This history, origins, and contents of Isaiah are examined. Isaiah is one of the major prophets—you can expect to spend quite some time in this book, but it's definitely worth it! Isaiah gives us the bulk of Messianic prophecies and is often quoted in the New Testament, so you know it's an important book. Read more »

Like with the Book of Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings were originally one book, known as the Book of Kings. In the original Hebrew text, the Book of Kings is included with the former prophets, however it is grouped with the historical books in the Bible. The Book of Kings spans 400 years of Israel's history. Read more »

Samuel was originally just one book (containing both 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel). The first division occurred in the Septuagint simply for convenience. Since then, every version has continued to divide the books. [1]  Like Joshua, the books of Samuel act as a bridge from one era to the next. Samuel marks the last of the judges and ushers in the era of kings and prophets. Though the book focuses on Samuel, Saul, and David, the book is named… Read more »

Judges covers the time before kings, when Israel had “judges” who rose up to act as leaders in times of crisis. The most famous judge is probably Samson. Another famous judge is Deborah, who serves as a reminder that women are also called to God’s service. In addition to these two are many lesser known judges, who in some cases, don’t fit the stereotype of who would expect to be chosen. An overall theme of this book is that God call… Read more »

The book of Joshua is named for the most well known member of the Israelite generation that entered the Promised Land. Joshua was Moses' servant and replaced him as leader after his death. It is a fitting title of the book, as it follows the conquest of the Promised Land by Israel, led by Joshua. The Name Joshua In English we call both the person and the book “Joshua,” but his actual name is Y’hoshua ( יְהוֹשׁוּעַ ). This name is … Read more »