Old Testament books count?

Old Testament books count?

• A. 27
• B. 39
• C. 42
• D. 36

Answer: (B)

Think about how the Bible organizes its writings. In most Protestant Bibles, the Old Testament has 39 books. They’re grouped as five law books (Genesis–Deuteronomy), twelve historical books (Joshua–Esther), five poetry/wisdom books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs), five major prophets (Isaiah–Daniel), and twelve minor prophets (Hosea–Malachi). Add those up and you get 39. The other numbers don’t match the common Protestant tally: 27 is the New Testament count, and 42 or 36 aren’t standard totals for the Old Testament in this tradition. Some other traditions include extra books (the deuterocanon/apocrypha), which changes the total, but in the typical Protestant canon it’s 39.

Think about how the Bible organizes its writings. In most Protestant Bibles, the Old Testament has 39 books. They’re grouped as five law books (Genesis–Deuteronomy), twelve historical books (Joshua–Esther), five poetry/wisdom books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs), five major prophets (Isaiah–Daniel), and twelve minor prophets (Hosea–Malachi). Add those up and you get 39. The other numbers don’t match the common Protestant tally: 27 is the New Testament count, and 42 or 36 aren’t standard totals for the Old Testament in this tradition. Some other traditions include extra books (the deuterocanon/apocrypha), which changes the total, but in the typical Protestant canon it’s 39.