Old Testament
Why do we use it?
It’s Old and has all of the most
controversial beliefs
Testament?
• Testament is the Latin translation for
Covenant-God’s actions with humanity
• Torah is the acronym for The Law, the
Prophets and the Writings in Hebrew
• Protestant and Jewish Canons are 39
books
• Catholic Old Testament Canon is 46
Books
Judith-Tobit-Baruch-1st,2nd MaccabeesEcclesiastics-Wisdom of Solomon
• Septuagint was the Greek Torah
translation for the Jews of the Diaspora
• Septuagint refers to the 72 Greek Rabbis
who translated the Hebrew Torah before
the time of Christ for Greek Jews
• More Jews remained outside of Palestine
than were in Palestine after the Diaspora
Pentateuch
• Genesis-5 Books- pre-history of God’s call
in creation and the time of the patriarch's
• Exodus-Deliverance from Egypt &
receiving the Covenant
• Leviticus-obligations of the Covenant
• Numbers-increases laws and time in
desert
• Deuteronomy-Moses gives meaning of
Covenant
Historical Books
• Joshua-conquest of the Promised land
• Judges-settlement and survival in the land
• 1st & 2nd Samuel-Chosen peoples need for
King and coming of Saul and David
• 1st & 2nd Kings-History and fidelity of Kings
who followed David down to the end of
Jewish Monarchy in 586 BC
Historical Books
• 1st & 2nd Chronicles-Priestly view of period
from Saul to return from Exile & David
• Ezra-Emphasizes Jewish piety and the
Torah in the face of Hellenism-closes
Israel’s openness to mixed marriages-race
• Nehemiah-Rebuilding, Practicality, census,
feast of Booths (tents)
Historical Books
• Tobit-Jewish piety & Oriental folklore-life at
Nineveh-1st cure by fish-Angel Raphael
• Judith-God saves Israel through a woman!
• Esther-Feast of Purim-another woman
saves Israel-teaches the people
• 1st Maccabees-Alexander the Great-Jews
& Gentiles revolt against Greek Syria
• 2nd Maccabees-Theological viewpoint,
homily and history joined together
Wisdom-Writings
• Less attention to divine salvation, Torah
• Less interest in Israel’s history, nationhood
• Seeks answers to human problems:
death-suffering-inequality-prosperity of
wicked
• Search for living a good life before God
• Lessons for all people and not just
believers
Wisdom-Writings
• Wisdom writings are similar too ancient
texts of time, some as late as 2000BC
• Sumeria-Assyria-Egypt all had Wisdom
sayings
• Sources used to educate within families
and even in formal educational context
• Everyday life, relationships, money and
aspects other than survival and piety
taught
Wisdom-Writings
• Maxims for life and living
• Problems that are the precursors to the
solution given by Christ in the New
Testament
• Wisdom knowledge was a longer period in
Israel’s history than the time of prophets
• Lessons of order, cause and effect, time
as God is revealed in creation
Wisdom-Writings
Job
• Written between 7th-5th Century BC
• When bad things happen to a good guy
• Setting is a folktale used still today to
convey interesting stories
• A search for meaning in suffering
• Who needs friends like Job’s
• Asking the hard questions of God
Wisdom-Writings
Psalms
• The Hebrew Psalter (150)- at least half
attributed to Davidic authorship
• Written specifically for liturgical worship
• Songs have distinct patterns, uses
• Praise of God, exaltation, thanksgiving,
lament are the most prolific both
communal and individual
• Don’t know how to pray, seek a Psalm
Wisdom-Writings
Proverbs
• Order in God’s creation governing man too
• Cause & Effect-acts have consequences
• Time- Israel was to move forward in time
mistakes of the past don’t end hope
• God is revealed in nature’s beauty
• God’s transcendent mystery is in the world
• Suffering has meaning
• Life is positive-there is always hope
Wisdom-Writings
Proverbs
• Responsibility is the human condition
• God’s plan is a gift beyond human
understanding
• Fear of the Lord is Wisdom
• Wisdom knows its limit
• God is beyond all human wisdom
• The virtue of the wise is TRUST in God
Ecclesiastes
Pessimistic Preacher
• Qoheleth is Hebrew for Preacher-head of
the assembly
• Implied to be from Solomon-good source
• Israelite thought after exile-Greek
influence-doubts old answers
• Tries to understand, find meaning in life by
human thought
• There is a time for everything
Ecclesiastes
Pessimistic Preacher
• Futility and emptiness result of constant
searching in humanity
• Divine mystery is always mystery
• Enjoy what life affords you as “all is gift”
• 1st step away from God as punisher
• Eat-drink and be merry for tomorrow we
die
• Trust and hope in God in faith is the truth
Song of Songs
Creation-Love-Sex
• Solomon gets around-many cultures*
advance love and beauty of marriage feast
• God’s love seen through the allegory of
human love
• Extols the power of undying love as God
has for Israel and Christ has for his
Church and our soul
• Source of much Middle Ages Mysticism
Book of Wisdom
• Written about a century before Christ
• Book of Wisdom known only in the Greek
Septuagint*
• Philosophy found in Philo of Alexandria
other Jewish writers of the 1st century BC
• Probably last book written of Old
Testament
• Solomon given credit where due
• Keep the faith-don’t be wise of the world
Book of Wisdom
• Justice and Wisdom under the eye of God
brings eternal reward for just
• Praise of Wisdom for its value to all
• Long history of Israel’s failures and God’s
mercy-folly of ungodliness
• Salvation is starting to be seen as reward
• Sheds light on Israel’s struggle in secular
Greek and Roman world-as we do today
Sirach
Ecclesiasticus (Church Book)
• Not in Protestant or Hebrew Scripture
• Written in Hebrew about 175-200BCtranslated to Greek
• Jesus son of Eleazar, son of Sirach
translated by author’s grandson
• Ancient Hebrew text found at Masada
predates Christ (by 1900 half proven ok)
Sirach
Ecclesiasticus (Church Book)
• God is compassion, but…
• Ambiguity & uncertainty of life and human
limitations; we can’t resolve God’s mystery
• Ethics for everyday life
• The rule of the Law and fear of the Lord
are true wisdom
• Not doctrinal but a good map
Sirach
Ecclesiasticus (Church Book)
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One living and Eternal God
He makes himself known through creation
Made man for God’s glory and goodness
Endowed man with free will and
accountability
• Israel-the chosen people
• Wisdom is the fear of God
• Proven in Faith, Hope, Love and Trust in
God
Prophets
• Out of Order
• “Nabi”: one called, “pro-phates”: speaks on
behalf of another-herald, announcer
• Often “stood in heaven-with God”
• Early and late-early prophets were specific
and on payrolls-not hereditary, odd job
• Later Prophets concerned with morality,
virtue, piety, vice and failures of people
Prophets
• Major Prophets-wrote a lot
• Minor Prophets-wrote less
• Prophetic Books are collections of
thoughts and words of prophets and later
translators and editors
• The written words are translated to every
times needs
• God’s words don’t die but lives anew
Isaiah
• Longest prophetic book in Bible
• Written over 40 years around 700BC
• Original work believed to be only the 1st 39
of 66 chapters
• Isaiah had access to king and most likely a
person of noble birth and education
• Lived through wars and rebellions
• Much of this history found in museums
Isaiah
• Focus on God’s plan for the whole world
• Visions of Immanuel and hope to show
God’s love for the people
• God is the “Holy One of Israel” residing in
the midst of the people
• Foresaw destruction of Israel, but with a
remnant for hope and from which to
rebuild
Isaiah
• God is not hateful, but exalted in justice
and righteous in holiness
• Made use of Jerusalem’s Royal traditions
• A southern prophet in Jerusalem not of the
northern kingdom
• The Temple was next to palace in place
and mind and politics
• Trust in the Lord will lead the way
Isaiah
• Ethical insight, real warnings of disaster,
and hope for the future mark Isaiah
• Isaiah becomes basis for reflections
• Gave hope in the time of Exile
• Stirred the messianic hopes in post exile
prophets
• Isaiah is the most quoted book of early
Christianity for explanation of Jesus Christ
Jeremiah
• Prophet chosen from the womb
• A book about and not just from Jeremiah
• Written over 45 years during a time of
great change
• Egypt, Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar,
Pharaoh, all holding sway over Israel
• Israel had 3 kings in the 20 years
• Exile to Babylon begins (2Kings24:10-16)
Jeremiah
• Taught against idolatry and injustice
• Had great sympathy for God’s and mans
needs
• Message of obedience to God’s will
• Israel failed to take up pleas and Jeremiah
despairs of being able to halt or intercede
for the people
• Foretells first destruction of Temple
Jeremiah
• Temple priest, prophets and others were
hotly opposed to Jeremiah
• Saved from execution more than once
• Spoke against Temple prophets who only
spoke words of comfort and peace
• Rails against the easy life of comfort they
live and their idolatry
• Claims true prophets must have been with
God in someway taken to Him
Jeremiah
• Jeremiah sees a new Covenant for the
people-written on the hearts by God
• Israel could not achieve obedience on
their own, God will grant the grace to obey
• In Jeremiah’s view the exiles will have
gained more than they lost while those
who remained in Israel will have lost more
• It is in exile that Biblical tradition will grow
Lamentations
of Jeremiah
• Total destruction of Judah left very few
scavengers living off the land-586BC
• Describes the death of Jerusalem in terms
of a widow and not as just death as end
• Alone, lonely and friendless without
comfort, but not without hope and faith
• The visions of Jeremiah are given flesh in
Lamentations.
Lamentations
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of Jeremiah
A work of an eyewitness to the fall of Jerusalem
A confession of grief and humiliation in the world
Submission to the merited chastisement and a
strong faith in God’s love to restore the Israel
Reflects the weakness of man & God’s strength
Israel’s faith survives national ruin and despair
First letters of poems are actually the Hebrew
alphabet in order-gives order in emotion
Baruch
Secretary to Jeremiah
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Not in Protestant or Jewish Scripture
Written either in Jerusalem or Babylon
Confessional and liturgical in view
Lessons learned once again point to the
importance of Wisdom and the fear of the
Lord
• Last Chapter stands on its own
Baruch
Secretary to Jeremiah
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Epistle of Jeremiah-conflict of authorship
Patterned on work of Jeremiah
Warnings against idolatry without poetry
Seems to be a compilation of works
Admittance to Canon was settled for
Catholics at the Council of Trent
Ezekiel
The prophet from exile
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Contemporary of Jeremiah
Seems to have psychic power, mystic seer
Draws themes from more ancient prophets
Recreates trust that God’s still at work
First prophet to teach out of promised land
Like Jeremiah not a person of popularity
He must preach even of people don’t listen
Ezekiel
The prophet from exile
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Book is highly ordered-symbolic, literary
Great detail and unity proves single writer
Judgment a major theme
Tells of infiltration to priesthood of pagans
Individual responsibility for actions
Sin no longer seen as passed down
Strong sense of community-nationhood
Ezekiel
The prophet from exile
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Saw Babylon as God’s instrument
Israel as constantly failing the Covenant
God has to act for “His Name”
Plan for return from exile and restoration
Punishment even for lands of pagan gods
Speaks to a people left to pick up the
pieces
Ezekiel
The prophet from exile
• New Covenant was to be on the hearts
• Religion was not to be external but in the
peoples hearts
• Religion had now to be practiced outside
the Temple and the Promise
• The Pentateuch written during this time
• Deuteronomic History to explain the
disaster of exile
Daniel
Apocalyptic
• 4th and last Major prophet-order varies
from Talmud which places it last
• Daniel lives in Royal Court of Babylon-exile
• Chapters 3-14 only in Septuagint-includes
• Prayer of Azarias-3 in furnace-writings on
the wall-and the lion’s den
• Story of faith-Not of history-confused
details
Daniel
Apocalyptic
• Dreams, interpretations and history mixed
into a story of faith
• These collections are a collection of
predictions after the face
• Long ago events that have already taken
place coded to protect those in peril
• Written over 400 years to interpret history
after the fact
Daniel
Apocalyptic
• Integrity & courage, study the law and
behave well give example of piety
• Gives first divine promise of life after death
• Kingdom of God-Son of Man are given
• Apocalyptic wording is new literary form
used for the first time here
• Symbolic language, special agents not of
human origin but as God as Master of all
The Minor Prophets
Hosea
• Hosea-prophesied at same time as Isaiah
did in Judah
• God chastises as a jealous lover
• Israel’s infidelity like Gomers
• Israel had been ruthless to poor and the
rich were extremely greedy
• The first example of God and Israel as
marriage-used by Paul as Christ and
Church
The Minor Prophets
Joel
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Post-exilic (516BC) Penitential in nature
Rend your hearts, not your garments
Plagues and punishments come, always
Apocalyptic visions and a new present to
the world
• God’s fidelity and love are eternal
• The closer the time of Christ comes the
more apocalyptic Jewish prophecy
becomes
The Minor Prophets
Amos
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Contemporary to Hosea (750BC)
Sheppard did not go to prophetic school
Told to go Northern kingdom to preach
Israel rebuked more than Judah
Heartless luxury, self indulgence
Book ends in hope of God’s restoration of
Davidic kingdom and purified nation
The Minor Prophets
Obadiah
• Shortest Book in Old Testament
• Written to Edomites as they seized areas
of Israel with Babylon
• Edom was people by Esau’s children
(Jacob (Israel) & Esau (Edom) ) brothers
• Stress on God’s justice against nations
• God cares for all who suffer and will
prevail in justice sooner or later
The Minor Prophets
Jonah
• Contains only one prophecy-Jonah’s
words to Nineveh
• Johan disobeys is sent to sea to be saved
by a fish and praises God
• Jonah considered humorous to Israel then
• Jonah is a story to enjoy with a smile
• Reverses and irony show a universal God
• We can’t figure out God with our ways
The Minor Prophets
Micah
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Not of Jerusalem-talks of villages & towns
Contemporary to Isaiah-but opposite type
Same evils as seen in Jerusalem
Condemnation of big city problem life
Punishment for all of Israel
Hope remains but in lawyerly language
Condemns: if everyone does it, its ok
Rather: do right and walk humbly with God
The Minor Prophets
Nahum
• Name means Consoler but he foretells
destruction of Nineveh, Assyrian capital
• Nineveh was hated by all
• Israel’s failures were seen to be less than
Nineveh’s
• The same fate would await Israel
• Nineveh trusted in its walls and warriors
• Know what God had done and trust Him
The Minor Prophets
Habakkuk
• Lived after Nahum tells of God’s use of
Babylon as His scourge
• God punishes the evil of all either Israelite
or not
• For the first time man start to question
God in the way all people rule their lands
• Tells of God’s appearance in glory
• Once again trust in God restored
The Minor Prophets
Zephaniah
• Jews had fallen to worship of celestial
gods and other false gods (640BC)
• “Day of the Lord” will fall upon whole world
• Greatest reckoning will be on educated
ruling classes
• Universality of the “Kingdom of God”
where one God, one faith and one
redemption is prophesied
The Minor Prophets
Haggai
• 1st Post Exilic (520BC) delivered specifically
to the Governor and High Priest
• People were concerned for themselves
and forgot the house of God, Temple
• Promise of renewal of the lands upon
completion of Temple
• The land was cursed through sin but now
blessings are to be returned by God
The Minor Prophets
Zechariah (1st,2nd)
• Contemporary to Haggai but added to later
by other authors (520BC)
• Rebuild Temple, focus on priests, purify
community- do good, not evil, compassion
• 2nd book has no visions-poetic God is
deliverer- shepherd
• “Day of the Lord” starts to be seen as a
future time
The Minor Prophets
Malachi
• Malachi-Messenger of the Lord-undated
• Lover of liturgy-marriage & divorce-failure
to tithe-warns of God’s judgment
• Uses questions & answers much like a
child’s catechism
• Remain faithful to the Covenant and the
Law
• Book ends with…
Last Words of
Old Testament
• Remember the Law of my servant
Moses*…statutes and commandments…
That I gave…I will send Elijah* before the
great and terrible day of the Lord comes…
He will direct the hearts of fathers to their
children and hearts of children to their
fathers…so that I will not come to smite
the land with a curse.
*Both with Jesus at his transfiguration…