66 Books of Bible Study

Book of Ezra, is the record of events occurring at the close of the Babylonian exile. It was at one time included in Nehemiah, the Jews regarding them as one volume. The two are still distinguished in the Vulgate version as I. and II. Esdras.

It consists of two principal divisions:

(1.) The history of the first return of exiles, in the first year of Cyrus (B.C. 536), till the completion and dedication of the new temple, in the sixth year of Darius Hystapes (B.C. 515), ch. 1-6. From the close of the sixth to the opening of the seventh chapter there is a blank in the history of about sixty years.

(2.) The history of the second return under Ezra, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and of the events that took place at Jerusalem after Ezra’s arrival there (7-10).

The Book of Ezra thus contains memorabilia connected with the Jews, from the decree of Cyrus (B.C. 536) to the reformation by Ezra (B.C. 456), extending over a period of about eighty years. There is no quotation from this book in the New Testament, but there never has been any doubt about its being canonical.
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First Epistle of John, the fourth of the catholic or “general” epistles. It was evidently written by John the evangelist, and probably also at Ephesus, and when the writer was in advanced age.

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Books of I & II Samuel,

Many translators regarded the books of Samuel and of Kings as forming one continuous history, which they divided into four books, which they called “Books of the Kingdom.”

The Vulgate version followed this division, but styled them “Books of the Kings.” These books of Samuel they accordingly called the “First” and “Second” Books of Kings, and not, as in the modern Protestant versions, the “First” and “Second” Books of Samuel.

The authors of the books of Samuel were probably Samuel, Gad, and Nathan.

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The Book of Isaiah consists of prophecies delivered

• in the reign of Uzziah (Chapters 1-5),
• of Jotham (Chapter 6),
• Ahaz (Chapters 7-14:28),
• the first half of Hezekiah’s reign (Chapters 14:28-35),
• the second half of Hezekiah’s reign (Chapters 36-66).

Thus, counting from the fourth year before Uzziah’s death (B.C. 762) to the last year of Hezekiah (B.C. 698), Isaiah’s ministry extended over a period of sixty-four years.

Contents

The book, as a whole, has been divided into three main parts:
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The two books of Chronicles, were originally one. They bore the title in the Massoretic Hebrew _Dibre hayyamim_, i.e., “Acts of the Days.”

This title was rendered by Jerome in his Latin version “Chronicon,” and hence “Chronicles.” In the Septuagint version, the book is divided into two, and bears the title Paraleipomena, i.e., “things omitted,” or “supplements”, because containing many things omitted in the Books of Kings.

The contents of these books are comprehended under four headings.

(1.) The first nine chapters of Book I. contain little more than a list of genealogies in the line of Israel down to the time of David.

(2.) The remainder of the first book contains a history of the reign of David.

(3.) The first nine chapters of Book II. contain the history of the reign of Solomon.

(4.) The remaining chapters of the second book contain the history of the separate kingdom of Judah to the time of the return from Babylonian Exile.
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The Books of Kings

The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings, the two books of Samuel being the first and second books of Kings.

They contain the annals of the Jewish commonwealth from the accession of Solomon till the subjugation of the kingdom by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (apparently a period of about four hundred and fifty-three years).

The books of Chronicles (q.v.) are more comprehensive in their contents than those of Kings. The latter synchronize with 1 Chr. 28-2 Chr. 36:21. While in the Chronicles greater prominence is given to the priestly or Levitical office, in the Kings greater prominence is given to the kingly.
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The Book of Proverbs is a collection of moral and philosophical maxims of a wide range of subjects presented in a poetic form.

This book sets forth the “philosophy of practical life. It is the sign to us that the Bible does not despise common sense and discretion. It impresses upon us in the most forcible manner the value of intelligence and prudence and of a good education.

The whole strength of the Hebrew language and of the sacred authority of the book is thrown upon these homely truths. It deals, too, in that refined, discriminating, careful view of the finer shades of human character so often overlooked by theologians, but so necessary to any true estimate of human life” (Stanley’s Jewish Church).

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The Book of Esther is a fascinating Bible Story and one of the most interesting of the 66 Books of the Bible.

Authorship

The authorship of this book is unknown. It must have been obviously written after the death of Ahasuerus (the Xerxes of the Greeks), which took place B.C. 465. The minute and particular account also given of many historical details makes it probable that the writer was contemporary with Mordecai and Esther. Hence we may conclude that the book was written probably about B.C. 444-434, and that the author was one of the Jews of the dispersion.

This book is more purely historical than any other book of Scripture; and it has this remarkable peculiarity that the name of God does not occur in it from first to last in any form It has, however, been well observed that “though the name of God be not in it, his finger is.”

The book wonderfully exhibits the providential government of God.

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The Book of Ruth was originally a part of the Book of Judges, but it now forms one of the twenty-four separate books of the Hebrew Bible.

The history it contains refers to a period perhaps about one hundred and twenty-six years before the birth of David.

It gives

(1) an account of Naomi’s going to Moab with her husband, Elimelech, and of her subsequent return to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law;

(2) the marriage of Boaz and Ruth; and

(3) the birth of Obed, of whom David sprang.

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Book of Judges, is so called because it contains the history of the deliverance and government of Israel by the men who bore the title of the “judges.”

The book of Ruth originally formed part of this book, but about A.D. 450 it was separated from it and placed in the Hebrew scriptures immediately after the Song of Solomon.

The major theme of Judges can be summarized in Judges 21:25;

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

The book contains,

(1.) An introduction (1-3:6), connecting it with the previous narrative in Joshua, as a “link in the chain of books.”

(2.) The history of the thirteen judges (3:7-16:31) in the following order:
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