• About the Old Testament

Here’s a comparison of the Old Testament books in the Protestant Bible, Catholic Bible, Orthodox Bible, and the Hebrew Bible. Each tradition has its own canon based on historical and theological developments.

Protestant Bible has 39 Books in the Old Testament

The Protestant Old Testament follows the Hebrew Bible but organizes the books differently and excludes the Deuterocanonical books.

  1. Pentateuch (5 Books): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
  2. Historical Books (12 Books): Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
  3. Poetry/Wisdom Books (5 Books): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
  4. Prophets (17 Books):
    • Major Prophets (5 Books): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
    • Minor Prophets (12 Books): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Catholic Bible has 46 Books in the Old Testament

The Catholic Old Testament includes the Deuterocanonical books, which are not in the Protestant canon.

  1. Pentateuch (5 Books): Same as Protestant
  2. Historical Books (16 Books): Includes additional books: Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees
  3. Wisdom Books (7 Books): Includes Wisdom and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
  4. Prophets (18 Books): Adds Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah (considered part of Baruch)

Orthodox Bible (Varies by Tradition)

The Orthodox Old Testament includes all Catholic Deuterocanonical books, along with others such as 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, and sometimes 4 Maccabees.

  1. Additional Books:
    • 1 Esdras (distinct from Ezra/Nehemiah)
    • 3 Maccabees
    • Psalm 151
    • Odes (a collection of hymns, depending on the tradition)
    • In some traditions, 4 Maccabees

Orthodox canons vary slightly between traditions (e.g., Greek, Russian, Ethiopian). The Ethiopian Orthodox canon also includes books like Jubilees and Enoch.

Hebrew Bible or Tanakh has 24 Books

The Hebrew Bible is divided into three sections (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim) and has the same content as the Protestant Old Testament but arranged differently and combined into fewer books.

  1. Torah (5 Books): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
  2. Nevi'im (Prophets, 8 Books): Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve (Minor Prophets as one book)
  3. Ketuvim (Writings, 11 Books): Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah (as one book), Chronicles

Comparison Summary

  • Protestant: 39 books, excludes Deuterocanonical books.
  • Catholic: 46 books, includes Deuterocanonical books.
  • Orthodox: Varies (46+ books), includes Deuterocanonical books and others like 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151.
  • Hebrew Bible: 24 books, same content as Protestant Bible but differently arranged.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotion Day 1

Today's Devotion: ‭Romans 12:2 NIV‬ [2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Reflection: In the past, I have been through a rough road that I already gave up in life totally and just wanted to have a renewed life. I asked of the Lord to take control of my life for I have messed up everything, my marriage, my finances, and now I am drowned in debts with no additional income stream, lost a big chunk of my time as I will be turning 42 next month with nothing much on my hand, etc. I'm done with doing and re-doing my life because I just always fail. And in today's devotion, the scripture says it all. As I celebrate this new year, 2025, I would like to spend a time for daily devotion, reflection and prayer. I wanted to spend my life to whatever is God's plan for me, pursuing His will for me and to find my peace of mind and...
Read more

Devotion Day 2

Today's Devotion: ‭Galatians 1:10 NIV‬ [10] Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.  Reflection: As a human being, yes, I'm guilty of winning the approval of other people. Since  childhood, I always look forward to the approval of my parents and of my neighboring friends. In classroom, I also seek the approval of my teachers and of my classmates. Until I had a job, I still wanted the approval of the heads and even of my colleagues about myself. I think everyone does, but, is it worth it? Is it worth it living my whole life trying to please other people? How much does it values my life after getting the approval of other people. What does it add into my life?  When I feel appreciated, my dopamine hormone increases and makes me feel happy. Especially on how we use the social media today just to get the approval and acceptance of other people ...
Read more

Devotion Day 3

Today's Devotion: ‭Acts 2:38 NIV‬ [38] Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Reflection: How time flies so fast, and I am now on the 4th day of January this 2025 and my 3rd day of my daily devotion. How I wish to consistently read my bible daily and to reflect on the Word of the Lord for my own sake.  There is comfort and clarity I feel from the Word of God. How great God is for providing us the Bible that was written by numerous prophets for thousands of years and that book is still alive up unto this day. And one of the mission I want to do in my lifetime is to finish and understand the Bible. It is also my dream to create something where I can rely my understanding of the bible like a book or maybe an interactive book, or a chann...
Read more