Old Testament Scriptures
The overview outlines the books of the Old Testament. While the authors are based on tradition and the dates are approximates only, the overview attempts to aid your reading of the Scriptures by contextualising the books in their historical setting.
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| Book | Author | Written | Location | Contents | Reason | Genre | Time Covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From creation to Israel settling in Egypt and Joseph's death. | Explains the origin of God's plan. | Historic Book (Covering 2200 years) | 4000 - 1800 BC |
| Exodus | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From Jacob's arrval in Egypt until the erection of the Tabernacle. | Explains the development of God's people from Egypt to Canaan. | Historic Book (Covering 360 years) | 1800 - 1440 BC |
| Leviticus | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From the end of the book of Exodus covering just one month emphasizing God's holiness. | Reveals the awesome nature of God and the necessity of holiness to walk with Him. | Historic Book (Covering one month) | 1440 BC |
| Numbers | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From Israel's movements from Mount Sinai until their arrival to the border of Canaan. | Explains the Israelites wilderness journey. | Historic Book (Covering 39 years) | 1400 BC |
| Deuteronomy | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | During Israel's two-month encampment on the border of Canaan where Moses prepares the people for conquest. | Details Moses' exhortations to the people and the unveiling of Joshua as the new leader. | Historic Book (Covering two months) | 1400 BC |
| Joshua | Joshua | 1375 BC | Written in Canaan, the Promised Land. | From Joshua's calling to lead God's people as they enter Canaan until Joshua's death. | Details Joshua's leadership through three military campaigns against more than 30 enemy armies. | Historic Book (Covering 25 years) | 1375 BC |
| Judges | Samuel | 1040 BC | Written towards the end of king Saul's reign. | From the death of Joshua through the leadership of the Judges until the rise of the monarchy. | Explains how God's people went through several cycles of sin, oppression and deliverance. | Historic Book (Covering 225 years) | 1150 BC |
| Ruth | Samuel | 1020 BC | Written towards the end of king Saul's reign. | Anticipating the new king, David, the people needed to understand his Messianic lineage. | Explains the family background of David and his line to the throne. | Poetic Book | 1150 BC |
| 1 & 2 Samuel | Abiathar | 920 BC | Written shortly after the division of the nation. | First Samuel begins with the birth of Samuel in 1150 BC and details the reign of Saul from 1050 to 1010 BC concluding with his death. Second Samuel spans the forty-year reign of David from 1010 to 970 BC detailing his successes and failures. | After the division of the nation, the Book of Samuel (1 & 2 Samuel were originally one book) was compiled as a prophetic challenge to the disunity of God's people recounting the glory years of the monarchy. | Historic Book (Covering 180 years) | 1150 - 970 BC |
| 1 & 2 Kings | Jeremiah | 550 BC | Written before the fall of Babylon to the Persians, detailing the demise of both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. | First Kings starts with the end of David's reign, looks at Solomon's united kingdom and explains the division of the nation. Second Kings continues the story, including the fall of Israel to Assyria in 722 BC and the fall of Judah to Babylon in 586 BC. | The Book of Kings (1 & 2 Kings were originally one book) continues the history of the Israel nation following on from the Book of Samuel. It traces the events attributing to the decline of the nation. | Historical Book (Covering 400 years) | 970 - 570 BC |
With the history of Israel fully described through the Books of Samuel and Kings, the Poetic and Prophetic Books now have context. |
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| Song of Solomon | Solomon | 960 BC | Written early in Solomon's reign. | An expression of Solomon's first love; a celebration of true, covenant love. | Explains allegorically Jesus' passion for His Bride, the Church. | Poetic Book | |
| Proverbs | Solomon and others | 950-720 BC | Written in the height of Solomon's reign. | A collection of wise statements directed specifically to Solomon's eldest son and generally to all his children. | Reveals God's wisdom in many varied avenues of life. | Poetic Book | |
| Ecclesiastes | Solomon | 935 BC | Written shortly before Solomon's death. | An end of life survey of the meaning of life after Solomon turned back to God before his death. | Cuts through the cliches of life to reveal man's fundamental purpose in God. | Poetic Book | |
| Joel | Joel | 805 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During the first thirty years of the reign of Joash, Joel called the nation of Judah to repentance. | Judah suffered great devastation caused by a plague of locusts, indicative of the judgment looming. | Prophetic Book | |
| Amos | Amos | 760 BC | Addressing Israel, written during continuing years of sin. | During two years of the reign of Jeroboam II, Amos called the nation of Israel to repentance. | Israel was enjoying a time of prosperity which they wrongly interpreted for God's favour. | Prophetic Book | |
| Jonah | Jonah | 760 BC | Written during Israel's continuing years of sin. | Details Jonah's struggle to obey God to preach deliverance to the Assyrian city Nineveh. | The Assyrians were long standing enemies of Israel. This book reveals God's love for every nation. | Prophetic Book | |
| Hosea | Hosea | 740 BC | Addressing Israel, written during continuing years of sin. | God called Hosea to marry and devotedly love a prostitute as a prophetic example of His heart toward His backslidden people. | In a graphic, desperate appeal, God uses the words and life of Hosea to confront Israel. | Prophetic Book | |
The Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria in 722 BC. |
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| Micah | Micah | 700 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During several decades, spanning three kings, Micah called the nation of Judah to repentance. | Judah experienced a yo-yo relationship with God, and Micah appealed for consistent devotion. | Prophetic Book | |
| Isaiah | Isaiah | 670 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During eigthy years, spanning four kings, Isaiah called Judah to repentance while prophecying of the Messiah to come. | The world was developing fast with Asian and European powers growing ever-threatening. | Prophetic Book | |
| Zephaniah | Zephaniah | 630 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During the reign of Josiah, he inspired a wonderful, albeit short-lived, revival in God's people. | Zephaniah proclaims God's judgment on oppressing nations and predicts the remnants return. | Prophetic Book | |
| Nahum | Nahum | 612 BC | Written during the destruction of Nineveh. | A contemporary of Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk, Nahum prophesied Ninevah's fall to the next 'super-power' Babylon. | Reveals God's dealing with all nations: every nation must give account to God. | Prophetic Book | |
| Habakkuk | Habakkuk | 600 BC | Written before the Babylonian invasion of Judah and the fall of Jerusalem. | With Josiah's reforms a distant memory, rampant ungodliness and moral depravity mean judgment looms. | Judah are only years from destruction and Habakkuk expresses God's grief and heartbreak for His people. | Prophetic Book | |
The Kingdom of Judah falls to Babylon in three sieges: 605 BC, 597 BC and finally 586 BC. |
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| Jeremiah | Jeremiah | 586 BC | Written during the fall of Jerusalem. | During forty years, spanning the reign of four kings, Jeremiah lived through the three devastating sieges on Judah. | Jeremiah reveals more about himself than any other, carrying the burden of God's broken heart. | Prophetic Book | |
| Lamentations | Jeremiah | 586 BC | Written during the fall of Jerusalem. | God's people were literally starving in the face of Babylon's third siege, and Jeremiah's lamentation captures this misery. | These lamentations reveal the appropriate attitude towards sin and God's judgment. | Poetic Book | |
| Obadiah | Obadiah | 580 BC | Written during Judah's captivity in Babylon. | Obadiah prophecies against Edom, the descendants of Esau, who joined the Babylonians in desecrating the land of Israel. | Even though God used Babylon to purge Israel, He did not tolerate Edom for exploiting their weakness. | Prophetic Book | |
| Ezekiel | Ezekiel | 575 BC | Written during Judah's captivity in Babylon. | During twenty years, Ezekiel prophesied to the demoralized Jews in Babylon, prediciting the new covenant of the Spirit. | Ezekiel shares the respon-sibility each person must take; inspiring with words and visions of restoration. | Prophetic Book | |
| Daniel | Daniel | 540 BC | Written during Judah's captivity in Babylon. | Daniel shares his life, from being deported as a teen in the first Babylonian siege on Judah to his influencial position of leadership. | The Book of Daniel reveals the godly affect of a life devoted to God even in a foreign, hostile environment. | Historic/Prophetic Book (Covering 60 years) | |
| Job | Unknown | 600 - 400 BC | Post‑exilic Israel | Job’s loss, his lament, the speeches of his friends, Elihu’s intervention, the Lord’s response, and Job’s restoration | To address the collapse of Israel’s retribution theology and provide a faithful response to unexplained suffering after the exile | Poetic Book | |
After Cyprus, the Persian ruler, overthrew the Babylonian Empire in October 539 BC, he issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland. The First Return to Jerusalem was led by Zerubbabel in 538 BC; Second Return was led by Ezra in 458 BC. |
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| Ezra | Ezra | 450 BC | Written after the first and second return to Jerusalem. | Covers the first and second returns, the reconstruction of the Temple and Ezra’s reforms of the returned community. | Ezra, a devout priest and teacher of the Law, calls God’s people back to covenant faithfulness after the exile. | Historic Book (Covering 80 years) | |
| Haggai | Haggai | 520 BC | Written after the first return to Jerusalem. | During four months, Haggai encouraged the remnant of 50,000 Jews to complete the rebuilding of the temple. | After starting the rebuilding of the temple well, opposition stopped the work for twelve years. | Prophetic Book | |
| Zechariah | Zechariah | 475 BC | Written after the first return to Jerusalem. | A contemporary of Haggai, he also encouraged God's people to complete the temple. | Isaiah apart, Zechariah was the most Messianic of all the prophets, pointing to the coming of Christ. | Prophetic Book | |
| Esther | Unknown | 450 BC | Written about the Jews who remained in Babylon. | Although the Jews were free to return to Jerusalem for 50 years, those who remained in Babylon were saved from disaster. | The Book of Esther reveals God's desire and plan to deliver His people even in the backyard of the enemy. | Historical Book (Covering incident in captivity) | |
Third Return to Jerusalem was led by Nehemiah in 445 BC. |
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| Nehemiah | Nehemiah | 425 BC | Written after the third return to Jerusalem. | Covers the third return, the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and Nehemiah’s leadership in restoring the community. | Nehemiah provides practical and spiritual leadership as God’s people renew their covenant commitment and confront practices that threaten their faithfulness. | Historic Book (Covering 20 years) | |
| Malachi | Malachi | 450 BC | Written after the third return to Jerusalem. | Malachi joined forces with Nehemiah, providing prophetic power to call the people back to radical devotion to God. | Malachi and Nehemiah were so effective that during the inter-testamental period the Jews did not return to idols. | Prophetic Book | |
| 1 & 2 Chronicles | Ezra | 425 BC | Written after the Remnant returned to Jerusalem living under Persian rule. | First Chronicles starts with Adam and ends with the death of David in 971 BC, spanning the same time period as Genesis to 2 Samuel. Second Chronicles covers the period from the beginning of Solomon's reign in 971 BC until the end of the Exile in 538 BC. | The Book of Chronicles (1 & 2 Chronicles were originally one book) recounts the history of Israel to remind God's people of their prophetic destiny and to warn them of the pitfalls that plagued their history. | Historical Book (Covering 3,400 years) | |
| Psalms | Various | 1400-300 BC | Collected through Israel's history. | Songs and poetry of praise and lamentation covering God's dealings with His people through history. | The Book of Psalms give us the language and motivation for individual and collective prayer and worship. | Poetic Book | |
Old Testament Scriptures
The table below outlines the books of the Old Testament. While the authors are based on tradition and the dates are approximates only, the table attempts to aid your reading of the Scriptures by contextualising the books in their historical setting.
[Please view on a desktop.]
| Book | Author | Written | Location | Contents | Reason | Genre | Time Covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From creation to Israel settling in Egypt and Joseph's death. | Explains the origin of God's plan. | Historic Book (Covering 2200 years) | 4000 - 1800 BC |
| Exodus | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From Jacob's arrval in Egypt until the erection of the Tabernacle. | Explains the development of God's people from Egypt to Canaan. | Historic Book (Covering 360 years) | 1800 - 1440 BC |
| Leviticus | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From the end of the book of Exodus covering just one month emphasizing God's holiness. | Reveals the awesome nature of God and the necessity of holiness to walk with Him. | Historic Book (Covering one month) | 1440 BC |
| Numbers | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | From Israel's movements from Mount Sinai until their arrival to the border of Canaan. | Explains the Israelites wilderness journey. | Historic Book (Covering 39 years) | 1400 BC |
| Deuteronomy | Moses | 1400 BC | Written during Israel's wilderness journey. | During Israel's two-month encampment on the border of Canaan where Moses prepares the people for conquest. | Details Moses' exhortations to the people and the unveiling of Joshua as the new leader. | Historic Book (Covering two months) | 1400 BC |
| Joshua | Joshua | 1375 BC | Written in Canaan, the Promised Land. | From Joshua's calling to lead God's people as they enter Canaan until Joshua's death. | Details Joshua's leadership through three military campaigns against more than 30 enemy armies. | Historic Book (Covering 25 years) | 1375 BC |
| Judges | Samuel | 1040 BC | Written towards the end of king Saul's reign. | From the death of Joshua through the leadership of the Judges until the rise of the monarchy. | Explains how God's people went through several cycles of sin, oppression and deliverance. | Historic Book (Covering 225 years) | 1150 BC |
| Ruth | Samuel | 1020 BC | Written towards the end of king Saul's reign. | Anticipating the new king, David, the people needed to understand his Messianic lineage. | Explains the family background of David and his line to the throne. | Poetic Book | 1150 BC |
| 1 & 2 Samuel | Abiathar | 920 BC | Written shortly after the division of the nation. | First Samuel begins with the birth of Samuel in 1150 BC and details the reign of Saul from 1050 to 1010 BC concluding with his death. Second Samuel spans the forty-year reign of David from 1010 to 970 BC detailing his successes and failures. | After the division of the nation, the Book of Samuel (1 & 2 Samuel were originally one book) was compiled as a prophetic challenge to the disunity of God's people recounting the glory years of the monarchy. | Historic Book (Covering 180 years) | 1150 - 970 BC |
| 1 & 2 Kings | Jeremiah | 550 BC | Written before the fall of Babylon to the Persians, detailing the demise of both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. | First Kings starts with the end of David's reign, looks at Solomon's united kingdom and explains the division of the nation. Second Kings continues the story, including the fall of Israel to Assyria in 722 BC and the fall of Judah to Babylon in 586 BC. | The Book of Kings (1 & 2 Kings were originally one book) continues the history of the Israel nation following on from the Book of Samuel. It traces the events attributing to the decline of the nation. | Historical Book (Covering 400 years) | 970 - 570 BC |
With the history of Israel fully described through the Books of Samuel and Kings, the Poetic and Prophetic Books now have context. |
|||||||
| Song of Solomon | Solomon | 960 BC | Written early in Solomon's reign. | An expression of Solomon's first love; a celebration of true, covenant love. | Explains allegorically Jesus' passion for His Bride, the Church. | Poetic Book | |
| Proverbs | Solomon and others | 950-720 BC | Written in the height of Solomon's reign. | A collection of wise statements directed specifically to Solomon's eldest son and generally to all his children. | Reveals God's wisdom in many varied avenues of life. | Poetic Book | |
| Ecclesiastes | Solomon | 935 BC | Written shortly before Solomon's death. | An end of life survey of the meaning of life after Solomon turned back to God before his death. | Cuts through the cliches of life to reveal man's fundamental purpose in God. | Poetic Book | |
| Joel | Joel | 805 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During the first thirty years of the reign of Joash, Joel called the nation of Judah to repentance. | Judah suffered great devastation caused by a plague of locusts, indicative of the judgment looming. | Prophetic Book | |
| Amos | Amos | 760 BC | Addressing Israel, written during continuing years of sin. | During two years of the reign of Jeroboam II, Amos called the nation of Israel to repentance. | Israel was enjoying a time of prosperity which they wrongly interpreted for God's favour. | Prophetic Book | |
| Jonah | Jonah | 760 BC | Written during Israel's continuing years of sin. | Details Jonah's struggle to obey God to preach deliverance to the Assyrian city Nineveh. | The Assyrians were long standing enemies of Israel. This book reveals God's love for every nation. | Prophetic Book | |
| Hosea | Hosea | 740 BC | Addressing Israel, written during continuing years of sin. | God called Hosea to marry and devotedly love a prostitute as a prophetic example of His heart toward His backslidden people. | In a graphic, desperate appeal, God uses the words and life of Hosea to confront Israel. | Prophetic Book | |
The Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria in 722 BC. |
|||||||
| Micah | Micah | 700 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During several decades, spanning three kings, Micah called the nation of Judah to repentance. | Judah experienced a yo-yo relationship with God, and Micah appealed for consistent devotion. | Prophetic Book | |
| Isaiah | Isaiah | 670 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During eigthy years, spanning four kings, Isaiah called Judah to repentance while prophecying of the Messiah to come. | The world was developing fast with Asian and European powers growing ever-threatening. | Prophetic Book | |
| Zephaniah | Zephaniah | 630 BC | Addressing Judah, written during continuing years of sin. | During the reign of Josiah, he inspired a wonderful, albeit short-lived, revival in God's people. | Zephaniah proclaims God's judgment on oppressing nations and predicts the remnants return. | Prophetic Book | |
| Nahum | Nahum | 612 BC | Written during the destruction of Nineveh. | A contemporary of Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk, Nahum prophesied Ninevah's fall to the next 'super-power' Babylon. | Reveals God's dealing with all nations: every nation must give account to God. | Prophetic Book | |
| Habakkuk | Habakkuk | 600 BC | Written before the Babylonian invasion of Judah and the fall of Jerusalem. | With Josiah's reforms a distant memory, rampant ungodliness and moral depravity mean judgment looms. | Judah are only years from destruction and Habakkuk expresses God's grief and heartbreak for His people. | Prophetic Book | |
The Kingdom of Judah falls to Babylon in three sieges: 605 BC, 597 BC and finally 586 BC. |
|||||||
| Jeremiah | Jeremiah | 586 BC | Written during the fall of Jerusalem. | During forty years, spanning the reign of four kings, Jeremiah lived through the three devastating sieges on Judah. | Jeremiah reveals more about himself than any other, carrying the burden of God's broken heart. | Prophetic Book | |
| Lamentations | Jeremiah | 586 BC | Written during the fall of Jerusalem. | God's people were literally starving in the face of Babylon's third siege, and Jeremiah's lamentation captures this misery. | These lamentations reveal the appropriate attitude towards sin and God's judgment. | Poetic Book | |
| Obadiah | Obadiah | 580 BC | Written during Judah's captivity in Babylon. | Obadiah prophecies against Edom, the descendants of Esau, who joined the Babylonians in desecrating the land of Israel. | Even though God used Babylon to purge Israel, He did not tolerate Edom for exploiting their weakness. | Prophetic Book | |
| Ezekiel | Ezekiel | 575 BC | Written during Judah's captivity in Babylon. | During twenty years, Ezekiel prophesied to the demoralized Jews in Babylon, prediciting the new covenant of the Spirit. | Ezekiel shares the respon-sibility each person must take; inspiring with words and visions of restoration. | Prophetic Book | |
| Daniel | Daniel | 540 BC | Written during Judah's captivity in Babylon. | Daniel shares his life, from being deported as a teen in the first Babylonian siege on Judah to his influencial position of leadership. | The Book of Daniel reveals the godly affect of a life devoted to God even in a foreign, hostile environment. | Historic/Prophetic Book (Covering 60 years) | |
| Job | Unknown | 600 - 400 BC | Post‑exilic Israel | Job’s loss, his lament, the speeches of his friends, Elihu’s intervention, the Lord’s response, and Job’s restoration | To address the collapse of Israel’s retribution theology and provide a faithful response to unexplained suffering after the exile | Poetic Book | |
After Cyprus, the Persian ruler, overthrew the Babylonian Empire in October 539 BC, he issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland. The First Return to Jerusalem was led by Zerubbabel in 538 BC; Second Return was led by Ezra in 458 BC. |
|||||||
| Ezra | Ezra | 450 BC | Written after the first and second return to Jerusalem. | Covers the first and second returns, the reconstruction of the Temple and Ezra’s reforms of the returned community. | Ezra, a devout priest and teacher of the Law, calls God’s people back to covenant faithfulness after the exile. | Historic Book (Covering 80 years) | |
| Haggai | Haggai | 520 BC | Written after the first return to Jerusalem. | During four months, Haggai encouraged the remnant of 50,000 Jews to complete the rebuilding of the temple. | After starting the rebuilding of the temple well, opposition stopped the work for twelve years. | Prophetic Book | |
| Zechariah | Zechariah | 475 BC | Written after the first return to Jerusalem. | A contemporary of Haggai, he also encouraged God's people to complete the temple. | Isaiah apart, Zechariah was the most Messianic of all the prophets, pointing to the coming of Christ. | Prophetic Book | |
| Esther | Unknown | 450 BC | Written about the Jews who remained in Babylon. | Although the Jews were free to return to Jerusalem for 50 years, those who remained in Babylon were saved from disaster. | The Book of Esther reveals God's desire and plan to deliver His people even in the backyard of the enemy. | Historical Book (Covering incident in captivity) | |
Third Return to Jerusalem was led by Nehemiah in 445 BC. |
|||||||
| Nehemiah | Nehemiah | 425 BC | Written after the third return to Jerusalem. | Covers the third return, the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and Nehemiah’s leadership in restoring the community. | Nehemiah provides practical and spiritual leadership as God’s people renew their covenant commitment and confront practices that threaten their faithfulness. | Historic Book (Covering 20 years) | |
| Malachi | Malachi | 450 BC | Written after the third return to Jerusalem. | Malachi joined forces with Nehemiah, providing prophetic power to call the people back to radical devotion to God. | Malachi and Nehemiah were so effective that during the inter-testamental period the Jews did not return to idols. | Prophetic Book | |
| 1 & 2 Chronicles | Ezra | 425 BC | Written after the Remnant returned to Jerusalem living under Persian rule. | First Chronicles starts with Adam and ends with the death of David in 971 BC, spanning the same time period as Genesis to 2 Samuel. Second Chronicles covers the period from the beginning of Solomon's reign in 971 BC until the end of the Exile in 538 BC. | The Book of Chronicles (1 & 2 Chronicles were originally one book) recounts the history of Israel to remind God's people of their prophetic destiny and to warn them of the pitfalls that plagued their history. | Historical Book (Covering 3,400 years) | |
| Psalms | Various | 1400-300 BC | Collected through Israel's history. | Songs and poetry of praise and lamentation covering God's dealings with His people through history. | The Book of Psalms give us the language and motivation for individual and collective prayer and worship. | Poetic Book | |