Proverbs Bible Trivia: 40 Questions and Answers for Families

These 40 Proverbs Bible trivia questions cover the Bible's book of wisdom -- ants and sluggards, gold rings in pigs' snouts, and the most quoted parenting verse in Scripture -- sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds. Every answer comes with its verse reference so you can check it on the spot.

Proverbs is a trivia goldmine because it's built out of one-liners: short, vivid, and often funny on purpose. Kids remember "go to the ant, you sluggard" for life -- and the hard round hides a few facts about the book itself that most adults have never noticed.

What Is the Book of Proverbs About?

The book of Proverbs is a collection of short, memorable sayings that teach wisdom -- how to live skillfully with God, family, money, words, and work. Most of it comes from King Solomon, the wisest man of his era (Proverbs 1:1), who spoke three thousand proverbs in his lifetime (1 Kings 4:32), though the book also includes sayings from Agur, King Lemuel, and other unnamed wise teachers.

Its theme verse sits right at the front: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). With 31 chapters -- famously one for each day of the month -- Proverbs matters because it's the Bible's most practical book: almost every verse can change how a kid acts on an ordinary Tuesday.

Easy Proverbs Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. Which famously wise king wrote most of Proverbs? Solomon (Proverbs 1:1)
2. "Trust in the LORD with all your ___." Heart (Proverbs 3:5)
3. Which tiny insect does Proverbs tell lazy people to watch and learn from? The ant -- "Go to the ant, you sluggard" (Proverbs 6:6)
4. "A gentle answer turns away ___." Wrath (Proverbs 15:1)
5. What kind of heart "is good medicine"? A cheerful heart (Proverbs 17:22)
6. "A friend loves at ." All times (Proverbs 17:17)
7. What goes before destruction? Pride -- "and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18)
8. When God offered Solomon anything he wanted, what did he ask for? Wisdom -- a discerning heart (1 Kings 3:9)
9. What does Proverbs 22:1 say is more desirable than great riches? A good name (Proverbs 22:1)
10. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of ___." Knowledge (Proverbs 1:7)
11. What sharpens iron? Iron -- "as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17)
12. How many chapters does Proverbs have -- one for each day of the month? 31
13. Above all else, what does Proverbs 4:23 tell you to guard? Your heart -- "for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23)

Medium Proverbs Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. In Proverbs 1 and 8, wisdom is pictured as what, calling out in the streets? A woman (Proverbs 1:20-21)
2. How many proverbs did Solomon speak in his lifetime? Three thousand (1 Kings 4:32)
3. "The name of the LORD is a fortified ___; the righteous run to it and are safe." Tower (Proverbs 18:10)
4. The wife of noble character in Proverbs 31 is worth far more than what? Rubies (Proverbs 31:10)
5. Finish the famous parenting verse: "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old..." "...they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6)
6. Proverbs 20:1 calls wine a what? A mocker -- "and beer a brawler" (Proverbs 20:1)
7. What simple meal does Proverbs say is better than a fattened calf served with hatred? A small serving of vegetables with love (Proverbs 15:17)
8. Humans plan their course in their hearts, but who establishes their steps? The LORD (Proverbs 16:9)
9. What does Proverbs 16:31 call gray hair? A crown of splendor (Proverbs 16:31)
10. "Walk with the wise and become wise," but a companion of fools does what? Suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20)
11. Proverbs 25:11 compares the right word at the right time to what beautiful picture? Apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11)
12. What does Proverbs 27:1 warn you not to boast about? Tomorrow -- "for you do not know what a day may bring" (Proverbs 27:1)
13. Proverbs 18:24 says there is a friend who sticks closer than a what? A brother (Proverbs 18:24)
14. What animal is made ready for the day of battle, though victory rests with the LORD? The horse (Proverbs 21:31)

Hard Proverbs Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. Proverbs 6 lists things the LORD hates. How many? Six -- seven that are detestable to him (Proverbs 6:16-19)
2. Name two of the four small-but-extremely-wise creatures in Proverbs 30. Ants, hyraxes (rock badgers), locusts, and lizards (Proverbs 30:24-28)
3. Besides Solomon, which two named men contributed sayings to Proverbs? Agur son of Jakeh (chapter 30) and King Lemuel (chapter 31)
4. Who taught King Lemuel the sayings in Proverbs 31? His mother (Proverbs 31:1)
5. Which king's men copied out Proverbs 25-29 about 250 years after Solomon? Hezekiah's (Proverbs 25:1)
6. Even fools are thought wise if they do what? Keep silent (Proverbs 17:28)
7. As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to what? His folly (Proverbs 26:11 -- quoted in 2 Peter 2:22)
8. Proverbs 11:22 compares beauty without discretion to what strange picture? A gold ring in a pig's snout (Proverbs 11:22)
9. Giving your hungry enemy food and water heaps what on his head? Burning coals (Proverbs 25:21-22 -- quoted in Romans 12:20)
10. Agur asked God for neither poverty nor riches, but only what? His daily bread (Proverbs 30:8)
11. Proverbs 31:10-31 is an acrostic poem. What does each of its 22 verses begin with? A successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet
12. According to Proverbs 12:10, the righteous care for the needs of their what? Their animals (Proverbs 12:10)
13. Which two back-to-back verses famously seem to give opposite advice about answering a fool? Proverbs 26:4 and 26:5 -- "Do not answer a fool according to his folly" and "Answer a fool according to his folly"

How to Use These Questions

Proverbs trivia works best in small doses, because every answer is also a conversation starter -- ask the question, get the answer, then ask "when did you see that happen this week?" Two per dinner is plenty. For a bigger event with teams and scoring, our family Bible trivia night guide has the full setup.

The easiest long-term play: pair the questions with the classic proverb-a-day habit. Since the book has 31 chapters, read the chapter that matches today's date, then ask only the trivia questions drawn from chapters you've already read. By the end of a month, kids have heard the whole book and earned every answer honestly -- and the animal questions (the ant, the dog, the pig with the gold ring) make ideal rewards along the way.

If your kids are new to the book, start with our overview of the book of Proverbs for kids, then the story of how Solomon got his wisdom in Solomon asks for wisdom and a kid-friendly tour of Solomon's proverbs. Our video lessons at Faithful Kids pair each Solomon story with a short quiz, which is exactly how these one-liners stick.

When your family has this list down, mix in the Old Testament trivia questions or go for the full 100 Bible trivia questions for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Proverbs?

Most of Proverbs comes from King Solomon (Proverbs 1:1), who spoke three thousand proverbs in his lifetime (1 Kings 4:32). The book also includes sayings from unnamed wise teachers (Proverbs 22:17), Agur son of Jakeh (chapter 30), and King Lemuel (chapter 31), and chapters 25-29 were compiled by King Hezekiah's men long after Solomon died.

How many chapters does Proverbs have?

Proverbs has 31 chapters, which is why so many families read one chapter a day for a month -- the chapter number matches the date. It's one of the easiest Bible reading habits to start with kids.

What is the most famous verse in Proverbs?

Proverbs 3:5-6 -- "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" -- is the book's most famous passage and one of the most memorized verses in the Bible. Proverbs 22:6 ("Start children off on the way they should go") is the best-known parenting verse.

What is the main message of Proverbs?

The main message is that wisdom starts with honoring God: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). Everything else in the book -- advice about words, money, work, friends, and anger -- flows from that one starting point.

What age can kids start learning Proverbs?

Ages 5-8 can memorize single proverbs like "A gentle answer turns away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1) because they're short and concrete. Ages 9-12 can handle the comparisons and word pictures, and teens are ready for the money, friendship, and self-control themes that run through the whole book.

What is the difference between Proverbs and Psalms?

Psalms is Israel's songbook -- prayers and praises addressed to God -- while Proverbs is a wisdom manual addressed to people, especially the young. A simple way to tell kids: Psalms teaches you how to talk to God, and Proverbs teaches you how to live for him.