The Bible is a complex and multi-faceted text, written over thousands of years, by different authors, and in diverse cultural contexts.
While it contains timeless wisdom and guidance for life, there are certainly some scriptures that can appear downright strange to modern readers. Some verses raise eyebrows because they reflect ancient customs or societal norms that no longer exist, while others are puzzling due to their supernatural or symbolic nature.
In this list, we explore 25 weird scriptures from the Bible that often baffle readers. These verses have been selected based on their unusual content, strange imagery, or out-of-the-ordinary instructions.
However, it’s important to remember that what may seem odd at first glance may have deeper meanings when viewed through the lens of biblical history and theology.
1. Genesis 6:4 – Nephilim: The Giants Born from Angels and Humans
“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.”
This verse describes a mysterious group known as the Nephilim, who were supposedly born from the union of divine beings (the “sons of God”) and human women. The idea of angelic beings intermingling with humans to create a race of giants sounds more like mythology or science fiction than something you’d expect from the Bible. Scholars debate whether the Nephilim were literal giants or a metaphor for something else entirely.
2. Exodus 4:24-26 – God Tries to Kill Moses
“At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,’ she said. So the LORD let him alone.”
This passage is perplexing because God had just chosen Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, yet here, He suddenly tries to kill him. The quick intervention by Moses’ wife, Zipporah, through the act of circumcising their son, somehow saves Moses’ life. The scripture is often seen as strange due to its abruptness and lack of clear explanation.
3. Leviticus 19:19 – Prohibition Against Mixed Fabrics
“Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.”
In Leviticus, God gives the Israelites numerous laws, including this one forbidding them from wearing clothes made of mixed fabrics. While this rule may seem trivial or bizarre to modern readers, it likely held deeper symbolic meaning in ancient Israel, possibly representing purity and separation from pagan practices.
4. Deuteronomy 25:11-12 – The Punishment for Grabbing a Man’s Genitals
“If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.”
This law seems both specific and severe. The idea of a woman being punished for stepping in to help her husband in a fight, especially in this way, can seem harsh and strange. However, some scholars suggest that the law was meant to protect the dignity of men and ensure fair play during disputes.
5. 2 Kings 2:23-24 – Elisha and the Bears
“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ they said. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”
This verse is often cited as an example of the Bible’s more bizarre and violent moments. The prophet Elisha curses a group of boys for mocking his baldness, and two bears appear to attack them. The severity of the punishment seems disproportionate to the offense, leading to much debate among scholars.
6. Numbers 22:28-30 – Balaam’s Talking Donkey
“Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’ Balaam answered the donkey, ‘You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.’”
In this passage, Balaam’s donkey suddenly gains the ability to speak, questioning Balaam’s actions after being beaten. The story, which involves divine intervention, is certainly one of the stranger moments in the Bible, as we don’t typically expect animals to talk.
7. Judges 3:21-22 – Ehud and the Fat King Eglon
“Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.”
This graphic description of the assassination of King Eglon by the left-handed Ehud is one of the more gruesome and strangely detailed stories in the Bible. The vivid imagery of the sword disappearing into Eglon’s fat and the subsequent bowel discharge has made it a notable (and weird) passage.
8. 1 Samuel 28:7-20 – Saul and the Witch of Endor
“Then Saul said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.’”
In this passage, Saul consults a medium (the “Witch of Endor”) to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. This event is strange not only because it involves necromancy, which is condemned elsewhere in the Bible, but also because Samuel’s spirit does indeed appear and speaks to Saul.
9. Isaiah 20:2-3 – Isaiah Walks Naked for Three Years
“At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, ‘Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.’ And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. Then the LORD said, ‘Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush…’”
Isaiah’s odd prophetic action of walking around naked for three years is certainly one of the more bizarre commands from God. This action was meant to symbolize the upcoming shame and humiliation of Egypt and Cush, but it’s still a strange and uncomfortable image.
10. Ezekiel 4:12 – Eating Bread Baked Over Human Excrement
“Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.”
God commands the prophet Ezekiel to eat bread baked over human excrement as part of a symbolic demonstration of the coming siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel protests, and God allows him to use cow dung instead. The strange cooking instructions are meant to symbolize the defiled food the Israelites will eat in exile.
11. Ezekiel 37:1-10 – The Valley of Dry Bones
“The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.”
In this eerie vision, Ezekiel is taken to a valley filled with dry bones, which come back to life at God’s command. While this vision has profound theological significance, symbolizing the restoration of Israel, the imagery of skeletons reassembling and coming to life is undeniably strange.
12. Matthew 21:18-19 – Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered.”
This passage, where Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit, can seem odd, especially since it wasn’t the season for figs. The act is often interpreted as a symbolic judgment on Israel, but the literal action of cursing a tree remains peculiar.
13. Mark 14:51-52 – The Naked Young Man
“A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.”
This brief and seemingly random detail about a young man fleeing naked during Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane has puzzled readers for centuries. Some speculate that the young man was Mark himself, but the passage remains enigmatic.
14. Revelation 9:7-10 – The Locusts with Human Faces
“The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.”
The Book of Revelation is full of strange and fantastical imagery, and this description of locusts with human faces, lion’s teeth, and women’s hair is one of the most bizarre. These creatures are part of the apocalyptic visions seen by John, and their terrifying appearance has been the subject of much speculation.
15. Leviticus 14:33-53 – Cleansing a House of Leprosy
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mold in a house in that land, the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, ‘I have seen something that looks like a defiling mold in my house.’”
This passage outlines a ritual for cleansing a house afflicted by “leprosy” (likely a form of mold or mildew). The detailed instructions for dealing with a contaminated house, including the use of birds and cedarwood, seem strange, especially since we don’t typically think of leprosy as something that affects buildings.
16. Judges 15:15-16 – Samson and the Jawbone of a Donkey
“Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. Then Samson said, ‘With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men.’”
Samson’s victory over a thousand Philistines using nothing but the jawbone of a donkey is a strange and exaggerated story of strength. The odd choice of weapon and the sheer number of enemies defeated make this passage stand out.
17. Deuteronomy 14:21 – Don’t Boil a Goat in Its Mother’s Milk
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
This odd dietary law has puzzled readers for centuries. While the exact reason for the prohibition is unclear, many scholars believe it was intended to prevent the Israelites from engaging in pagan fertility rituals. Today, this law is part of the Jewish practice of keeping kosher.
18. 1 Kings 18:27 – Elijah Mocks Baal’s Prophets
“At noon Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.’”
During the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Elijah sarcastically mocks their god, suggesting that Baal might be asleep, away on a journey, or otherwise occupied. The humor and taunting in this passage are unusual for the Bible, which is often more serious in tone.
19. Song of Solomon 4:2 – Your Teeth Are Like a Flock of Sheep
“Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone.”
This verse from the Song of Solomon is part of a love poem, but the comparison of a woman’s teeth to freshly shorn sheep seems strange to modern readers. The imagery, while odd, is meant to convey beauty in a poetic way, even if it doesn’t quite resonate with contemporary romantic language.
20. Proverbs 26:11 – A Dog Returns to Its Vomit
“As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.”
This proverb uses a vivid and somewhat disgusting image to illustrate the foolishness of repeating mistakes. While the message is clear, the choice of metaphor is certainly strange and memorable.
21. Genesis 19:30-38 – Lot’s Daughters and the Incestuous Encounter
“That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.”
This disturbing story describes how Lot’s daughters, believing they were the last people on Earth after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, trick their father into sleeping with them in order to preserve their family line. The passage is unsettling and rarely discussed in detail.
22. Leviticus 18:23 – Prohibition Against Bestiality
“Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it.”
The Bible contains several prohibitions against bestiality, but the fact that such a law had to be explicitly stated raises questions about the practices of the time. While the command itself makes sense, it’s still strange to imagine that it was necessary.
23. Exodus 32:20 – Moses Makes the Israelites Drink Gold
“He took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.”
After the Israelites create and worship a golden calf, Moses grinds the idol into powder and makes the people drink it. This unusual punishment is meant to show the people the futility of their idolatry, but the method is certainly strange.
24. Mark 5:1-13 – The Demons and the Pigs
“The demons begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.”
In this story, Jesus casts a group of demons out of a man, and they enter a herd of pigs, which then run into a lake and drown. The drowning of the pigs has puzzled readers, as it seems like an odd resolution to the story.
25. Revelation 16:21 – Giant Hailstones
“From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.”
The Book of Revelation is filled with strange and terrifying imagery, and this description of hundred-pound hailstones falling from the sky during the final judgment is one of the more bizarre and apocalyptic scenes.
Conclusion
The Bible is full of wisdom, but it also contains many scriptures that can seem strange, confusing, or even bizarre to modern readers. These 25 examples highlight the diversity of stories, laws, and imagery found in the Bible, reminding us that it was written in a very different time and culture. While some verses may seem weird, they often carry deeper meanings that can be uncovered through careful study and interpretation.
In the end, these “weird” scriptures challenge us to engage with the Bible more deeply, encouraging us to explore the cultural and historical contexts that shaped its stories and teachings. Rather than dismissing these verses as strange or irrelevant, we can approach them with curiosity and an open mind, seeking to understand the richness of the biblical narrative.