Historical source transcription

The Structure of the Books of the Old Testament

According to the Hebrew Canon

A | DEUTERONOMY. The end. All depending on the Word of Jehovah. Israel regarded as in the " Land. " II. THE PROPHETS ( N e bi'im ).

A| JOSHUA. " The Lord of all the earth " giving possession of the Land. Government under Priests.

| The B| JUDGES. Israel forsaking and returning to God; losing and regaining their position in the Land. " No king. " Bethlehem. Failure under Priests.

| former C| SAMUEL. Man's king " rejected "; God's king (David) " established. "

| Prophets

D| KINGS. Decline and Fall under the kings.

| (Zechariah 7: 7 ).

D | ISAIAH. Final blessing under God's King. | The C | JEREMIAH. Human kings " rejected. " David's " righteous Branch " " raised up. "

| latter B | EZEKIEL. God forsaking Israel, and returning in glory, to say for ever of His Land and city " Jehovah-Shammah. "

| Prophets. A | MINOR PROPHETS. " The Lord of all the earth " giving restored possession of the Land, and foretelling final and unending possession.

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III. THE PSALMS ( K e thubim Writings). A| PSALMS. T e hillim. " Praises. " God's purposes and counsels as to His doings in the future.

B| PROVERBS, that is to say, Rules: Words which govern or rule man's life. God's moral government set forth. C| JOB. " The end of the Lord " shown in Satan's defeat, and the saints deliverance from tribulation.

D| CANTICLES. Virtue rewarded. Read by the Jews at the Passover: the Feast which commemorates the deliverance from Pharaoh, the Jews' oppressor.

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E| RUTH. The stranger gathered in to hear of, and share in, God's goodness in Redemption. Read at Pentecost, which commemorates God's goodness in the Land.

| The

F| LAMENTATIONS. " Alas! " The record of Israel's woes. Read at the Fast of the ninth of Abib.

| five

E | ECCLESIASTES. " The Preacher. " The People collected to hear of man's vanity. Read at the Feast of Tabernacles, which commemorates God's goodness in the wilderness.

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M e gilloth D | ESTHER. Virtue rewarded. Read at the Feast of Purim, which commemorates the deliverance from Haman, " the Jews' enemy. "

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C | DANIEL. " God's judgment. " Here are shown the final defeat of Antichrist, and the deliverance out of " the Great Tribulation. " B | EZRA-NEHEMIAH. Men who governed and ruled God's People in their resettlement in the Land. A | CHRONICLES. Dibrae hayyamim. " Words of the Days "; or, God's purposes and counsels as to Israel's doings in the past, and until the time of the end.