Bible Study Questions by Book: Samples and a Method for Writing Your Own

Updated 2026-10-25

Good Bible study questions are short, open and tied to the text. They ask what a passage says, what it meant to the people who first heard it, and what to do about it, in that order. This page gives sample questions for several books, shows how to write your own for any book, and explains what a full set of question sheets looks like.

The three kinds of question

Most study methods, including the inductive method, sort questions into three groups. Using them in order keeps a group from jumping to conclusions.

Observation comes first because most misreadings start when people skip it. Look for repeated words, contrasts, lists, commands, questions and connecting words such as "therefore" and "because." Then read the surrounding verses and the type of writing before drawing a meaning from a single phrase. Only then ask what changes.

Sample questions for single books

The best questions follow the sections of a book, one for each, so the group travels through the whole text. Here are six for each of four books.

Genesis

1. How do chapters 1-2 describe the world and the place of people in it?
2. What changes in chapter 3, and how do the characters respond?
3. What did Noah's generation and the builders of Babel each do, according to chapters 6-11?
4. What does God promise Abraham in chapters 12 and 15, and how does Abraham respond?
5. How do Jacob and Esau relate to each other across chapters 25-33?
6. How does Joseph explain what happened to him in chapters 45 and 50?

Ruth

1. What losses does Naomi face in chapter 1?
2. What does Ruth say to Naomi, and what does it cost her?
3. How does Boaz treat Ruth in chapter 2?
4. What does Naomi ask Ruth to do in chapter 3?
5. How is the matter of the kinsman resolved in chapter 4?
6. How does the genealogy at the end place Ruth's family in a larger story?

Jonah

1. Why does Jonah run in chapter 1?
2. What happens to the sailors?
3. What does Jonah pray in chapter 2?
4. How does Nineveh respond in chapter 3?
5. Why is Jonah angry in chapter 4?
6. What question does the book end on?

Philippians

1. What is Paul's attitude toward his imprisonment in chapter 1?
2. What does chapter 2 teach about humility?
3. How does Paul describe his goals in chapter 3?
4. What does chapter 4 say about worry and prayer?
5. How does Paul describe contentment?
6. What do his greetings show about the community?

You can see the same pattern in the long books. The questions for Job step through the five sections in order, those for Leviticus move from the offerings to the feasts, and those for Revelation take the seven letters, the throne room, the seals and trumpets, the conflict and the new creation in turn. For a summary of those books to read first, see the guides to Job, Revelation and Leviticus.

Matching the question to the kind of book

The same six-question pattern works across the Bible, but the questions change with the type of writing, so it helps to name the genre before you start.

• Narrative (Genesis, Ruth, Jonah, the Gospels): ask who the characters are, what changes, and what the storyteller seems to want you to notice. Look for repeated phrases and for where the story slows down.
• Law (Leviticus, Deuteronomy): ask who the instruction is for, what situation it addresses and what it shows about the relationship between God and the people.
• Poetry and wisdom (Psalms, Proverbs, Job): ask what image or comparison is being used and what feeling or idea it carries. A psalm of lament and a psalm of praise do different work.
• Prophecy (Isaiah, Amos): ask what situation the prophet is addressing, what is being called for, and what hope is offered.
• Letters (Philippians, Romans): ask who is writing to whom, what problem or need prompted the letter, and how the argument builds from one paragraph to the next.
• Apocalyptic (Revelation): ask what the images are drawn from in earlier Scripture, and what the scene says about worship, conflict or hope. Hold your conclusions loosely.

How to write your own questions

1. Divide the book into sections. Use the headings in your Bible or a one-page outline. Four to six sections is usual.
2. Write one question per section. Make it about what happens, and name the chapters so nobody has to guess.
3. Begin with "what" and "how." Avoid questions that can be answered with yes or no.
4. Point back to the text. A follow-up such as "Where do you see that in the passage?" keeps a discussion from drifting.
5. Leave debated points open. On passages that traditions read differently, ask people to explain what they see and let several views stand.
6. Finish with one application question. Keep it small enough to do within a week.

Tips for a group

• Prepare by reading the passage twice and noting where you might get stuck.
• Begin with an easy opener so everyone speaks in the first five minutes.
• Wait. Silence after a question is normal, and counting to ten before rephrasing helps.
• Invite quieter members by name, gently, and thank people for all contributions, including disagreements.
• End on time with one takeaway.

The Study Question Sheets

The extra Study Question Sheets are a set of 66 sheets, one for each book, each with questions like those above that follow the sections of the book. They are an optional add-on to the Bible Roadmap, not part of the main set. Many people use them alongside the one-page guides: the guide gives the map, and the sheet gives the discussion.

The main Bible Roadmap set itself includes the 66 guides, a Bible Study Method Starter Guide, a 12-week Small Group Leader Kit with discussion questions for each week, a 52-week reading plan and a members web app. If you want a plan for what to read, see the reading tracker.