Go Figure! A Bible Math Puzzle

donkey on hillside

Balaam’s donkey spoke to him

Go Figure! A Bible Math Puzzle

by D. M. Flynn

Do you know which Psalm is the shortest? You can look at all 150 of them to find out, or you can have fun following these clues to get the answer.

Follow the directions below. Use the NIV references if you need help. Be sure to read the instructions carefully before computing an answer. (Hint: Do one step at a time and number your answers.)

1. Take the number of donkeys Job owned (Job 1:3).

2. Add the number of men that were with David in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1–2).

3. Subtract Noah’s age at the time the flood started (Genesis 7:6).

4. Divide by the number of sons Elimelech and Naomi had (Ruth 1:2).

5. Subtract the number of commandments God gave to Moses (Exodus 20:1–17).

6. Multiply the number of days that Jonah spent inside the fish by the number of nights he spent inside the fish.

7. Subtract your answer to number 6 from your answer to number 5 (Jonah 1:17).

8. Subtract the number of maids Hegai assigned to Esther (Esther 2:9).

9. Add the number of ribs God took from Adam to create Eve (Genesis 2:21).

10. Subtract the number of sons Jesse had (1 Samuel 17:12).

The answer will be the number of the shortest Psalm.

You can check your answers at the bottom of this page.

Jonah was swallowed by a huge "fish", probably a whale.
Jonah was swallowed by a huge “fish”, probably a whale.

© D. M. Flynn

M. Flynn is a classical musician and a freelance writer who served for over twenty years as a liturgist, church musician, and music educator.

Answer Key:

GO FIGURE!
1. 500
2. 500 + 400 = 900
3. 900 – 600 = 300
4. 300 ÷ 2 = 150
5. 150 – 10=140
6.  3 x 3 = 9
7. 140 – 9 = 131
8. 131 – 7 = 124
9. 124 + 1 = 125
10. 125 – 8 = (Psalm) 117

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