What are the 4 major divisions of the old testament? The Bible is a compilation of 66 books, written by over 40 authors, in three different languages over the course of 1,600 years. Read more on Books of the bible categories, and 7 categories of the bible.
Bible books are divided into two categories: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains 39 books, while the New Testament contains 27 books.
The Old Testament was written over a period of about 1,000 years, from around 1400 BC to 400 BC. The first five books of the Bible—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy—were called “the Law” in ancient Israel because they were originally used as instruction for priests. The second set of five books—Joshua through Kings (1 & 2 Samuel; 1 & 2 Kings)—is commonly referred to as “History.” These books tell the stories of Israel’s kings and prophets during their time as a nation. Finally, we have what scholars call “Wisdom Literature,” which includes Psalms and Proverbs along with Job and Song of Solomon.
The Bible is a book of 66 books, with each book telling a story. The stories are divided into two groups: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament was written before Jesus was born, while the New Testament was written after Jesus died.
There are many common themes throughout both groups of books, but there are also some differences in how they tell their stories.
7 Divisions of the Bible
7 Divisions of the Bible
1. Old Testament
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
2. Historical Books
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
3. Poetic Books
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
4. Major Prophets
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
5. Minor Prophets
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
6. New Testament
- Gospel of Matthew
- Gospel of Mark
- Gospel of Luke
- Gospel of John
- Acts
7. Epistles
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
What Are the 5 Divisions of the Bible?
The Bible is traditionally divided into five main divisions, sometimes referred to as the “canonical divisions.” These divisions help organize the biblical books based on their overarching content, themes, and historical context. The five divisions are:
- The Law (Pentateuch)
- The Historical Books
- The Wisdom Books
- The Major Prophets
- The Minor Prophets
The first division, the Law or Pentateuch, consists of the first five books of the Old Testament. These are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Law contains the foundational teachings, commandments, and instructions of God for the Israelites and provides a historical account of their origins, the Exodus, and their journey to the Promised Land.
The second division, the Historical Books, traces the historical events and narratives of the Israelite people from the conquest of Canaan to their return from Babylonian exile. This division includes the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
The third division, the Wisdom Books, encompasses the poetic and philosophical literature in the Old Testament. These books provide wisdom, guidance, and reflections on various aspects of life, faith, and the human experience. The Wisdom Books include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
The fourth division, the Major Prophets, consists of the longer prophetic books in the Old Testament. These books, written by major prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel, contain prophecies, visions, and messages from God addressing the Israelites’ disobedience, warnings of judgment, and promises of restoration.
The fifth division, the Minor Prophets, comprises the shorter prophetic books that follow the Major Prophets. These books, written by minor prophets like Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, contain messages of repentance, redemption, and hope for Israel.
These five divisions offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the diverse content and messages within the Bible. They provide readers with a systematic approach to explore and engage with the biblical texts, highlighting different literary genres, historical contexts, and theological themes.
Books Of The Bible Categories
MAJOR DIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE
The Bible is divided into two main sections i.e.
- The Old Testament.
- The New Testament.
Apocrypha/Deutro-canonical Books
These include:
- Tobit.
- Judith.
- Ecclesiastics.
- Baruch.
- 1 Maccabees.
- 2 Maccabees.
- Book of Wisdom.
- 1 Esdras.
- 2 Esdras
What Are The 5 Divisions of The Bible?
The books of the Bible can be grouped into different disciplines, these are;
- Law books / Torah / pentateuch
- Historical books
- Poetic books
- Prophetic books
- The Gospels / Biographical books
- Epistles / letters
Note;
- Canonical books are books accepted by all Christians as Holy Scriptures.
- They make up the canon of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
- The word ‘Canon’ in Greek means;
Rule, Standard, Guidance
The Old Testament Is Divided Into How Many Parts
The books of the Old Testament are divided into four main categories and these are:
(i) Law books
These are the first 5 books of the Bible that are believed to have been written by Moses. These are:
- Genesis.
- Exodus.
- Leviticus.
- Numbers.
- Deuteronomy.
They are also referred to as the Torah or Pentateuch or Mosaic Law.
(ii) Historical Books
They are 12 Historical books and they record the history of the Israelites from the time they entered Canaan and settled until after the Babylonian exile. These are:-
- Joshua.
- Judges.
- Ruth.
- 1st and 2nd Samuel.
- 1st and 2nd Kings.
- 1st and 2nd Chronicles.
- Ezra.
- Nehemiah.
- Esther.
(iii) Poetic books
They are 5 and contain words of wisdom.
They are poetic in nature and these are:-
- Job.
- Psalms.
- Proverbs.
- Ecclesiastes.
- Songs of Songs.
- Prophetic books
They contain the prophecies of the people of Israel. They are further sub-divided into two i.e.
7 Divisions of The Bible
(a)Major Prophets
They are referred to as Major Prophets because their messages cover a longer historical period and are 5 in number i.e.
- Isaiah.
- Jeremiah.
- Lamentations.
- Ezekiel.
- Daniel.
- Minor Prophets
The messages of this prophets cover a shorter historical period
They are twelve i.e.
- Hosea
- Nahum
- Joel
- Habakkuk
- Amos
- Zephaniah
- Obadiah
- Haggai
- Jonah
- Zechariah
- Micah
- Malachi
Note: The following are the books of the Bible referred to as the writings;
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiaste
- The Song of Solomon/ Song of Songs
DIVISIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
It is divided into 5 major categories. These are:-
(i) Biographical Books
They are referred to as Gospels.
These Gospels were written by the disciples of Jesus Christ.
They tell the life story and ministry of Jesus Christ.
They are 4 in number i.e.
a) Mathew.
b) Mark.
c) Luke.
d) John.
The first three books in the New Testament are also referred to as the synoptic Gospels.
(ii) Historical Books
It outlines the history and development of the church after Jesus’ ascension.
It is one book namely:
- Acts
The author is Luke.
It deals with the history of the early church after the ascension of Christ.
(iii)Pauline Epistles
These are 13 letters written by Paul to the congregation and individuals to address certain problems that arose among them.
They are:
- a) Romans
- b) Colossians
- c) 1st and 2nd Corinthians
- d) 1st and 2nd Thessalonians
- e) Galatians
- f) 1st and 2nd Timothy
- g) Ephesians
- h) Titus
- i) Philippians
- j) Philemon.
(iv) General Epistles
These letters are not addressed to specific churches or individuals but to all Christians to encourage them.
Are eight namely:-
a) Hebrews.
b) James.
c) 1st and 2nd Peter.
d) 1st, 2nd and 3rd John.
e) Jude.
(v) Prophetic books
There is only one book i.e. Revelation.
It presents God’s will for the future.
what are the 4 major divisions of the old testament
Books of the Bible Categories
I. The Law: The first five books of the Old Testament. These five books are also known as the Pentateuch, or Torah in Hebrew. They tell the story of God’s creation of the world and his people, as well as how they were punished by slavery and then were rescued by Moses.
II. Historical Books: These books tell stories about God’s people throughout history in chronological order, from Creation to Exile. They are usually divided into three sections: 1) Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob); 2) Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah); 3) Writings (Psalms, Proverbs).
III. Poetry: This category includes psalms—short poems of praise or prayer—including Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”) and Psalm 136 (“Praise the Lord!”). Other poetry includes Job 38-42 and Lamentations 3-5.