Book of Genesis Quiz: Joseph and His Brothers

1. Why did Joseph's brothers hate him intensely at the start of the story?

1. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons and gave him an ornate robe — and Joseph brought bad reports about his brothers to their father
2. Joseph claimed God had told him he was the heir and the covenant promises would pass through him alone
3. Joseph refused to work in the fields and stayed at home while his brothers toiled
4. Joseph took the best portions of food and cattle for himself while his brothers received less

2. Joseph had two dreams that further enraged his brothers. What did the dreams show?

1. In both dreams, a great lion representing Joseph defeated his brothers who were represented by smaller animals
2. In both dreams, Joseph was seated on a throne while his brothers brought him gifts from all corners of the earth
3. In the first dream, his brothers' sheaves of grain bowed down to his sheaf; in the second, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him
4. In the first dream, Joseph had wings and flew above his brothers; in the second, he stood taller than any mountain

3. What prevented the brothers from killing Joseph outright when they threw him into the cistern?

1. Both Reuben and Judah intervened at different moments — Reuben first stopped the killing, and later Judah proposed selling him instead
2. Judah suggested selling Joseph to Ishmaelite traders instead of killing him, saying 'he is our brother, our own flesh and blood'
3. Reuben intervened and persuaded them not to shed blood — he planned to rescue Joseph later
4. They feared their father's grief would kill him if they murdered his favourite son

4. How much did the brothers sell Joseph for, and how did they deceive their father?

1. 20 shekels of silver; they dipped his robe in goat's blood and told Jacob a wild animal had killed him
2. 20 shekels of silver; they told Jacob that Joseph had run away to Egypt after a quarrel with his brothers
3. 30 shekels of silver; they tore his robe and presented it to Jacob saying they had found it in the desert
4. 50 shekels of silver; they dipped his robe in goat's blood and gave it to Jacob who tore his clothes and mourned

5. In Egypt, Joseph served Potiphar, 'an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials.' What position did Joseph eventually reach in Potiphar's household?

1. He became Potiphar's personal attendant, responsible only for his master's food and clothing
2. He was appointed head of Potiphar's guards and was responsible for security of the estate
3. Joseph remained a slave with no special role — his favour with God was shown through his good character alone
4. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted to his care everything he owned

6. Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph repeatedly. How did Joseph respond, and what was the famous outcome?

1. Joseph appealed to Potiphar directly and Potiphar believed him but still had to punish him to save face
2. Joseph fled the household and returned only when Potiphar's wife left — but she eventually reported him anyway
3. Joseph rebuked her publicly and she had him imprisoned out of embarrassment and revenge
4. Joseph refused and explained his loyalty to Potiphar and to God — she then grabbed his cloak as he fled, used it as false evidence, and accused him of assault

7. In prison, Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh's officials — the cupbearer and the baker. What did each dream mean?

1. Both: would be released within three days, one to serve the king and one to return home
2. Cupbearer: would be imprisoned for three more years; Baker: would be released and restored to service
3. Cupbearer: would be restored to his position in three days; Baker: would be executed in three days
4. Cupbearer: would die; Baker: would be restored — Joseph told them their fortunes had been reversed

8. Pharaoh had two dreams that troubled all the wise men of Egypt. What did Pharaoh dream?

1. Pharaoh stood on the bank of the Nile and saw two great armies — one rich and one poor — fight until the poor one destroyed the rich one
2. Seven bright stars fell into the Nile and were followed by seven dark stars that consumed the light
3. Seven fat, sleek cows came out of the Nile, followed by seven lean ugly cows that swallowed the fat cows — then seven full heads of grain were swallowed by seven thin and scorched heads
4. Seven great eagles devoured seven small birds, followed by seven withered trees swallowing seven flourishing trees

9. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's two dreams as one message. What did he say the dreams meant?

1. Egypt would experience alternating cycles of feast and famine for the next 49 years
2. God was warning Pharaoh that his kingdom would be divided: seven years of peace in the north and seven years of war in the south
3. Pharaoh must make peace with his enemies because a seven-year war was coming that would devastate the land
4. Seven years of great abundance throughout Egypt would be followed by seven years of severe famine — both dreams said the same thing; the matter was firmly decided by God

10. After Joseph interpreted the dreams, Pharaoh appointed him to an extraordinary position. What was Joseph's new role, and how old was he when he received it?

1. Commander of Pharaoh's army and protector of Egypt's borders — Joseph was 30 years old
2. Governor of the grain storehouses and food distribution — Joseph was 25 years old
3. Pharaoh's chief adviser and personal interpreter — Joseph was 28 years old
4. Vizier of all Egypt — second only to Pharaoh — with authority over all the land; Joseph was 30 years old

11. When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain during the famine, Joseph recognised them but they did not recognise him. What did he accuse them of to test them?

1. He accused them of bearing false identity documents and ordered them to prove who they were
2. He accused them of being spies who had come to see the weakness of the land
3. He accused them of stealing grain from the Egyptians during the previous year's harvest
4. He told them they had no right to buy grain since they were not Egyptian citizens

12. During his brothers' second visit, Joseph revealed a silver cup had been found in Benjamin's sack and threatened to keep Benjamin as a slave. What did Judah do?

1. Judah admitted that God was punishing them for what they had done to Joseph years ago
2. Judah and all the brothers fell to the ground and offered themselves as slaves along with Benjamin
3. Judah offered himself as a slave in Benjamin's place, explaining that losing Benjamin would kill their father
4. Judah protested that Benjamin was innocent and demanded a fair trial before Egyptian judges

13. When Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers, what did he say that showed his theological interpretation of all that had happened?

1. 'God has made me lord of all Egypt — but it was your sin that put me here, and I will not forget it'
2. 'I forgive you for what you did — God has turned your evil into something good and I bear no grudge'
3. 'What you intended for evil, God intended for good — and now I have power to forgive and restore you'
4. 'You sold me into slavery but God sent me ahead of you to preserve life — do not be distressed, for it was to save lives that God sent me here'

14. How many people went to Egypt with Jacob's family, according to Genesis 46?

1. Exactly 12 — one for each of Jacob's sons
2. Seventy people in total — Jacob's household
3. Seventy-two — Jacob's sons, daughters, and their children
4. The number is not specified — only the names of the leaders of each tribe

15. Pharaoh settled Jacob's family in the best part of Egypt. What was this region called?

1. The land of Canaan within Egypt
2. The land of Goshen
3. The land of Nod, east of the Nile delta
4. The valley of Rameses

16. Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years before he died. He made Joseph swear an oath about his burial. What did he ask?

1. That all of Jacob's sons would carry his body back to Canaan together, without the help of any Egyptian
2. That Joseph would bury him beside Rachel in Bethlehem where she had died
3. That Joseph would bury him on the mountain where Abraham had offered Isaac, as a sign of his faith in the covenant
4. That Joseph would not bury him in Egypt — but carry his body to Canaan and bury him in the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Sarah were buried

17. When Jacob was dying, Joseph brought his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to receive Jacob's blessing. What did Jacob do that surprised Joseph?

1. He blessed both boys equally — insisting that the tradition of favouring the firstborn was wrong
2. He crossed his hands, placing his right hand on Ephraim (the younger) and his left on Manasseh (the older), giving the greater blessing to the younger
3. He refused to bless Manasseh, the firstborn, saying God had shown him the younger would be greater
4. He told Joseph to choose which son would receive the firstborn's double blessing

18. After Jacob died and was buried, the brothers feared Joseph would now take revenge. What was Joseph's famous response to their fear?

1. 'What you did was wrong, but I forgave you long ago. Do not fear — I swore to our father I would care for you all'
2. 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, do not be afraid. I will provide for you'
3. 'You need not fear me — I am your brother and I love you. God has forgotten your sin and so have I'
4. 'Your guilt is your own to carry — but I will not punish you, for that belongs to God alone'

19. How old was Joseph when he died, and what final request did he make?

1. 110 years old; he asked that no Egyptian ceremony mark his burial, only the Hebrew traditions of his people
2. 110 years old; he made his brothers swear that they would carry his bones out of Egypt when God came to their aid
3. 120 years old; he asked to be buried in Canaan beside his father Jacob
4. 90 years old; he asked that his descendants remember the promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

20. The book of Genesis ends with a phrase that looks backward and forward simultaneously. How does it close?

1. 'And Israel multiplied and filled the land, and the hand of God was upon them all their days'
2. 'And Joseph was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt' — leaving his bones in Egypt as a token of faith in the promise of return
3. 'So all the Israelites lived in Egypt, and the covenant of Abraham was with them — waiting for the day of God's promise'
4. 'Thus Jacob's family settled in Egypt and God blessed them greatly, fulfilling the covenant he had made with Abraham'