Home
   Bible  



Old Testament Books


Old Testament - 39 books total

Pentateuch - 5 books
 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Historical Books - 12 books
 Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, Second Kings, First Chronicles, Second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

Poetic - 5 books
 Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Prophetic - 17 books
 Major Prophets:  Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel

 Minor Prophets:  Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.




Pentateuch - 5 books
 GenesisCreation, the Fall, the Flood, spread of the nations, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Enslavement in Egypt.

 ExodusEnslavement, Moses, 10 plagues, Passover, Leave Egypt, Red Sea Crossing, Mt. Sinai and the 10 commandments

 LeviticusInstructions on sacrificial system and the priesthood. Instructions on moral purity.

 NumbersStill at Mt. Sinai, people make false idol, punishment, 40 years wandering begins.

 DeuteronomyMoses' discourses on God's Acts for Israel the Decalogue, the ceremonial, civil, and social Laws, and covenant ratification.

Historical Books - 12 books total
 JoshuaFirst half of Joshua describes the 7 year conquest of the Land of Promise. The last half deals with partitioning the Lands to the people.

 JudgesTime of Judges. Many were quite bad. The Israelites did not drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan and begin to take part in their idolatry. 7 cycles of foreign oppression, repentance, and deliverance. In the end, the people failed to learn their lesson.

 RuthKinsman redeemer in Boaz, redeeming Ruth, a Moabitess. Speaks of righteousness, love, and faithfulness to the Lord.

From Samuel to the Captivity
 First SamuelSamuel carries them from judges to King Saul

 Second SamuelDavid as King, adultery, and murder.

 First KingsSolomon, Israel is powerful. Solomon dies in 931 B.C., then division of tribes: 10 to the north and 2 to the south.

 Second KingsThe Divided Kingdom. All 19 kings of Israel were bad; therefore, captivity in Assyria (722 B.C.). In Judah, 8 of 20 rulers were good but went into exile too.

 First ChroniclesA recounting of the history of Israel to the time of the captivities.

 Second Chroniclescontinued recounting of the life of Solomon, building of temple. History of Judah only.

Israel's Restoration
 EzraCyrus let the most of the Jews return to their land of Israel. Zerubbabel led the people (539 B.C.). Ezra returned later with more Jews (458 B.C.) Built the temple.

 NehemiahBuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah got permission from the king of Persia to rebuild the walls (444 B.C.). Revival in the land.

 EstherTook place during chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra. Mordecai. Plot to kill the Jewish people.

Poetical - 5 books
 Joba righteous man tested by God. Deals with God's sovereignty.

 PsalmsConsists of 5 divisions. Worship in song. Large variety of subjects

 ProverbsPractical wisdom in everyday affairs.

 EcclesiastesAll is vanity. The wisdom of man is futility.

 Song of SolomonA song between Solomon and his Shulammite bride displaying the love between a man and a woman.

Prophetical - 17 books

Major Prophets
 IsaiahLooks at the sin of Judah and proclaims God's judgment. Hezekiah. Coming restoration and blessing.

 JeremiahCalled by God to proclaim the news of judgment to Judah, which came. God establishes a New Covenant.

 Lamentations5 lament poems. Description of defeat and fall of Jerusalem.

 EzekielHe ministered to the Jews in Captivity in Babylon. Description of the end of times.

 DanielMany visions of the future for the Gentiles and the Jews.

Minor Prophets
 HoseaStory of Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. Represents God's love and faithfulness and Israel's spiritual adultery. Israel will be judged and restored.

 JoelProclaims a terrifying future using the imagery of locusts. Judgment will come but blessing will follow.

 AmosHe warned Israel of its coming judgment. Israel rejects God's warning.

 ObadiahA proclamation against Edom, a neighboring nation of Israel that gloated over Jerusalem's judgments. Prophecy of their utter destruction.

 JonahJonah proclaims a coming judgment upon Nineveh. But they repented and judgment was spared.

 MicahDescription of the complete moral decay in all levels of Israel. God will judge but will forgive and restore.
 NahumNineveh has gone into apostasy (approx.. 125 years after Jonah) and will be destroyed.

 HabakkukNear the end of the kingdom of Judah, Habakkuk asks God why He is not dealing with Judah's sins. God says He will use the Babylonians. Habakkuk asks how God can use a nation that is even worse than Judah.

 ZephaniahThe theme is developed of the Day of the Lord and His judgment with a coming blessing. Judah will not repent, except for a remnant, who will be restored.

 HaggaiThe people failed to put God first, by building their houses before they finished God's temple. Therefore, they had no prosperity.

 ZechariahZechariah encourages the Jews to complete the temple. Many messianic prophecies.

 MalachiGod's people are lax in their duty to God. Growing distant from God. Moral compromise. Proclamation of coming judgment.