The Bible is full of inspiring stories, but some passages are downright strange, uncomfortable, or just plain bizarre! While rarely discussed in church, they add layers of mystery, humor, and even horror to scripture. Here are ten of the most awkward Bible stories that don’t usually make the Sunday sermon.
1. Bears Attack a Group of Kids for Mocking a Prophet (2 Kings 2:23-24)
It’s not every day that a group of kids taunting someone ends in a bear attack. But that’s exactly what happens when Elisha, the prophet, walks near the town of Bethel. Some boys spot him and start making fun of his bald head, shouting, “Go up, you bald-head!” Instead of laughing it off, Elisha curses them in the name of the Lord. Suddenly, two female bears charge out of the forest and maul 42 of them. The severity of the punishment seems shocking—couldn’t a simple rebuke have sufficed? This eerie passage leaves readers wondering if it’s about respecting prophets or if there’s a deeper lesson lurking beneath the surface.
2. Balaam Gets into an Argument with His Own Donkey (Numbers 22:21-30)
If you think Dr. Dolittle was the first person to talk to animals, think again. The Bible tells the strange tale of Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, who saddles up his donkey to visit a Moabite king. Along the way, his donkey suddenly stops and refuses to move. Unbeknownst to Balaam, an angel is blocking the road. After being beaten several times, the donkey turns around and speaks, asking why it’s being mistreated. Even stranger? Instead of freaking out, Balaam just talks back as if this is a normal conversation. The whole scene reads like a divine prank—except it delivers a serious message about listening to God’s warnings, even when they come from unexpected sources.
3. A Fat King, a Hidden Dagger, and a Very Messy Assassination (Judges 3:12-30)
The Book of Judges is full of violent moments, but this one takes an unexpectedly gross turn. When Israel is under the rule of the obese King Eglon, an Israelite named Ehud devises a plan to kill him. Being left-handed, he sneaks a double-edged dagger onto his right thigh—where the guards wouldn’t expect. Once alone with the king, he plunges the blade into Eglon’s belly so deeply that his fat engulfs the handle. If that’s not unsettling enough, the Bible explicitly mentions that the king’s bowels emptied in the process. His servants, thinking he’s simply relieving himself, wait so long before checking on him that Ehud easily escapes. It’s a brutal yet oddly comedic assassination that’s both grotesque and unforgettable.
4. When Jesus Cursed a Fig Tree for Not Having Fruit (Mark 11:12-14, 20-21)
In one of the more unexpected moments in the Gospels, Jesus gets hungry while traveling and sees a fig tree in the distance. Hoping for something to eat, he approaches it—only to find that it has no fruit because it’s not the season for figs. In response, he curses the tree, saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” The next day, the disciples see that the tree has withered from the roots up. The story has puzzled many readers—why would Jesus get upset at a tree for not having fruit out of season? While it serves as a symbolic lesson about faith and spiritual fruitfulness, it still stands out as one of the more surprising and awkward moments in the Bible.
5. King Saul and the Ghostly Prophecy (1 Samuel 28:3-25)
When King Saul finds himself in a desperate situation, he does something strictly forbidden—he seeks out a medium to summon the dead. Disguised, he visits the infamous Witch of Endor and asks her to bring back the spirit of the prophet Samuel. What happens next is chilling: Samuel actually appears. Even the witch is shocked, as if she didn’t expect her séance to really work! Samuel’s message, however, is anything but comforting—he tells Saul that he and his sons will die the next day. This eerie moment feels like something out of a ghost story, raising questions about the afterlife, the power of the supernatural, and why a Bible passage reads like a horror movie scene.
6. When a Man Slept for 70 Years Without Realizing It (Daniel 13:1-64 – Bel and the Dragon, Septuagint)
One of the lesser-known and more unusual Bible stories comes from the extended version of Daniel, found in the Greek Septuagint. A man named Habakkuk is cooking stew when an angel suddenly appears, grabs him by the hair, and carries him from Judea to Babylon to feed the prophet Daniel, who is trapped in a lion’s den. After fulfilling his unexpected food delivery mission, Habakkuk is taken back home.
In another strange moment within the same section, an old man named Abimelech falls asleep under a tree and doesn’t wake up for 70 years. When he finally does, he’s shocked to find Jerusalem in ruins, having completely missed the city’s destruction. This odd little episode feels like an ancient version of a time-travel story, making it one of the Bible’s more awkward and fascinating forgotten tales.
7. Noah Gets Drunk and Passes Out (Genesis 9:20-25)
After surviving the great flood, Noah plants a vineyard, makes wine, and gets so drunk that he passes out completely unclothed inside his tent. His son, Ham, walks in and sees him in his unfortunate state. When Noah wakes up and finds out, he doesn’t just get mad—he curses Ham’s son, Canaan, and his descendants forever. The story raises so many questions: Why was Noah drinking to the point of passing out? What exactly did Ham do that was so offensive? And why did Canaan, his innocent son, bear the punishment? It’s an odd and unsettling moment in the Bible that leaves more questions than answers.
8. When Peter Paid the Temple Tax with a Coin from a Fish’s Mouth (Matthew 17:24-27)
In one of the more unusual miracles of Jesus, Peter is asked whether he and Jesus pay the temple tax. When Peter confirms that they do, Jesus gives him a very unexpected way to cover the cost. Instead of handing over a coin, Jesus tells Peter to go fishing, and when he catches the first fish, he will find a coin inside its mouth—enough to pay for both of them.
9. When Paul Shook Off a Deadly Snake Bite Like It Was Nothing (Acts 28:3-6)
After surviving a shipwreck, Paul and his companions find themselves stranded on the island of Malta. While gathering firewood, Paul unknowingly picks up a viper, which latches onto his hand. The locals immediately assume this must be divine justice—believing Paul must be a murderer since fate has sent a snake to kill him. But instead of panicking, Paul casually shakes the snake off into the fire and suffers no harm.
10. Eutychus Falls Asleep During a Sermon and Dies (Acts 20:7-12)
Paul was an incredible speaker, but apparently, not everyone found his sermons riveting. During one particularly long sermon, a young man named Eutychus dozes off while sitting on a third-story window ledge. He falls out, hits the ground, and dies on the spot. Fortunately, Paul rushes down, embraces him, and brings him back to life. Then, in classic preacher fashion, Paul goes right back upstairs and continues talking until dawn. It’s a funny yet tragic story that also serves as a warning—maybe don’t sit in a window while listening to a late-night sermon!
Read More: 11 Bible Stories That Makes Some Christians Question The Faith