70 Most Weird or Bizarre Bible Verses

The Bible contains many surprising and unusual passages. Some verses might make you raise an eyebrow. These strange scriptures often get overlooked in regular Bible study. People rarely discuss these odd verses in church. 

Yet they exist throughout both the Old and New Testament. From talking donkeys to unusual laws, the Bible has some truly bizarre moments. These peculiar passages show a different side of scripture. They challenge our understanding of the text. 

They make us question what we know about biblical teachings. Let’s explore some of the strangest verses found in this ancient book.

Here’s a list of 70 strange or bizarre Bible verses along with explanations and emoji representations to make them a bit more fun and easier to understand:

Here are the list of 70 Most Weird Bible Verses

1. Genesis 6:4

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.”

Explanation: Mysterious beings called “Nephilim” are referenced, believed by some to be giants or fallen angels. 👽👶💥

2. Exodus 4:24-26

“At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’ feet with it. ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,’ she said.”

Explanation: God was angry at Moses for not circumcising his son, and Zipporah’s action appeased God. 🔪👶💔

3. Judges 3:16

“Now Ehud made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, and he strapped it to his right thigh under his clothing.”

Explanation: Ehud, an Israelite judge, used this sword to defeat King Eglon, making it an unexpected and shocking act of rebellion. ⚔️💥

4. Judges 4:21

“But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.”

Explanation: Jael killed the enemy commander Sisera in his sleep with a tent peg. 🛠️💀

5. 1 Samuel 28:7-15

“Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.’”

Explanation: Saul seeks a witch to summon the spirit of Samuel, defying God’s laws against witchcraft. 🔮👻

6. 2 Kings 2:23-24

“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ they said. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ Elisha turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”

Explanation: Elisha cursed mocking youths, and two bears killed 42 of them. 🐻👶😲

7. 1 Kings 17:6

“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”

Explanation: Ravens delivered food to Elijah while he was hiding from King Ahab. 🦅🍞🥩

8. Matthew 5:29

“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

Explanation: Jesus uses hyperbole to stress the seriousness of sin and temptation. 👁️❌🔥

9. Matthew 19:24

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Explanation: Jesus illustrates the difficulty for rich people to enter heaven. 🐪🪡💸

10. Luke 19:28-30

“After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples…”

Explanation: Jesus requests two disciples to fetch a donkey for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 🐴👑

11. Mark 11:12-14

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.”

Explanation: Jesus cursed a fig tree for not having fruit, though it wasn’t the right season. 🌳🍃🍴

12. Mark 7:33

“After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.”

Explanation: Jesus heals a deaf and mute man with a rather unusual method. 👂👂💧

13. Matthew 8:28-32

“When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.”

Explanation: Jesus casts demons into pigs, which then run into the sea. 🐖👹🌊

14. Genesis 19:26

“But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Explanation: Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt when she disobeyed God’s warning not to look back at Sodom. ⛔🧂

15. 1 Kings 10:22

“The king’s ships went to Tarshish, bringing back gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.”

Explanation: King Solomon’s ships brought back exotic animals, including apes and baboons. 🦍🐒💰

16. Deuteronomy 23:1

“No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.”

Explanation: This strange law forbids certain people from entering the assembly, which was often seen as a purity issue. 🚫

17. 2 Kings 2:8

“Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.”

Explanation: Elijah parts the Jordan River with his cloak, similar to Moses parting the Red Sea. 🌊👗

18. Numbers 22:28-30

“Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?'”

Explanation: Balaam’s donkey speaks to him after being beaten, as it saw an angel blocking the way. 🐴🗣️👀

19. Genesis 38:9-10

“But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.”

Explanation: Onan’s act of refusing to impregnate his brother’s widow is condemned by God. 💧❌👶

20. Matthew 17:24-27

“After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, ‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?'”

Explanation: Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish, which will have money in its mouth to pay the tax. 🐟💸

21. 2 Kings 6:5-7

“As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. ‘Oh no, my lord!’ he cried out. ‘It was borrowed!’ The man of God asked, ‘Where did it fall?’ When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.”

Explanation: Elisha causes an iron axe head to float by throwing a stick into the water. 🪓🪵💦

22. Genesis 25:30-34

“Esau said to Jacob, ‘Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!’ Jacob replied, ‘First sell me your birthright.'”

Explanation: Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of stew, showcasing his impulsiveness. 🍲🍖👨‍👦

23. John 6:53-56

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.'”

Explanation: Jesus speaks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, a concept symbolic of communion, but strange to some. 🍞🍷💉

24. Revelation 9:7-10

“The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.”

Explanation: A vision of strange, battle-ready locusts during the end times. 🦗⚔️👑

25. Matthew 14:25-29

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.'”

Explanation: Jesus walks on water, an astonishing miracle to his disciples. 🌊👣👻

26. Ezekiel 4:9-13

“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a basket and use them to make bread for yourself.”

Explanation: God tells Ezekiel to cook food over human excrement as a symbol of the uncleanliness of exile. 🍞💩🔥

27. Isaiah 20:2-4

“At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, ‘Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.’ And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.”

Explanation: Isaiah is commanded to walk around barefoot and naked as a prophetic sign of shame for Egypt and Cush. 🚶‍♂️👣💔

28. 1 Kings 22:19-23

“Micaiah continued, ‘Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'”

Explanation: A vision where God allows a spirit to deceive Ahab into his death. 👑👻💔

29. Matthew 27:52-53

“The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

Explanation: After Jesus’ resurrection, dead saints are resurrected and walk through the city. ⚰️👼👀

30. 1 Timothy 2:15

“But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”

Explanation: A puzzling verse that has been interpreted in various ways regarding women’s role in salvation. 👩‍👧‍👦🙏

31. Luke 16:19-31 (The Rich Man and Lazarus)

“In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'”

Explanation: A rich man in hell begs for water, giving insight into the afterlife and suffering. 🔥💧👨‍⚖️

32. Exodus 7:20

“Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.”

Explanation: One of the ten plagues where the Nile river turns into blood. 🩸🌊

33. Deuteronomy 28:27

“The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.”

Explanation: A curse for disobedience includes boils and other terrible physical afflictions. 🐍🤧

34. Genesis 30:37-39

“Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.”

Explanation: Jacob uses a bizarre method of breeding spotted and speckled animals. 🌳🐑

35. 1 Samuel 6:7-9

“Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.”

Explanation: The Ark of the Covenant is sent back to Israel with cows pulling the cart, guided by God’s will. 🐄🚛📜

36. 2 Kings 2:23-25

“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ they said. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ Elisha turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”

Explanation: Elisha curses boys who mock him, resulting in bears mauling them. 🐻🦵

37. Genesis 18:1-15 (The Visit of Three Men)

“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.”

Explanation: Abraham entertains three mysterious visitors, one of whom is God in human form. 👴🏼🌳👥

38. Revelation 11:8

“Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.”

Explanation: Refers to the two witnesses lying dead in a city that is compared to Sodom and Egypt. 🌍💀

39. 1 Samuel 6:19

“But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the Lord.”

Explanation: Looking inside the Ark of the Covenant was considered a fatal offense. ☠️📦

40. Luke 2:34-35

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.'”

Explanation: Simeon prophesies about Jesus’ controversial impact. 👶⚔️💭

41. Genesis 19:8

“Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them.”

Explanation: Lot offers his daughters to the mob to protect his guests, a highly controversial and disturbing moment. 😲🚶‍♀️⚖️

42. Judges 11:30-40

“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: ‘If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.'”

Explanation: Jephthah vows to sacrifice whoever comes out of his house, which turns out to be his daughter. 🙋‍♀️🔥

43. 2 Samuel 21:19

“In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.”

Explanation: This verse appears to contradict the famous story of David and Goliath, with another man, Elhanan, supposedly killing Goliath. ⚔️🗡️

44. 2 Kings 2:19-22

“The people of the city said to Elisha, ‘Look, our city is well-situated, as you can see, but the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.’ ‘Bring me a new bowl,’ he said, ‘and put salt in it.’ So they brought it to him.”

Explanation: Elisha purifies the water by adding salt, making the land productive again. 🧂💧🌱

45. Ezekiel 4:12-15

“Eat the food as you would a loaf of bread. Bake it over a fire using human excrement as fuel.’ The Lord said, ‘In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.'”

Explanation: God commands Ezekiel to cook food using human excrement as a symbol of the defiled condition of the people. 💩🍞🔥

46. Leviticus 11:13-19

“These are the birds you are to regard as unclean: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite…”

Explanation: A list of unclean animals, including certain birds, that the Israelites were forbidden to eat. 🦅❌🍗

47. Mark 5:1-13 (The Demoniac)

“He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.”

Explanation: Jesus casts demons into pigs, and they drown in the lake, illustrating his power over evil spirits. 🐖👹🌊

48. Judges 16:1

“One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.”

Explanation: Samson visits a prostitute in Gaza, leading to his eventual downfall. 🏙️💔

49. Matthew 23:24

“You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Explanation: Jesus critiques the hypocrisy of religious leaders who focus on small details but ignore bigger moral issues. 🐪🦗🤔

50. 1 Samuel 28:11-15

“Then the woman asked, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ ‘Bring up Samuel,’ he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!'”

Explanation: The Witch of Endor summons the spirit of Samuel, causing confusion and fear. 🧙‍♀️👻🕯️

51. Isaiah 6:1-6

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings…”

Explanation: Isaiah has a vision of God surrounded by angels with six wings, illustrating the awe-inspiring and otherworldly nature of God’s presence. 👑👼✨

52. Luke 3:8

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.'”

Explanation: John the Baptist challenges the people to live genuinely righteous lives, warning them not to rely on their heritage alone. 🍏🍎🙏

53. Exodus 13:21-22

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”

Explanation: God leads the Israelites through the desert with a miraculous cloud by day and fire by night. 🌫️🔥🚶‍♀️

54. Daniel 4:33

“Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled: He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven…”

Explanation: Nebuchadnezzar is struck with madness and behaves like an animal for a period as punishment from God. 🦁🌿💦

55. Deuteronomy 25:11-12

“If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand.”

Explanation: This law is given as a punishment for a woman interfering in a fight in a specific way. 🤐✋⚖️

56. Revelation 13:18

“This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.”

Explanation: The mysterious number 666, associated with the beast or Antichrist, is a symbol that has sparked many interpretations. 🐉🔢

57. Matthew 5:30

“If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Explanation: Jesus uses hyperbole to emphasize the importance of avoiding sin, even if it means sacrificing something precious. ✋⚡🔥

58. Isaiah 20:2-4

“At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, ‘Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.’ And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.”

Explanation: Isaiah is commanded to walk naked and barefoot for three years as a sign of coming judgment. 🏃‍♂️👣❌

59. Acts 12:23

“Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”

Explanation: King Herod is struck dead by God and consumed by worms for his pride. 🐛👑⚰️

60. John 2:15-16

“So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”

Explanation: Jesus clears the temple in anger at the merchants profiting in a holy space. 🐑🐄💰

61. 1 Corinthians 11:14

“Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him?”

Explanation: Paul teaches about hair length as a cultural symbol of honor and shame in the church. 💇‍♂️🚫

62. Numbers 5:11-31

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him…'”

Explanation: The “ordeal of bitter water,” a test for a woman’s faithfulness, involves drinking a potion to reveal guilt or innocence. 🧪🍶

63. Judges 14:8-9

“Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along.”

Explanation: Samson eats honey from the carcass of a lion he had killed, breaking a Nazarite vow by touching a dead body. 🦁🍯🤔

64. Genesis 32:24

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”

Explanation: Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure, often interpreted as an angel or even God himself, all night long. 🤼‍♂️🌅

65. 2 Kings 2:19-22

“The people of the city said to Elisha, ‘Look, our city is well-situated, as you can see, but the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.’ ‘Bring me a new bowl,’ he said, ‘and put salt in it.’ So they brought it to him.”

Explanation: Elisha purifies bad water with salt, restoring productivity to the land. 🌊🧂🌱

66. Luke 8:2

“And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.”

Explanation: Mary Magdalene is described as being possessed by seven demons, a reference to her troubled past. 👻👩‍🦱🔮

67. 1 Kings 17:6

“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”

Explanation: God sends ravens to feed the prophet Elijah during a time of drought. 🦅🍞🥩

68. Ezekiel 1:5-10

“And in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings.”

Explanation: Ezekiel describes a vision of strange, winged creatures with multiple faces that appear to be symbolic of divine power. 👼👹🦁🐦

69. Daniel 4:33

“Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled: He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.”

Explanation: King Nebuchadnezzar is struck with madness and lives like an animal for a period, symbolizing his humbling by God. 🦅🌿🦷

70. Genesis 6:2

“The sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.”

Explanation: This verse mentions the “sons of God” (often thought to be angels or divine beings) mating with human women, leading to the mysterious Nephilim. 👼👩‍🦱👶

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the most bizarre stories in the Bible? 

The Bible contains several stories that seem strange, such as the story of Elijah being fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:6), the strange vision of creatures with multiple faces and wings (Ezekiel 1:5-10), and the moment when Samson eats honey from a lion’s carcass (Judges 14:8-9).

Why are certain Bible verses difficult to understand? 

Some Bible verses are difficult to understand because they are symbolic, metaphorical, or describe events that were culturally and historically significant but may seem unusual today. Additionally, translations can affect the interpretation, making some meanings unclear.

What does it mean when the Bible talks about “eating flesh and drinking blood”?

In John 6:53-56, Jesus’ statement about eating His flesh and drinking His blood refers to the practice of communion, a sacrament where Christians symbolically partake of Christ’s body and blood to remember His sacrifice.

Why are there so many strange laws and rituals in the Old Testament?

The laws and rituals in the Old Testament were part of the covenant between God and the Israelites, guiding their moral, spiritual, and social lives. Many were specific to the cultural and historical context of ancient Israel and may seem strange today but had symbolic significance for the people at the time.

What is the significance of the number 666 in the Bible?

In Revelation 13:18, the number 666 is referred to as “the number of the beast,” often associated with the Antichrist or a symbol of imperfection and evil. It has sparked much speculation and interpretation over the centuries.

Final Words

The Bible is a vast and intricate text, filled with stories, teachings, and prophecies that have fascinated readers for centuries. While many of its passages might seem strange or even bizarre, they often carry deep spiritual meanings, symbolisms, and historical context that continue to be explored and interpreted by scholars and believers alike.

Whether you’re delving into these unusual stories out of curiosity or seeking spiritual insight, the Bible offers rich narratives that can lead to profound personal reflections and deeper understanding. If you find a particular passage challenging or perplexing, remember that faith, context, and interpretation can all play a role in understanding these ancient texts.