Books of the Old Testament
All 39 books of the Old Testament organized by category. From the Law of Moses to the Minor Prophets, explore every book with authors, chapter counts, and chapter-by-chapter quizzes.
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Books
929
Chapters
5
Categories
Law / Pentateuch
5 books · 187 chaptersThe five books of Moses form the foundation of the Old Testament, covering creation, the patriarchs, the Exodus, the Law given at Sinai, and Israel's preparation to enter the Promised Land.
Historical Books
12 books · 249 chaptersTwelve books spanning over 1,000 years of Israel's history, from the conquest of Canaan under Joshua through the united and divided kingdoms to the return from Babylonian exile.
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Poetry & Wisdom
5 books · 243 chaptersFive books of Hebrew poetry and wisdom literature that explore the deepest questions of human existence: suffering, worship, practical living, the meaning of life, and romantic love.
Major Prophets
5 books · 183 chaptersFive prophetic books called "major" due to their length, containing powerful messages of judgment and hope from God's greatest prophets during Israel's darkest hours.
Minor Prophets
12 books · 67 chaptersTwelve shorter prophetic books (also called "The Twelve") spanning from the 9th to the 5th century BC, each delivering urgent messages of repentance, judgment, and restoration.
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Frequently Asked Questions About the Old Testament
What are the 5 sections of the Old Testament?
The Old Testament is traditionally divided into 5 sections: (1) Law / Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) — 5 books written by Moses covering creation through Israel’s preparation to enter the Promised Land; (2) Historical Books (Joshua-Esther) — 12 books recording Israel’s history from conquest to exile; (3) Poetry & Wisdom (Job-Song of Solomon) — 5 books of Hebrew poetry, worship, and wisdom literature; (4) Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel) — 5 longer prophetic books; and (5) Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi) — 12 shorter prophetic books.
How many chapters are in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament contains 929 chapters across its 39 books. The longest book is Psalms with 150 chapters, while Obadiah is the shortest with only 1 chapter. The Pentateuch accounts for 187 chapters, the Historical Books for 249, Poetry & Wisdom for 243, Major Prophets for 183, and the Minor Prophets for 67 chapters.
Who wrote the most Old Testament books?
Moses is traditionally credited with writing the most Old Testament books, authoring the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He is also associated with Psalm 90. Other prolific Old Testament authors include David (many of the Psalms), Solomon (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon), and the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah and Lamentations).