Romantic Bible quotes for Valentine’s Day – a quizCOFFEE WITH WARREN, with Warren Harbeck The Bible is sometimes misjudged to be a rather stodgy book. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, when it comes to romance. The Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), in particular, has many intriguing love stories within its pages, some very beautiful, and others not so beautiful. Here’s a Valentine’s Day quiz for you: Who are the couples referred to in the following quotations? For bonus points, from which book of the Bible is each quotation taken? (All quotations are from the King James Version. Answers at the end.) 1. “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 2. “[A certain man] had two daughters.... [The older one] was tender eyed; but [the younger one] was beautiful and well favoured. [The visitor] loved [the younger one] and said, I will serve thee seven years for ... thy younger daughter. [The father] said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. So [the visitor] served seven years for [the younger daughter]; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” 3. “She went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. And when [the man] had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou?” 4. “[There was a certain man who had a wife whom he loved very much, but she was not able to have children and was taunted by a rival;] therefore she wept, and did not eat. [Her husband] said to her, ...why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?” 5. “It came to pass in an eveningtide, that [he] arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of [his] house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.... And [he] sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him....” 6. “[The angels] said unto him, Where is ... thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, ... thy wife shall have a son. And [she] heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now [the man and woman] were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with [her] after the manner of women. Therefore [she] laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 7. “She said unto him, How canst thou say, I love you, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart.” 8. “And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master ..., if now thou do prosper my way which I go: Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son.” 9. “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” 10. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” © 2008 Warren Harbeck |