The People of the Bible

Nahshon

The prince and leader of the tribe of Judah in the wilderness, brother-in-law of Aaron, and a direct ancestor of David and of Jesus.

Nahum

The prophet who foretold the downfall of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital — a century after Jonah’s preaching had spared it.

Naomi

A widow of Bethlehem who lost her husband and sons in Moab, returned home in grief, and was restored through the loyalty of her daughter-in-law Ruth.

Naphtali

The sixth son of Jacob, born to Bilhah; his name reflects Rachel’s "wrestlings" with her sister, and his tribe settled in the fertile north of Galilee.

Nathan

The court prophet who delivered God’s covenant promise to David, then boldly confronted the king over his sin with the parable "Thou art the man."

Nebuchadnezzar

The mighty king of Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem and exiled Judah, whose dreams Daniel interpreted and who was humbled to live like a beast before acknowledging God.

Nehemiah

The cupbearer to the Persian king who returned to Jerusalem and, against fierce opposition, rebuilt its broken walls in fifty-two days, then reformed the people.

Nicodemus

A Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin who came to Jesus by night and heard that one must be "born again"; he later helped bury Jesus’ body.

Nimrod

A grandson of Ham described as "a mighty one in the earth" and the first empire-builder, founder of Babel, Erech, and Nineveh.

Noah

A righteous man who walked with God and, by building the ark, preserved his family and the animals through the worldwide flood. God established His covenant with him.

Obadiah

The prophet of the Bible’s shortest book, who pronounced God’s judgment on Edom for its violence against Judah and gloating at Jerusalem’s fall.

Obed

The son of Boaz and Ruth and the father of Jesse — the grandfather of King David and an ancestor of Jesus.

Og

The giant king of Bashan, last of the Rephaim, whose iron bedstead measured nine cubits; Israel defeated him on the way to the Promised Land.

Onan

The second son of Judah, who refused the duty of raising up offspring for his dead brother Er and was put to death by the LORD.

Onesimus

A runaway slave converted under Paul’s ministry in prison, whom Paul sent back to his master Philemon — "no longer a servant, but a brother beloved."

Othniel

Caleb’s younger kinsman, the first of Israel’s judges, who delivered the nation from Cushan-rishathaim of Mesopotamia.

Paul

The former persecutor who became the great apostle to the Gentiles, missionary church-planter, and author of thirteen New Testament epistles.

Peleg

A son of Eber in the line of Shem, named because "in his days was the earth divided" — often connected with the dispersion of nations at Babel.

Peninnah

The second wife of Elkanah, who taunted the childless Hannah over her barrenness — provoking the prayer that brought forth the prophet Samuel.

Perez

A son of Judah and Tamar, twin of Zerah, whose dramatic birth gave him his name; an ancestor of Boaz, David, and Jesus Christ.

Peter

A Galilean fisherman who became the foremost of the twelve apostles, preached at Pentecost, and led the early church; author of two New Testament epistles.

Phebe

A servant (deaconess) of the church at Cenchrea and a helper of many, commended by Paul and entrusted to carry his letter to the Romans.

Philemon

A wealthy Christian of Colossae, host of a house church, to whom Paul wrote appealing for the gracious welcome of his runaway slave Onesimus.

Philip

An apostle from Bethsaida who brought Nathanael to Jesus and to whom Jesus said, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?"

Philip

One of the first seven deacons who became a pioneering evangelist — preaching in Samaria and leading the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ.

Phinehas

The grandson of Aaron whose zeal for God halted a plague at Peor; God granted him and his descendants an everlasting priesthood.

Pontius Pilate

The Roman governor who tried Jesus, declared he found no fault in Him, washed his hands of the matter, yet delivered Him to be crucified.

Potiphar

The Egyptian officer, captain of Pharaoh’s guard, who bought Joseph and set him over his house, then imprisoned him on his wife’s false accusation.

Potipherah

The priest of On (Heliopolis) whose daughter Asenath was given to Joseph in marriage by Pharaoh.

Priscilla

A tentmaker and teacher who, with her husband Aquila, hosted a church, instructed Apollos more accurately, and labored alongside the apostle Paul.

Puah

One of the two Hebrew midwives who, fearing God, refused Pharaoh’s command to kill the newborn Hebrew boys.

Rachel

The beloved wife of Jacob, for whom he served fourteen years; mother of Joseph and Benjamin, she died giving birth on the road to Bethlehem.

Rahab

The Canaanite woman of Jericho who hid the Israelite spies, confessed faith in Israel’s God, and was spared — later named in the genealogy of Jesus.

Rebekah

The wife of Isaac, found at a well by Abraham’s servant, and mother of the twins Esau and Jacob, whose favor for Jacob shaped Israel’s line.

Rehoboam

The son of Solomon whose harsh policy split the kingdom; he reigned over Judah while the ten northern tribes broke away under Jeroboam.

Reu

A patriarch in the line of Shem, son of Peleg and father of Serug, in the genealogy leading from Noah to Abraham.

Reuben

The firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, who forfeited his birthright through sin yet sought to save Joseph from his brothers.

Rizpah

A concubine of King Saul whose unwavering vigil over the bodies of her executed sons moved David to give them honorable burial.

Ruth

A Moabite widow whose loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi and marriage to Boaz made her the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus.

Salah

A son of Arphaxad and the father of Eber, in the genealogy of Shem leading to Abraham.

Salome

A follower of Jesus, traditionally the mother of the apostles James and John, who served Him in Galilee, watched the crucifixion, and came to anoint His body.

Samson

A Nazirite judge of extraordinary strength who fought the Philistines, was betrayed by Delilah, and brought down their temple in his death.

Samuel

Israel's last judge and first great prophet, who anointed both Saul and David and guided the nation in its transition from the judges to the monarchy.

Sapphira

The wife of Ananias who shared in his lie about the price of their land and, repeating it to Peter, fell dead as he had.

Sarah

The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. Barren for most of her life, she bore the child of promise in old age and became "a mother of nations."

Saul

The tall, handsome first king of Israel, anointed by Samuel, whose disobedience and jealousy of David cost him the kingdom and ended in tragedy at Gilboa.

Serug

A patriarch in the line of Shem, son of Reu and father of Nahor — Abraham’s great-grandfather.

Seth

The third son of Adam and Eve, appointed by God in place of Abel. Through his line the godly remnant — and ultimately Noah and the Messiah — descended.

Shadrach

One of Daniel’s three Hebrew companions (Hananiah) who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image and was delivered unharmed from the fiery furnace.

Shamgar

A judge who struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, delivering Israel.

Shammah

The third son of Jesse and a brother of David, also called Shimea, ancestor of David’s nephews Jonadab and Jonathan.

Shear-Jashub

The elder son of Isaiah, whose symbolic name proclaimed that a remnant of Israel would return to God.

Shelah

The third and youngest son of Judah, withheld from Tamar despite the levirate custom; ancestor of the Shelanite clan of Judah.

Shem

The son of Noah blessed above his brothers, and ancestor of the Semitic peoples — including the line of Abraham through which the Messiah came.

Shimei

A kinsman of Saul who cursed and stoned David as he fled from Absalom, was later pardoned, but was finally executed by Solomon for breaking his oath.

Shiphrah

One of the two Hebrew midwives who feared God and defied Pharaoh’s order to kill the newborn Hebrew boys.

Shuah

The youngest son of Abraham by Keturah, possibly the ancestor of Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job’s friends.

Sihon

The Amorite king of Heshbon who refused Israel passage and attacked them; his defeat gave Israel its first major conquest east of the Jordan.

Silas

A leading man of the Jerusalem church and prophet who became Paul’s companion on the second journey — singing hymns with him in the Philippian jail at midnight.

Simeon

A devout, aged man of Jerusalem promised he would not die before seeing the Messiah; he took the infant Jesus in his arms and blessed God in the Nunc Dimittis.