you really think you're going to rule us or lord it over us?" So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them. But then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. "I had another dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before me!"

Genesis 40:5-8

Then the two of them each had a dream. They both had their dreams the same night, and there were separate interpretations for each dream the senior security advisor and the head chef to the king of Egypt, who had confined them in prison. When Joseph came to see them in the morning, he noticed how downcast they looked! They were both very sad. So he asked Pharaoh's officers, who were with him in prison in his master's house, "Why are you so sad today?"read more.
"We had a dream," they replied, "but there's no one to interpret it." "Interpretations belong to God," Joseph told them, "so please tell me your stories."

Genesis 41:1-8

Two years later to the day Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River, when all of a sudden seven healthy, plump cows emerged from the Nile to graze in the grass that grew in the reeds that lined the bank. Right after that, seven more cows came up out of the Nile. Ugly and gaunt, they stood next to the other cows on the bank of the Nile River. read more.
But all of a sudden they ate up the seven healthy, plump cows! Then Pharaoh woke up. After he had fallen back to sleep, he had a second dream, in which seven ears of plump, fruit-filled grain grew up on a single stalk. Suddenly seven thin ears of grain that had been scorched by an east wind sprouted up right after them and ate up the seven plump, fruit-filled ears. Then Pharaoh woke up a second time, and it had been a very vivid dream! The very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.

Daniel 2:1-3

During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him. As a result, he couldn't sleep. So the king gave orders to summon diviners, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him, the king told them, "I have dreamed a dream and I will remain troubled until I can understand it."

Proverbs 30:18-19

Three things cause wonder for me; four are beyond my understanding: The way an eagle flies in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.

Ezekiel 17:2-8

"Son of Man, compose a riddle and relate a parable to Israel's house. Tell them, "This is what the Lord GOD says, "A massive eagle with gigantic wings, long pinions, and full, multi-colored plumage came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. He plucked off the top of its shoot, brought it to a land of merchants, and set it down in a city full of traders. read more.
Then the eagle took a seed from the land and planted it in fertile ground. He planted it like a willow tree next to abundant waters. It flourished and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, and its roots spread under him to become a vine that put out shoots and spread out its branches. """All of a sudden, there was another eagle with gigantic wings and thick plumage. The vine stretched its roots hungrily toward him and spread its branches out to him in order to be watered on the terraces where it was planted. It was transplanted into good soil near abundant water, and it produced branches and bore fruit, becoming a magnificent vine."'

Daniel 5:5-9

At that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall. While the king watched the back of the hand as it was writing, his facial expression changed. Utterly frightened, he lost control of his own bowels and his knees knocked together. The king cried out to bring in enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He announced to the advisors of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me its meaning will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around his neck, and will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom."read more.
Then all the king's advisors came in, but they were unable to read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more frightened, and his facial expression showed it. His officials also were thrown into confusion.

John 16:25

"I have said these things to you in figurative language. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

John 2:19

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will rebuild it."

John 16:16-19

In a little while you will no longer see me, then in a little while you will see me again." At this point, some of his disciples asked each other, "What does he mean by telling us, "In a little while you will no longer see me, then in a little while you will see me again,' and, "because I am going to the Father'?" They kept saying, "What is this "in a little while' that he keeps talking about? We don't know what he means."read more.
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him a question, so he asked them, "Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, "In a little while you will no longer see me, then in a little while you will see me again'?

Revelation 13:18

In this case wisdom is needed: Let the person who has understanding calculate the total of the beast, since it is a human multitude, and the sum of the multitude is 600, 60 and six.

Revelation 17:7-9

"Why are you surprised?" The angel asked me. "I will tell you the secret of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw existed once, but is no longer, and is going to crawl out of the bottomless pit and then proceed to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again. This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings.

Numbers 12:6-8

Then he told the two of them: "Pay attention to what I have to say! When there is a prophet among you, won't I, the LORD, reveal myself to him in a vision? Won't I speak with him in a dream? But that's not how it is with my servant Moses, since he has been entrusted with my entire household! I speak to him audibly and in visions, not in mysteries. If he can gaze at the image of the LORD, why aren't you afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"

1 Peter 1:10-11

Even the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, carefully researched and investigated this salvation. They tried to find out what era or specific time the Spirit of the Messiah in them kept referring to when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.

Genesis 49:8-11

"Your brothers will praise you, Judah. Your hand will be at the throat of your enemies, and your father's children will bow down to you. Judah is a lion cub. My son, you have gone up from the prey. Crouching like a lion, he lies down, Like a lioness, who would dare rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor a ruler's staff from between his feet, until the one comes, who owns them both, and to him will belong the allegiance of nations.read more.
Binding his donkey to the vine and his mare's foal to its thick tendrils, he will wash his garments in wine and his robe in the juice of grapes.

Isaiah 11:1

"A shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch will bear fruit from his roots.

Isaiah 53:2

For he grew up before him like a tender plant, and like a root out of a dry ground; he had no form and he had no majesty that we should look at him, and there is no attractiveness that we should desire him.

Psalm 49:3-4

My mouth will speak wisely, and I will understand what I think about. I will focus my attention on a proverb; I will use the harp to expound my riddle.

1 Kings 10:3

Solomon answered all of her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her.

2 Chronicles 9:2

Solomon answered all of her questions. Because nothing was hidden from Solomon, he hid nothing from her.

Daniel 5:12

because he was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding, along with an ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. His name is Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar. Call for Daniel, and he will reveal the meaning of the writing."

Proverbs 1:1-6

The proverbs of David's son Solomon, king of Israel. These proverbs are for gaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring the discipline that produces wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and upright living;read more.
for giving prudence to the naive, and knowledge and discretion to the young. Let the wise listen and increase their learning; let the person of understanding receive guidance in understanding proverbs, clever sayings, words of the wise, and their riddles.

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you lazy man! Observe its ways and become wise. It has no commander, officer, or ruler, but prepares its provisions in the summer and gathers its food in the harvest.

Proverbs 26:1-2

Like snowfall in summer or rain at harvest time, so honor is inappropriate for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a swallow in flight, a curse without cause will not alight.

Judges 9:7-15

When Jotham was informed about this, he went out, took his stand on top of Mount Gerizim, and cried out loudly, "Listen to me, you "lords" of Shechem, and God will listen to you. "Once upon a time the trees went out to consecrate a king for themselves. "So they told the olive tree, "Reign over us!' But the olive tree asked them, "Should I stop producing my rich oils by which both God and men are honored and go take dominion over trees?'read more.
"So the trees told the fig tree, "Hey you! Come and reign over us!' But the fig tree asked them, "Should I leave my sweet, good fruit and go take dominion over trees?' "So the trees told the grape vine, "Hey you! Come and reign over us!' But the grape vine asked them, "Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go take dominion over trees?' "So all the trees told the bramble bush, "Hey you! Come and reign over us!' Then the bramble bush replied to the trees, "If you really are consecrating me to rule you, come and put your confidence in my shade; but if not, may fire spring out from the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon"'

2 Samuel 12:1-4

Nathan approached David and said, "There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is poor. The rich man has many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. A traveler arrived to visit the rich man. Because he was unwilling to take an animal from one of his own flocks or herds to prepare for the guest who had come to visit him, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit him."

Isaiah 5:1-2

I will sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: "The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He plowed its land and cleared it of stones. Then he planted it with the choicest vines, built a watchtower in the middle of it, and dug a wine vat in it; He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only wild ones."

Jeremiah 13:1-7

This is what the LORD told me: "Go and buy a linen belt for yourself, and put it around your waist. But don't let it get wet." So I bought the belt according to the LORD's instruction, and put it around my waist. Then this message from the LORD came to me a second time: read more.
Take the belt that you bought and that is around your waist. Get up and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a crevice in the rock." So I went and hid it at the Euphrates, just as the LORD had commanded me. After a long time, the LORD told me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and get the belt that I commanded you to hide there." I went to the Euphrates and dug it up. I got the belt from the place where I had hidden it. The belt was ruined! It was not good for anything.

Matthew 13:34-35

Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet when he said, "I will open my mouth to speak in parables. I will declare what has been hidden since the creation of the world."

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Theasaurus: Riddles

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