Understanding The Bible
STUDY REFERENCE
"Book Divisions of The Old Testament"

J. Deering, AncientPath.net

BOOK DIVISIONS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

There are 24 books in the Hebrew Canon.

There is THE LAW: 5 Books (Pentateuch)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

There is THE PROPHETS: 8 Books in 2 Groups

Group One:(4 Books)"The Former Prophets"
Joshua, Judges, Samuel(1+2), and Kings(1+2)

Group Two:(4 Books) "The Latter Prophets"
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 12 Minor Prophets (one book) Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

There is THE WRITINGS: 11 Books in 3 Groups (The "Kethubiim")

Group One:(POETRY 3 Books)
Psalms, Proverbs, Job

Group Two:("THE ROLLS" 5 Books)
Song of Soloman, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiasties, Esther

Group Three:(3 Books)
Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah(one Book), and Cronicles 1+2(one Book).

J. Sidlow Baxter's Listing of Bible Books

O.T. - 39 BOOKS

History - 17
Law - 5
Pre-exile history - 9
Post-exile history - 3
Experience - 5
Prophecy - 17
Basic Prophecy - 5
Pre-exile prophecy - 9
Post-exile prophecy - 3



THE COVENANTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Edenic:
Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Adamic:
Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel."

Noahic:
Genesis 8:1 ff

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth..."

Abrahamic:
Genesis 12:1-3; 15:18

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you; and curse those who curse you. and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed." On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land..."

Mosaic (conditional):

"Now then, IF you will indeed obey My voice, and keep My Covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Palestinian:
Deuteronomy 30:3

"So it shall become when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the Lord you God has banished you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you."

Davidic:
2 Samuel 7:16

"And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; and your throne shall be established forever."


God is the initiator and mediator of each of His covenants.
He is also JEHOVAH - the Covenant-keeping I AM.