Overview Of The Bible
By Michael
A. H. Back
(13) 1 Chronicles
Author: Compilation started by Isaiah and completed by Ezra (from
public records)
Time Period: 1000 – 960 BC
Date Written: Compiled between 700 – 430 BC
Theme: Recounting the events of Samuel and Kings with special focus
on David and Solomon
Key People: David, Solomon
Interesting Facts: 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally one book named,
“Words of the Days.” It was renamed and separated into two
books by the Septuagint translators.
(14) 2 Chronicles
Author: Compilation started by Isaiah and completed by Ezra (from
public records)
Time Period: 970 - 586 BC
Date Written: Compiled between 700 – 430 BC
Theme: Recounting the events of Kings, focusing on the kings of Judah.
Key People: Solomon, Queen of Sheba, Rehoboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat,
Jehoram, Joash, Uzziah, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Josiah
Interesting Facts: Includes a record of the construction of
Solomon’s temple so detailed it is being followed today by
Israelis planning the rebuilding of the temple.
(15) Ezra
Author: Ezra
Time Period: 538 – 445 BC
Date Written: Around 450 BC
Theme: First two waves of Jewish exiles returning from Babylon (led
by Zerubbabel – 536 BC and Ezra - 457 BC). Recounts the
re-building of the temple.
Key People: Cyrus, Zerubbabel, Haggai, Zechariah, Darius, Artaxerxes
I, Ezra
Interesting Facts: Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book called,
“Ezra.” They were separated by the translators of the
Septuagint. Along with Esther, they comprise the “post
Babylonian captivity” history books. The prophets of this period
were Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
(16) Nehemiah
Author: Nehemiah and Ezra
Time Period: 445 – 432 BC
Date Written: Between 445 – 432 BC
Theme: The third wave of Jewish exiles returning from Babylon (lead
by Nehemiah – 445 BC). Recounts rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.
Key People: Nehemiah, Ezra, Sanballat, Tobiah
Interesting Facts: This book recounts the fulfillment of prophesies
made by Daniel (roughly 100 years before) and Zechariah (roughly 40
years before) concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.
(17) Esther
Author: Mordecai, Ezra or Nehemiah
Time Period: Sometime between 480 - 478 BC
Date Written: Between 470 - 440 BC
Theme: Slice of life in the capital city of the Persian Empire during
the period of Ezra and Nehemiah. Recounts how a Jewish woman comes to
be queen of the empire, her battles against the political maneuvers
of the enemies of the Jews, and how she is successful in saving the
Jews in the empire from extermination.
Key People: Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes I, Haman
Interesting Facts: The only book in the Bible in which God is never
directly mentioned. This bothered the Jewish scribes, so when they
made copies of Esther, they “hid” the name of God in the
text in five places by making the Hebrew letters “YHWH”
(for “Yahweh”) and “EHYEH” (meaning “I am
that I am”) larger so they stood out on that line. The verses
where they did this are 1:20, 5:4, 5:13, and 7:7 for “YHWH,”
and 7:5 for “ENYEH.” When the line was read, it looked
something like the following example from Esther 1:20 in English:
“Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all
his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the
least to the greatest.”
Poetry (Songs, Wisdom)
(18) Job
Author: Unknown (possibly Job, Moses, Solomon or Elihu)
Time Period: Sometime between 2000 – 1800 BC
Date Written: Unknown (could be anywhere from 1800 – 910 BC)
Theme: The story of a believer during the period of Abraham (prior to
the law of Moses). It examines the issue of sin and suffering, and
concludes that not all suffering is the result of sin (sometimes God
uses suffering to purify, instruct, and test his saints). The first
glimpse of Satan, and his dedication to the destruction of the
righteous, as well as the principle that “all things ultimately
work together for the good of those who love the Lord.”
Key People: Job, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the
Naamathite, Elihu the Buzite.
Interesting Facts: There is the strong possibility that this was the
first book of the Bible to actually be written. Job is an ancient
forerunner to the Shakespearean approach to recording real life
events, in that it presents them in a poetic, “play-like” form.
(19) Psalms (“Songs”)
Author: Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, Heman, Ethan, Sons of Korah
(compiled by Ezra)
Time Period: Written between 11440 – 586 BC;
Date Written: Compiled around 440 BC
Theme: A collection of the songs of worship and praise of early
Israel. It is extremely prophetic in nature and contains many
prophecies concerning the Messiah. Jesus quoted from Psalms often,
including His last Old Testament quotation prior to His death
(“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” – Psalm 22:1).
Key People: David, Moses
Interesting Facts: Psalms is the most quoted book in the New
Testament (of the 283 Old Testament quotations in the New Testament,
116 come from this book). The Psalms were originally separated into 5
books in the ancient Hebrew texts, and named according to the five
books of the Torah.
Genesis book: Psalms 1 – 42;
Exodus Book: Psalms 43 – 72;
Leviticus Book: Psalms 73 – 89;
Numbers Book: Psalms 90 – 106;
Deuteronomy Book: Psalms 107 - 150
(20) Proverbs
Author: Solomon (1-29), Agur and Lemuel – added by Hezekiah (30-31)
Time Period: From about 970 - 950 BC
Date Written: Around 970 – 950 BC
Theme: Practical application of godly wisdom in everyday life.
Key People: No particular people are mentioned
Interesting Facts: Proverbs is a virtual grammar book of literary
forms (poems, parables, rhetorical questions, pointed questions,
couplets) and devices (antithesis, comparison, metaphor, analogy,
allegory, personification, simile).
(21) Ecclesiastes
Author: Solomon (1:16)
Time Period: Around 935 BC
Date Written: Around 935 BC
Theme: No amount of worldly pursuits (human knowledge and wisdom,
physical pleasure, alcohol, power, prestige, riches, sex, etc.) are
ultimately satisfying. They leave us feeling empty and hollow. Only
in reverence to God can we find the real source of purpose and
meaning to life. Notable verse (12:13).
Key People: No particular people are mentioned.
Interesting Facts: Ecclesiastes is a Greek word that refers to the
leader of a fellowship or congregation, although frequently
translated “preacher” or “teacher,” strictly
speaking, it does not mean either (Greek has other words for both).
One of the most telling lessons to come out of Ecclesiastes is that
knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom are NOT the same as, nor are they
indicators of morality and holiness.
(22) Song of Solomon
Author: Solomon
Time Period: Around 965 BC
Date Written: Around 965 BC
Theme: The joy and wonder of intimate physical love between a husband
and wife. Paul reveals in Ephesians 5:23-33 that marriage is symbolic
of our relationship with God, which confirms that there is underlying
symbolism in this book as well.
Key People: King Solomon, the Shulamite woman, friends
Interesting Facts: The Hebrew text, guided primarily by the use of
masculine and feminine pronouns, as well as singular and plural,
separates the book into spoken lines identified by the titles Lover
(male), Beloved (female), and Friends (mixed group). The book was
usually read much like a play script, with a man, a woman, and a
“chorus” (group of people) reading the various parts.
Prophets
(23) Isaiah
Author: Isaiah
Time Period: From around 740 – 681 BC
Date Written: 1-39 around 700 BC; 40-66 around 681 BC
Theme: History and God’s messages to Israel during the period of
2 Kings. Chapters 1-39 deal mostly with the events of Isaiah’s
lifetime, 40-66 are mostly prophetic of the future of Israel and the
entire earth.
Key People: Isaiah, his two sons: Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz
Interesting Facts: Isaiah probably has more examples of “double
reference prophecies” (prophecies using the same passage to
foretell soon-to-occur events and distant future events
simultaneously) than any other book. The other book with sizable
sections of double reference prophecies is Ezekiel.
(24) Jeremiah
Author: Jeremiah
Time Period: 627 – 586 BC
Date Written: Between 627 – 586 BC
Theme: Shortly after Zephaniah, contemporary of Nahum and Habakkuk,
just before Daniel and Ezekiel. The dealings of God with Israel
during the last part of the period covered in 2 Kings. It recounts
how Jeremiah did NOT want to be a prophet, but was obedient to
God’s call anyway, and of how anguished he often was at the hard-heartedness
of his countrymen, particularly in their refusal to listen to his warnings.
Key People: The last five kings of Judah (Josiah, Jehoahaz,
Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah), Baruch, Ebed-Melech, King
Nebuchadnezzar, the Racabites
Interesting Facts: Like Ezekiel (who started his ministry just a few
years before the end of Jeremiah’s), Jeremiah often used
symbolism and actions to communicate his message.
(25) Lamentations
Author: Jeremiah
Time Period: 586 BC
Date Written: Shortly after 586 BC
Theme: The heart-felt anguish of a man with a broken heart over the
sin of his people and the destruction of his nation.
Key People: Jeremiah, people of Jerusalem
Interesting Facts: This book shows vividly why Jeremiah is often
called “the weeping prophet.” Lamentations is a poetic
lament written in the rhythm and style of ancient Jewish funeral
songs. It is a composition of five poems (each chapter is a separate poem).
OT-1 2 3
NT-1 2 3
