1 Chronicles Bible Trivia: 33 Questions and Answers

These 33 1 Chronicles Bible trivia questions cover King David's reign, his mighty men, the ark of the covenant, and the temple preparations -- sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds by age. Answers with verse references are included after every question, so you can settle any dinner-table dispute on the spot.

1 Chronicles is a sleeper hit for trivia. Most families know David's story from 1 and 2 Samuel, but Chronicles retells it with details you won't find anywhere else -- a lion killed in a pit on a snowy day, a giant with 24 fingers and toes, and the little prayer of Jabez tucked inside nine chapters of names.

What Is the Book of 1 Chronicles About?

1 Chronicles retells the story of King David's reign, beginning with genealogies that run from Adam to the exile and ending with David handing the temple plans to his son Solomon. Jewish tradition attributes the book to Ezra the scribe, though the author -- often just called "the Chronicler" -- is not named in the text; it was written after the Babylonian exile to remind a returning nation who they were.

The book has two halves: chapters 1-9 are family trees (the longest genealogy in the Bible), and chapters 10-29 cover David -- his crowning, his mighty men, bringing the ark to Jerusalem, God's covenant promise, and the massive preparations for a temple David himself would never build. It matters because it shows a discouraged people that God's promises to David still stood -- and it gives us some of the Bible's greatest prayers, including David's "Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power" (1 Chronicles 29:11).

Easy 1 Chronicles Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. Who is the very first person named in 1 Chronicles? Adam (1 Chronicles 1:1)

1. Which famous king is the main person in 1 Chronicles? David (1 Chronicles 11:1-3)

1. What special golden box did David bring to Jerusalem with music and celebration? The ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 15:25-28)

1. What big building did David want to build for God? A temple -- a house for God (1 Chronicles 17:1; 22:5)

1. Which of David's sons would build the temple instead of him? Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:9-10)

1. In which city did David rule as king? Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11:4-7)

1. Who was the king before David, who died in battle against the Philistines? Saul (1 Chronicles 10:1-6)

1. How did David and all Israel celebrate when the ark came to Jerusalem? They sang, danced, and played instruments with all their might (1 Chronicles 13:8; 15:28-29)

1. What did David gather huge piles of before he died -- gold, silver, wood, and stone -- and why? Building materials for the temple (1 Chronicles 22:2-5)

1. Who did David say the kingdom and the victory really belong to? God (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Medium 1 Chronicles Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. Why does 1 Chronicles say King Saul died? Because he was unfaithful to the LORD and even consulted a medium instead of asking God (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)

1. What was Jerusalem called before David captured it? Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:4)

1. Who became commander of David's army by being the first to attack Jebus? Joab (1 Chronicles 11:6)

1. What happened to Uzzah when he reached out and touched the ark? He died on the spot, because the ark was holy and not to be touched (1 Chronicles 13:9-10)

1. Whose house did the ark stay at for three months -- and what happened to his family? Obed-Edom's house, and the LORD blessed his whole household (1 Chronicles 13:14)

1. What did David learn Israel had done wrong the first time they moved the ark? They carried it on a cart instead of having the Levites carry it on poles, as God commanded (1 Chronicles 15:2, 13-15)

1. Who despised David in her heart when she saw him dancing before the ark? Michal, Saul's daughter (1 Chronicles 15:29)

1. Which prophet told David that God would build HIM a house -- a family line that would rule forever? Nathan (1 Chronicles 17:1-14)

1. Why did God tell David he could not build the temple? Because David was a warrior who had shed much blood (1 Chronicles 22:8; 28:3)

1. What does 1 Chronicles say Solomon's name points to -- what kind of king would he be? A man of peace and rest, because God would give Israel peace in his days (1 Chronicles 22:9)

1. Which king of Tyre sent cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build David a palace? Hiram (1 Chronicles 14:1)

1. What sound in the tops of the poplar trees was David told to wait for before attacking the Philistines? The sound of marching -- the sign that God had gone out in front of him (1 Chronicles 14:14-15)

1. Which three musicians did David put in charge of the music for God's house? Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 25:1)

1. How long did David reign as king, and over which two cities? Forty years total -- seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 29:26-27)

Hard 1 Chronicles Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. Who prayed, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!" -- a two-verse prayer hidden in the genealogies? Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

1. Which tribe's men were praised for "understanding the times" and knowing what Israel should do? The men of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32)

1. According to 1 Chronicles, who incited David to take the census of Israel? Satan (1 Chronicles 21:1)

1. How many Israelites died in the plague after David's census? Seventy thousand (1 Chronicles 21:14)

1. Whose threshing floor did David buy as the place to build an altar -- the future temple site? Ornan the Jebusite (also called Araunah) (1 Chronicles 21:18-26)

1. Which of David's mighty men killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day? Benaiah son of Jehoiada (1 Chronicles 11:22)

1. What did David do with the water his three mighty men risked their lives to bring him from the well at Bethlehem? He refused to drink it and poured it out before the LORD (1 Chronicles 11:17-19)

1. Who killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath -- and what unusual giant appears in the same chapter? Elhanan killed Lahmi; the chapter also describes a giant with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all (1 Chronicles 20:5-6)

1. How did David say he received the detailed plans for the temple? In writing from the hand of the LORD upon him -- God gave him understanding of all the details (1 Chronicles 28:19)

How to Use These Questions

Match the round to the kid and keep the pace quick -- two or three questions at dinner beats thirty in one sitting. The easy round works for early elementary kids who know David's story; the hard round is genuinely hard, so let teens hunt for answers with an open Bible (every reference is right there). For a full game-night format with team rules and scoring ideas, see our guide to hosting a family Bible trivia night.

If your kids need a refresher first, start with who was David, then God's promise to David and David's final words -- together they cover the heart of 1 Chronicles in about fifteen minutes. Our video lessons at Faithful Kids walk kids through David's whole story episode by episode, with a quiz after each one.

When you've mastered this book, branch out to our Old Testament trivia for kids or the full 100 Bible trivia questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of 1 Chronicles?

The author is not named in the text; Jewish tradition attributes 1 and 2 Chronicles to Ezra the scribe, and scholars simply call the author "the Chronicler." The book was written after the Babylonian exile, drawing on earlier records like "the book of the kings of Israel" and the writings of the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (1 Chronicles 29:29).

How many chapters does 1 Chronicles have?

1 Chronicles has 29 chapters. The first nine are genealogies running from Adam to the families who returned from exile, and chapters 10 through 29 tell the story of King David's reign.

What is the most famous story in 1 Chronicles?

David bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 13-16) is the book's most famous story, along with God's covenant promise to David in chapter 17. The short prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) is probably its most famous single passage.

How is 1 Chronicles different from 1 and 2 Samuel?

Chronicles retells David's story for people returning from exile, so it highlights the temple, worship, and God's promises while leaving out most of David's failures -- Bathsheba and Absalom's rebellion don't appear. It also adds material Samuel doesn't have, like the temple preparations, the Levite job assignments, and the prayer of Jabez.

What age can kids start learning 1 Chronicles?

Kids as young as 5 can enjoy the action stories -- David crowned king, the ark celebration, the mighty men -- while the genealogies and temple-organization chapters land better with ages 10 and up. A good starting point is reading chapter 29, David's final prayer, together as a family.

Why does 1 Chronicles start with nine chapters of names?

The genealogies proved to Israelites returning from exile that they were still God's covenant people, connected in an unbroken line back to Adam, Abraham, and David. For kids, the takeaway is simple: every name mattered to God -- including a nobody like Jabez, who got two verses and an answered prayer.