The People of the Bible

Simeon

The second son of Jacob and Leah who, with Levi, avenged their sister Dinah by destroying the men of Shechem, and was held hostage in Egypt by Joseph.

Simon

One of the brothers of Jesus named by the people of Nazareth.

Simon the Zealot

One of the twelve apostles, called "the Zealot" — likely a former member of the fiercely nationalistic Zealot party before following Jesus.

Sisera

The Canaanite general with nine hundred iron chariots, defeated by Barak and slain in his sleep by Jael with a tent peg.

Solomon

The son of David and Bathsheba, third king of Israel, famed for his God-given wisdom, his building of the temple, and the prosperity of his reign.

Stephen

One of the first seven deacons, "full of faith and power," whose bold witness before the Sanhedrin made him the first Christian martyr, stoned as Saul looked on.

Tamar

The daughter-in-law of Judah who, denied her levirate rights, secured justice through a bold ruse and bore Perez — an ancestor of David and of Jesus.

Tamar

A daughter of David, full sister of Absalom, who was wronged by her half-brother Amnon — a tragedy that divided the royal house.

Terah

The father of Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. He set out from Ur of the Chaldees toward Canaan but settled in Haran, where he died.

Thaddaeus

One of the twelve apostles, also called Lebbaeus and "Judas (not Iscariot)," who asked Jesus why He would reveal Himself to the disciples and not the world.

Thomas

The apostle remembered as "doubting Thomas," who refused to believe in the resurrection until he saw Jesus, then confessed Him, "My Lord and my God."

Tidal

The "king of nations," the fourth of the eastern kings allied with Chedorlaomer against Sodom and her neighbors.

Timothy

Paul’s beloved protégé and "son in the faith," a young pastor of Ephesus raised in the Scriptures by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois.

Titus

A trusted Greek companion of Paul, left to set the churches of Crete in order, and the recipient of the letter that bears his name.

Tola

A judge of the tribe of Issachar who arose after Abimelech and judged Israel twenty-three years.

Tubal-cain

A descendant of Cain, "an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron" — the originator of metalworking.

Uzzah

A man struck dead by God for steadying the ark of the covenant with his hand as it was carried, improperly, on a cart toward Jerusalem.

Uzziah

A long-reigning, successful king of Judah whose pride led him to usurp the priest’s role, for which he was struck with leprosy until his death.

Vashti

The queen of Persia deposed by King Ahasuerus for refusing to display herself at his banquet — her removal opening the way for Esther to become queen.

Zacchaeus

The short, wealthy chief tax collector of Jericho who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus and, transformed by His visit, repaid all he had defrauded fourfold.

Zacharias

A priest to whom the angel Gabriel announced the birth of John the Baptist; struck mute for unbelief until the child was named, he then prophesied.

Zadok

The faithful priest who stayed loyal to David through Absalom’s revolt and anointed Solomon king; his descendants held the high priesthood for centuries.

Zebulun

The tenth son of Jacob and last by Leah; Jacob foretold his tribe would "dwell at the haven of the sea," in the region where Jesus would later minister.

Zechariah

A post-exilic prophet who, with Haggai, urged the rebuilding of the temple and gave some of the Old Testament’s clearest visions of the coming Messiah.

Zedekiah

The last king of Judah, installed by Babylon, whose rebellion brought the destruction of Jerusalem; he saw his sons killed, then was blinded and carried to Babylon.

Zelophehad

A man of Manasseh who died in the wilderness leaving only daughters, whose appeal established a landmark law of female inheritance in Israel.

Zephaniah

A prophet of royal descent in Josiah’s reign who warned of the coming "day of the LORD" yet promised that God would rejoice over a restored remnant with singing.

Zerah

A son of Judah and Tamar, the twin of Perez, who put out his hand first at birth and had a scarlet thread bound on it.

Zerubbabel

The governor of Judah who led the first return from Babylon and rebuilt the temple, encouraged by Haggai and Zechariah — a key link in the line of the Messiah.

Zilpah

Leah’s handmaid, given to Jacob as a wife; she bore Gad and Asher, founders of two of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Zimran

The firstborn son of Abraham by Keturah, ancestor of an Arabian people who settled east of Canaan.

Zipporah

The wife of Moses, a daughter of the priest of Midian, and mother of his sons Gershom and Eliezer.