Most people open the Bible looking for peace & wisdom, perhaps something deep. But they don’t realize how strange some of the verses are. Here are thirteen unusual Bible verses, where the lesson isn’t apparent till you think about it some more. Just remember, we’re not trying to poke fun at anyone’s beliefs. Which of these verses surprises you the most?
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Deuteronomy 3:11
This part interrupts the conversation with a random fact. What is it? That King Og had a massive bed made of iron. We’re talking 13+ feet long. Even back then, that was rather incredible. But Moses mentions it & then keeps going. It’s to show how King Og wasn’t human. He was the last of the Rephaim. They were a race of giants.
2 Kings 2:23–24
During this verse, Elisha is simply walking along. Some kids then start teasing him for being bald, but he doesn’t yell. He just curses them, and two bears come out of nowhere & tear 42 of them apart. While seeming like an overreaction, it’s teaching a good lesson, though. We shouldn’t judge those around us. Who knows what the consequences will be.
Ezekiel 4:12
This verse features Ezekiel being told to cook bread in public. But not just cook it. God says to bake it over human poop. Ezekiel objects, and we can’t really blame him for that. They switch to cow dung instead, which is still just as gross. The goal was to show how awful conditions were for the Israelites. Essentially, the dung is more symbolic than literal.
Genesis 25:30
In Genesis 25:30, Esau is starving, and he enters to see Jacob’s red stew. He tells Jacob to give it to him now. But instead of agreeing, Jacob gives him some conditions. He says he’ll do so only if Esau gives him his birthright. Esau responds by agreeing. From this, we learn how impulsive Esau is. It also teaches us not to be this way. We should always trust God & think of the future.
Numbers 22:28
Time for some talking animals. This verse features a donkey that begins speaking. Balaam beats it for stopping in the road & the donkey turns around to argue. Essentially, it asks, “Why are you hitting me? Have I ever done this before?” It’s meant to show just how powerful God is. He can make animals talk.
Song of Songs 4:2
You might not expect to find flirting in the Bible, but it’s there. Specifically, in Song of Songs 4:2. It has a guy trying to flirt by saying a woman’s teeth are like freshly washed sheep. All in a row & all with twins. He’s saying she has clean, matching teeth. That was a big compliment in those days. In fact, a lot of poetry used sheep as a metaphor at this time.
1 Samuel 18:27
King Saul tells David that he can marry his daughter. But only on one condition. He must bring back 100 Philistine foreskins. David shows up with 200. This shows how brave & loyal David is. However, it also shows us Saul’s manipulative nature. He tried to get David killed in battle. David’s victory makes Saul more jealous. So really, it’s an important point.
Isaiah 20:2–3
In this verse, God tells Isaiah to take his clothes off. And then to keep them off for three years. It might sound strange to most people, but Isaiah agrees to do it. He does it without shoes, too. What did it mean? It’s a kind of foreshadowing. It shows what will happen to the Egyptians later. The Assyrians will cause them all kinds of humiliation. This is just the start.
Leviticus 21:17–23
You’ll find this not-so-accepting verse in Leviticus. It’s a list of stuff that disqualifies a guy from being a priest. This includes stuff like flat noses & broken feet, as well as hunchbacks and damaged testicles. It may seem strange to some now. But it’s meant to show how priests need to be perfect. They’re serving a perfect God, after all.
Judges 3:21–22
During this verse, Ehud sneaks in to kill King Eglon, who’s described as extremely fat. Ehud stabs him in the belly. But weirdly, the fat closes over the hilt. The dagger disappears into the guy. It gets stuck in there & the description is quite vivid about it. That’s intentional, though. It shows how God uses unexpected events to free Israel. He works in mysterious ways.
2 Kings 6:28–29
This verse is a little gruesome. In it, a woman tells the king she made a deal with another mom. They’d eat one child today & the other tomorrow. As such, the first kid is cooked, but the next day, the other woman hides her child. It’s an example of how extreme the famine is. It happens because these people turn away from God. This is His judgment of them.
Hosea 1:2
The first thing God tells Hosea to do is to marry a woman known for cheating. And Hosea does it without hesitating. They later have kids together. There’s a deeper meaning, though. The marriage symbolizes God’s relationship with Israel. The country’s lack of ‘faith’ in God is the woman’s adultery. As such, choosing not to believe in God is a betrayal. It’s like cheating.
Judges 15:15
Samson has no sword or spear, nothing fancy. So, he grabs the jawbone of a donkey & starts swinging. He apparently kills a thousand men with it. Afterward, he throws away the jawbone like nothing happened. It shows just how strong Samson is. It also shows how God uses unexpected methods to send His message.
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