Historical Books

Place in the Bible

Protestants commonly divide the 39 books of the Old Testament into the Law (the Pentateuch), the Historical Books, the Poetical Books, the Major Prophets, and the Minor Prophets. Of these, the Historical Books are the twelve books from Joshua through Esther. When the 27 books of the New Testament are divided into the Gospels, History, the Epistles, and Prophecy, Acts alone is classed as the historical book.

• Joshua: The conquest of the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua and its division among the tribes.
• Judges: The recurring cycle of sin, oppression, crying out, and deliverance during the period of the judges.
• Ruth: The story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who becomes an ancestor of David.
• 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel: The establishment of the monarchy, moving from Samuel and Saul to David.
• 1 Kings and 2 Kings: The narrative from Solomon's building of the temple, through the division of the kingdom, to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
• 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles: Opening with genealogies that begin with Adam, these books retell the history of Judah with a focus on the Davidic dynasty and the temple.
• Ezra and Nehemiah: The rebuilding of the temple and the city walls and the restoration of the Law after the return from exile.
• Esther: The deliverance of the Jews living in Persia from a threat of destruction and the origin of the Feast of Purim.

Background

The Old Testament Historical Books cover the period from the settlement in Canaan through the Babylonian exile to the Persian period. Scholars differ on the dating of individual events.

The term "Historical Books" is not a designation originally found in the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible of Judaism is divided into three parts: the Torah (Law), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). In this arrangement, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings are classified as the "Former Prophets," while Ruth, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles belong to the Writings. The order of today's Christian Bible is generally understood to derive from the tradition of the Septuagint.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

The Historical Books show how the teaching of Deuteronomy—that obedience to God brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment—actually unfolds in the history of Israel. They also carry forward the messianic hope through the Davidic covenant.

The New Testament revisits this history in various ways. The genealogy in Matthew 1 traces the line of the house of David. The sermon of Stephen in Acts 7 and the sermon of Paul in Acts 13 summarize the history of Israel. Hebrews 11 cites figures from the Historical Books such as Rahab, Gideon, and David as examples of faith.

Interpretation and Issues

• Scope: The Catholic Church also includes books such as Tobit, Judith, and 1 and 2 Maccabees among the Historical Books. Protestants do not accept these books as canonical; they appear in translations such as the Korean Common Translation.
• Historicity: Conservative evangelicals who accept biblical inerrancy regard the Historical Books as accurate records of actual history. In critical scholarship, some view the Historical Books as historiography edited from a theological perspective. One example is the "Deuteronomistic History" hypothesis, which regards Joshua through Kings as a single historical work shaped by Deuteronomic thought.
• Approaches to reading: One approach reads the characters' actions as examples to follow or to avoid; another, the redemptive-historical reading, traces in these books the progress of God's plan of salvation toward Christ. The redemptive-historical reading is especially emphasized in Reformed circles. The Historical Books often narrate events without evaluating them. For this reason, some caution against treating as exemplary any action that the text itself does not commend.

In the Korean Church

The exhortation of Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and of a good courage," is frequently quoted at New Year's, at graduations, and at commissioning services. 2 Chronicles 7:13–22, especially verse 14, is often read aloud at prayer meetings for the nation. The account of Nehemiah's rebuilding of the walls is frequently used in sermons on church building projects or the restoration of community.