The Old Testament is the first major division of the Christian Bible
and the complete Scriptures of Israel.
It contains the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings
—
the sacred books that record God’s
creation, covenant, and redemptive dealings
with His people from the beginning
until the time before Christ.
Jesus and the apostles received these books
as the inspired Word of God
and taught that they speak of Him
and are fulfilled in Him.
The Old Testament is not a discarded preface
but the essential foundation of the gospel
and the unfinished story
that finds its completion in the New Testament.
The Old Testament is the written revelation of God given through Moses, the prophets, and other inspired authors over many centuries. It begins with creation and the fall, moves through the promises to Abraham, the exodus, the giving of the Law, the life of Israel in the land, the rise and fall of the monarchy, the exile, and the return.
Throughout its pages God reveals His character, His covenant, His holiness, His judgment on sin, and His steadfast purpose to redeem a people for Himself.
The Old Testament therefore stands as Christian Scripture — preparatory, prophetic, and permanently valuable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
Genesis - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50
Exodus - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40
Leviticus - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27
Numbers - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36
Deuteronomy - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34
Joshua - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24
Judges - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21
1 Samuel - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31
2 Samuel - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24
1 Kings - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22
2 Kings - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25
1 Chronicles - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29
2 Chronicles - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36
Ezra - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10
Nehemiah - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13
Esther - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10
Job — 01 — 02 — 03 — 04 — 05 — 06 — 07 — 08 — 09 — 10 — 11 — 12 — 13 — 14 — 15 — 16 — 17 — 18 — 19 — 20 — 21 — 22 — 23 — 24 — 25 — 26 — 27 — 28 — 29 — 30 — 31 — 32 — 33 — 34 — 35 — 36 — 37 — 38 — 39 — 40 — 41 — 42
Psalms - 001 - 002 - 003 - 004 - 005 - 006 - 007 - 008 - 009 - 010 - 011 - 012 - 013 - 014 - 015 - 016 - 017 - 018 - 019 - 020 - 021 - 022 - 023 - 024 - 025 - 026 - 027 - 028 - 029 - 030 - 031 - 032 - 033 - 034 - 035 - 036 - 037 - 038 - 039 - 040 - 041 - 042 - 043 - 044 - 045 - 046 - 047 - 048 - 049 - 050 - 051 - 052 - 053 - 054 - 055 - 056 - 057 - 058 - 059 - 060 - 061 - 062 - 063 - 064 - 065 - 066 - 067 - 068 - 069 - 070 - 071 - 072 - 073 - 074 - 075 - 076 - 077 - 078 - 079 - 080 - 081 - 082 - 083 - 084 - 085 - 086 - 087 - 088 - 089 - 090 - 091 - 092 - 093 - 094 - 095 - 096 - 097 - 098 - 099 - 100 - 101 - 102 - 103 - 104 - 105 - 106 - 107 - 108 - 109 - 110 - 111 - 112 - 113 - 114 - 115 - 116 - 117 - 118 - 119 - 120 - 121 - 122 - 123 - 124 - 125 - 126 - 127 - 128 - 129 - 130 - 131 - 132 - 133 - 134 - 135 - 136 - 137 - 138 - 139 - 140 - 141 - 142 - 143 - 144 - 145 - 146 - 147 - 148 - 149 - 150
Proverbs - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 -10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31
Ecclesiastes - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12
Song of Solomon - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08
Isaiah - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 60 - 61 - 62 - 63 - 64 - 65 - 66
Jeremiah - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52
Lamentations - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05
Ezekiel - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48
Daniel - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12
Hosea - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14
Amos - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09
Micah - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07
Zechariah - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14
The Old Testament is the foundation on which the gospel stands. It is the Bible Jesus read, quoted, and fulfilled. It reveals the one true God, the depth of human sin, the necessity of sacrifice, the shape of covenant faithfulness, and the long-promised hope of a Redeemer. To neglect it is to impoverish the Christian faith; to read it in isolation from Christ is to miss its goal. The same Spirit who inspired Moses and the prophets inspired the apostles, and the same God speaks in both Testaments. Read the Old Testament with the light of the New, and read the New Testament with the depth of the Old. Together they form one living Word that is able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.