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Look at the Book: Judges [Infographic] 

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Judges [Infographic] 

Welcome to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Here we look at Judges, a brutal account of Israel’s descent into chaos following resettlement of the promised land. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

God raised leaders at certain times to rid the Israelites of foreign invaders who came into the land as a result of the people’s disobedience to God and rejection of his kingship — a theme that occurs early and often in the book. 

  • Category: History 
  • Theme: Leadership 
  • Timeline: About 1375 (after the death of Joshua) to 1050 BC 
  • Written: By an anonymous author sometime during the divided kingdom but before exile 

Key Verse 

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” — Judges 21:25 (NIV) 

Cycles of Sin 

The cycle of the Israelites’ sin in Judges goes like this: 

  1. They turned from God. 
  2. God responded with judgment. 
  3. They cried out for mercy. 
  4. God delivered them through judges. 

Crying Out 

The Hebrew word for “cried out” in Judges 4:3 is tsa’aq, and it means “to cry out in distress.” The Israelites were not repenting when they cried, just asking God for deliverance. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

Consider 

“The Israelites exchanged their focus, attention, and affection for God with the false gods of the Canaanites. When this happened, they lost their peace.” — Joel Muddamalle, Finding Peace Through Humility 

Access the rest of the series here. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.   

Infographic depicting major themes and content from the book of Judges

The Bible’s Table of Contents: The Books of the Bible in Order [With Apocrypha] 

Jacob Edson
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The Bible’s Table of Contents: The Books of the Bible in Order [With Apocrypha] 

Although, like Reese’s, there’s no wrong way to read the Bible, by far the two most common ways to read the books of the Bible in order are thematically and chronologically. 

  • Thematic (or canonical) order is the most straightforward: this is how most Bibles are organized. However, the order differs slightly between traditions, especially when you add in the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books included in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. 
  • Chronological (or timeline) order is much more complicated. Many of the books have overlapping timelines, and they don’t always specify when they were written or compiled. But it is possible to create a rough chronology.

In order to help you make sense of these variations and give you a few straightforward reading options, I’ve compiled two complete lists of the books of the Bible for your reference, along with some clarifying notes.  

(On the other hand, you can always use one of Bible Gateway’s handy reading plans to guide you. We’ll even send daily reminders, if you want us to.) 

List of Bible reading order in both traditional/thematic and chronological formats.

Reading the Bible Thematically: The Bible’s Table of Contents 

Here is a complete list of the standard table of contents in most Bibles, broken up by type. This has been the canonical order since it was formally decided by the church councils of the late 4th century AD. 

I have included Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books (and additions within books) in italics. These are included in Catholic Bibles but not in most Protestant ones.

Old Testament 

Torah/Pentateuch 

  • Genesis 
  • Exodus 
  • Leviticus 
  • Numbers 
  • Deuteronomy 

Histories

  • Joshua 
  • Judges 
  • Ruth 
  • 1 & 2 Samuel 
  • 1 & 2 Kings 
  • 1 & 2 Chronicles 
  • Ezra 
  • Nehemiah 
  • Tobit 
  • Judith 
  • Esther (with additions) 
  • 1 & 2 Maccabees 

Wisdom Books 

  • Job 
  • Psalms 
  • Proverbs 
  • Ecclesiastes 
  • Song of Solomon 
  • Wisdom of Solomon 
  • Sirach 

Prophets 

  • Isaiah 
  • Jeremiah 
  • Lamentations 
  • Baruch & Letter of Jeremiah 
  • Ezekiel 
  • Daniel (with Prayer of Azariah + Song of the Three Jews, Susannah, & Bel and the Dragon) 
  • Hosea 
  • Joel 
  • Amos 
  • Obadiah 
  • Jonah 
  • Micah 
  • Nahum 
  • Habakkuk 
  • Zephaniah 
  • Haggai 
  • Zechariah 
  • Malachi 

New Testament 

Gospels & Acts 

  • Matthew 
  • Mark 
  • Luke 
  • John 
  • Acts 

Letters & Revelation 

  • Romans 
  • 1 & 2 Corinthians 
  • Galatians 
  • Ephesians 
  • Philippians 
  • Colossians 
  • 1 & 2 Thessalonians 
  • 1 & 2 Timothy 
  • Titus 
  • Philemon 
  • Hebrews 
  • James 
  • 1 & 2 Peter 
  • 1, 2 & 3 John 
  • Jude 
  • Revelation 

Note on Orthodox Bibles 

In addition to the books listed above, Orthodox Bibles include the following books:  

  • 1 Esdras (precedes Ezra/Nehemiah, which is called “2 Esdras” in Orthodox Bibles) 
  • 3 Maccabees (follows 2 Maccabees) 
  • 4 Maccabees (included in an appendix) 
  • Psalm 151 (at end of Psalms) 
  • Prayer of Manasseh (after Psalms) 

Note on Jewish Bibles 

Jewish Bibles contain the same books as the Protestant Old Testament, but the order is slightly different. 

  • Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy 
  • Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) 
  • Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles 

How to Read the Bible Chronologically: A Complete Guide 

It’s surprisingly difficult to read the Bible in the order of its events as they happened. For one thing, there was no consistent calendar or dating system in the ancient world (time was usually tracked based on which king or dynasty was in power).  

Though some of the books follow a straightforward timeline, others jump around a bit, often overlapping each other. And most of the prophets don’t specify when they were active, leaving scholars to determine their dates using context clues, archaeology, and other means. 

Though on one hand this can make creating a simple Biblical timeline a frustrating exercise, in my opinion it is one of God’s great blessings to us that he has provided multiple perspectives on many eras of his covenant and works in his creation. Though there’s nothing wrong with trying, for example, to find the “historical Jesus” between the lines of the four gospels, we would have been much the poorer if God had seen fit to only give us one of them. 

With all that in mind, here is a chronological list of the books of the Bible, with suggested (though highly contested) dates and explanatory notes. 

Old Testament Era 

Age of the Patriarchs (Beginnings to 1400s BC) 

  • Genesis 1-11 
  • Job [Takes place sometime during Genesis; this is a good break in the narrative to slot it in.] 
  • Genesis 12-50 

Age of Exodus (1400s BC) 

  • Exodus 
  • Leviticus 
  • Numbers 
  • Deuteronomy [Overlaps with Leviticus and Numbers.] 

Age of Resettlement (1300s to early 1000s BC) 

  • Joshua 
  • Judges 
  • Ruth 

Age of Kings I: Saul and David (ca. 1050-970 BC) 

  • 1 & 2 Samuel 
  • 1 Chronicles  
  • Psalms [Covers a wide range of time, but most were written by David.] 

Age of Kings II: Solomon (ca. 970-925 BC) 

  • 1 Kings 1-11 
  • 2 Chronicles 1-9 
  • Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon [All ascribed to Solomon.] 

The Kingdom Divided and the Prophets (ca. 925-600 BC) 

  • 1 Kings 12-22 
  • 2 Kings 1-23 
  • 2 Chronicles 10-35 
  • Jonah 
  • Amos 
  • Hosea 
  • Isaiah 
  • Micah 
  • Zephaniah 
  • Nahum 
  • Habakkuk 
  • Jeremiah 

The Babylonian Exile (ca. 600-530 BC) 

  • 2 Kings 24-25 
  • 2 Chronicles 36:1-21 
  • Lamentations 
  • Obadiah 
  • Ezekiel 
  • Daniel 

Return from Exile 

  • 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 
  • Ezra 
  • Nehemiah 
  • Esther 
  • Haggai 
  • Zechariah 
  • Joel [Debated; could be pre-exile.] 
  • Malachi 

New Testament Era 

Life of Jesus (ca. 4 BC – 30 AD) 

  • Matthew, Mark, John, Luke 
  • Note: The Gospels can be read in any order. Mark was probably written first and John last, but I suggest the above order because Matthew starts with the genealogy, and Luke segues right into Acts (which he also wrote). 

Acts and Letters of the Apostles (ca. 30-100 AD) 

  • Acts 
  • James 
  • 1 & 2 Thessalonians 
  • Galatians 
  • 1 & 2 Corinthians 
  • Philippians & Philemon [Dating these hinges on which of Paul’s imprisonments they were written from.] 
  • Romans 
  • Colossians 
  • Ephesians 
  • 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus 
  • 1 & 2 Peter 
  • Hebrews 
  • Jude 
  • 1, 2 & 3 John 
  • Revelation 

When Do the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books Take Place? 

For the most part, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books are understood to have been written much later than the rest of the Old Testament (hence their other name, the books of the “intertestamental period”). But many of them take place much earlier than their composition. 

If you want to slot the Deuterocanonical books into the above chronology, here’s where they would fit: 

  • Tobit: Between Zephaniah and Nahum. 
  • Baruch & Letter of Jeremiah: With Lamentations. 
  • Judith: Between Obadiah and Ezekiel. 
  • Daniel additions: With Daniel. 
  • Esther additions: With Esther. 
  • Sirach: After Malachi. 
  • 1 & 2 Maccabees: After Sirach. 
  • Wisdom of Solomon: After Maccabees. (Not written by Solomon, despite the name.) 

Want a simpler way to read the Bible chronologically? You can sign up for Bible Gateway’s chronological reading plan and get the daily reading right in your inbox. Or, if you prefer hard copy, you can try the Chronological Study Bible (available in NIV or NKJV) — also available in Bible Gateway Plus. 

Sources:

What We Learn from the Names of God  

Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel
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What We Learn from the Names of God  

Kathie Lee  

More than one hundred names for God are mentioned in the Bible. Imagine that! I love that there are specific names, though, for various aspects of God’s nature. 

El Roi, for the God Who Sees. Jehovah Jireh, for the God Who Provides, and many more. 

But Jehovah Elohim is one of my favorites. It means God the Creator. 

And He’s not just the Creator of everything that has come before. He is the God of all creation and is creating new things even this moment. 

Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (ESV). 

In other words, “Hey, look around, everybody! I am the God who never changes! I am doing brand-new miracles all over the cosmos—and even in your life! Open your eyes! Open your hearts!”  

Naming the Stars

I have a good friend who likes to come over to my home on beautiful nights and sit with me on my deck under the stars. He inevitably takes out his phone and goes to the app that allows you to point your phone to the sky above you and discover the names of the celestial wonders billions of miles away. 

It’s not just a restful, enjoyable exercise. Psalm 19:1 tells me, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (NIV). 

How profound to think of the blanket of tiny lights in the distance as actually being mysterious treasure chests of wisdom and knowledge. Jehovah Elohim’s ways are unfathomable, of course, but He lights our paths with His stars to guide us into understanding His nature. 

Rabbi Jason  

God’s name Jehovah Elohim is our source of hope and strength. Elohim the Almighty, Powerful One is watching over and providentially guiding the events of your life and all of history. Jehovah sees and feels your pain. He is your Redeemer who, out of His great mercy and compassion, not only died for your sin but also wants to have a personal relationship with you. He deeply desires to come near and be your ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). 

Order Out of Chaos

The more I study the Bible, the more I find that God creates order and direction out of lifeless chaos. He is in control and seeks to point us in the direction He has for us. Before I knew Yeshua, I was lifeless. Yes, I desperately sought spiritual wholeness through Judaism and Buddhism, but thank goodness God had other plans for me. He took this lifeless Jew-Bu and made him a new creation. 

Yeshua brought order to my disordered life and gave me clear direction. He will do the same for you if you let Him. Just as He spoke over the chaos in the very beginning when He created seder (order), He can speak over your life. Rabbi Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It doesn’t matter what your circumstances are or how much you have failed; Yeshua-Elohim can take your brokenness and make you a new creation. 

You can leave the past things behind and move forward in life with new or renewed direction and meaning. You can have a deep relationship with the God of order, not the gods of chaos we find all around us. 

Continue walking with Yeshua, Kathie Lee, and Rabbi Jason with Bible Gateway’s free 10-day devotional on God of the Way. Sign up today!

The God of the Way

Adapted from The God of the Way: A Journey into the Stories, People, and Faith That Changed the World Forever by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel.

Front cover of God of the Way by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel

Now a New York Times Bestseller! Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel the authors of the New York Times best seller The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi bring you an exciting new life-changing message that will help you read the Bible with new eyes and take you into the heart of God’s people in Scripture – from Abraham to Ruth to Jesus and His early followers. 

In The God of the Way, Rabbi Jason shares wisdom from his Jewish heritage and helps us read Scripture in the cultural context of biblical times. Kathie Lee adds personal stories and reflections from her spiritual journey and studies, serving as a companion as you go deeper in your own relationship with God. 

You will experience: 

  • The God of the How and When: When you don’t know the details… God does. 
  • The God of His Word: When you can’t see God… trust His heart and the promises in His Word. 
  • The God Who Sees: When you feel abandoned and forgotten… God knows and cares about you. 
  • The God of the Other Side: When you feel overwhelmed and unworthy… God never passes by but crosses over and brings freedom. 

Journey into God’s word, from the creation of the world through the desert and empty places, the Hebrew nation, and meet Jesus, the disciples, and his followers. As you do, you will see how you are part of God’s epic story of redemption – a radiant testimony to the truth that belief in God’s promises is never wasted. 

The God of the Way is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway. 

Look at the Book: Joshua [Infographic] 

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Joshua [Infographic] 

Welcome to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Moving on from the Pentateuch, this post examines Joshua, the first of the historical books, picking up right after the death of Moses at the end of Deuteronomy. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Joshua describes the possession of the land, but the focus is the fulfillment of God’s promises. The land Israel receives is a good and fertile land, but more importantly, a promised land. 

  • Category: History 
  • Theme: Conquest 
  • Timeline: About 1406 to 1375 BC 
  • Written: Early 14th century BC, traditionally attributed to Joshua 

Key Verse 

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15 (NIV) 

Joshua’s Timeline 

The events of the book of Joshua span about twenty-five years, starting soon after the death of Moses, before the conquest commenced. The conquest of Canaan took about seven years, and Joshua’s final address and subsequent death came almost twenty years later. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

Consider 

Joshua was born in Egyptian slavery, trained under Moses, and by God’s choice rose to his key position of leading Israel into Canaan. 

Access the rest of the series here. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from the book of Joshua

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bible Verses and Chapters 

Jacob Edson
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bible Verses and Chapters 

Have you ever wondered how the Bible got its chapters and verses? These divisions are so ingrained in how we read and reference the Bible today, many people don’t realize that they weren’t part of the original texts.  

This post will run through a quick history of how Bible chapters and verses came to be. Then we’ll take a look at some fun facts and trivia about them — including why they’re so hard to count (hint: it’s not just because there are thousands of them)! 

Where Did Bible Chapters and Verses Come From? 

Chapters and verses are a relatively late addition to the books of the Bible. 

Scrolls: The Original Divisions of the Bible 

Originally, the books of the Bible were written on scrolls without any breaks in the text from one end to the other (including such modern luxuries as spaces between words!). These scrolls were made from papyrus (paper made from plants) or parchment (paper made from animal skins).  

These texts flowed as continuous narratives or collections of teachings, making it challenging to locate specific passages. They also could only hold so much information on a single sheet.  

1 and 2 Kings, for instance, are actually the same “book,” but had to be split between two scrolls due to their length. The twelve “minor” prophets, on the other hand, were all brief enough to include on a single scroll — despite being active hundreds of years apart. 

By the time Christians started compiling the Bible into the format we know today — the “codex,” or more commonly, “book” — the divisions were so familiar that they kept the numbering. 

History of Bible Chapters 

Codices (books) were the format in which the Bible was read for over a thousand years across Christendom. Then, in the early 13th century, the Archbishop of Canterbury (still at that time a Catholic diocese) Stephen Langton invented a new way to subdivide the books of the Bible into a more digestible format: the chapter. 

Langton’s system came at a time when access to religious texts was becoming increasingly important, as people were increasingly expressing interest in hearing Scripture in their own languages, outside of the Latin Mass. Dividing the lengthy books of the Bible into smaller chapters provided a structural framework that made it easier for scholars, clergy, and laypeople alike to reference and study the Bible. 

It also paved the way for the coming vernacular Bible revolution: John Wycliffe’s English Bible of 1382 was the first to include Langton’s chapter divisions. 

History of Bible Verses 

The system of verses was introduced still later. In 1448, a French Jewish rabbi named Isaac Nathan ben Kalonymus divided the Old Testament into verses for the purpose of creating a concordance — the first of its kind in Hebrew. (Of course, it didn’t include the books of the Apocrypha, which were found in Catholic Bibles at the time but not in Jewish Bibles.) 

Like Langton’s chapters, Nathan’s innovation came during a period of increasing interest in making the Bible more accessible and understandable to scholars and laypeople — and Christians and Jews — alike. 

Then, the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century revolutionized the production and dissemination of texts — especially the Bible. For the first time in history, it enabled the mass production of books, which previously had to be painstakingly copied by hand.  

The printed Bible soon became much more widely available — and with it came a greater need for standardized references to facilitate study and discussion. 

The First Complete Bible with Chapters and Verses 

In 1551, Robert Estienne, a French printer also known as Robertus Stephanus, answered that need. He built on Rabbi Nathan’s work to introduce a verse numbering system for the New Testament as well. 

A few years later, Estienne produced the first complete Bible with chapters and verses across both testaments. This achievement made the Bible more accessible to readers and scholars, facilitated easier navigation and citation, and established a consistent reference framework that could be applied to all Bible versions worldwide, in any language.  

Though today, his name (like Langton’s and Nathan’s) is not well known, we can scarcely imagine a Bible without his influence. 

How Many Chapters Are There in the Bible? 

The Bible contains a total of 1,189 chapters divided between the Old Testament and the New Testament — plus additional chapters in the Apocrypha. 

Number of Chapters in the Old Testament 

The Old Testament comprises 929 chapters across 39 books in standard Protestant Bibles. These chapters cover everything from history and law to prophecies and poetry. 

Number of Chapters in the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books 

The number of chapters in the Apocrypha, which includes books not universally accepted within the canonical Bible (due to disagreements around the correct manuscripts to translate from), vary depending on the tradition. 

Catholic Bibles, which include the Deuterocanonical Books as part of the Old Testament, contain an additional 145 chapters over Protestant Bibles (plus the addition to Daniel 3), for a total of 1,074. These are spread over 46 books. 

Orthodox Bibles include even more material, as well as presenting the Book of Ezra in a different format. The total number of chapters in the Greek Orthodox Old Testament comes to 1,114 divided between 50 books — plus more in various other Orthodox branches. 

In most Protestant versions that include it, the Apocrypha contains 173 chapters, separate from the rest of the Old Testament. 

Number of Chapters in the New Testament 

The New Testament contains 260 chapters — less than a third as many as the Old Testament. Unlike the Old Testament, this number is the same for all major Christian denominations.  

Included in these chapters are the life and teachings of Jesus, the acts of the apostles, various letters from Paul and other apostles, and the prophetic book of Revelation. 

Longest and Shortest Chapters in the Bible 

  • Longest Chapter: Psalm 119 in the Old Testament is the longest chapter in the Bible, with 176 verses. It’s a beautiful and complex meditation on the varied ups and downs of human experience and the steadfast dependability of God’s law. 
  • Shortest Chapter: Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter, containing just two verses that call all nations to praise the Lord. 

How Many Verses Are There in the Bible? 

In total, the Bible contains some 31,102 verses across its 1,189 chapters, split between the Old and New Testaments. 

Number of Verses in the Old Testament 

The Old Testament includes approximately 23,145 verses. These verses span from the creation story in Genesis to the prophecies of Malachi. 

Why “approximately”? 

While chapters remain relatively equivalent across Bible versions, verses can vary somewhat depending on the translation philosophy. For example, Orthodox Bibles are translated from the Greek Septuagint Old Testament, while Protestant Bibles (and, today, most Catholic ones) are translated from the Hebrew Masoretic Old Testament.  

There are minor discrepancies between these texts (and major ones — see the Apocrypha section below) that result in slight differences in verse numbering. But for most English Protestant Bibles, 23,145 is the standard number you can expect to find. 

Number of Verses in the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books 

Determining the exact number of verses in the Apocrypha is a complex process due to variations across different denominational traditions and translations. In the commonly accepted versions of the Apocrypha included in Western Bibles, you will find approximately 6,081 verses. 

Not all of these verses are included in Catholic Bibles (see the section on chapters above). Since verse numberings are more inconsistent in the Apocrypha (see the history section above), it’s hard to place an exact number, but the entire Catholic Old Testament has somewhere around 28,000 or 29,000 verses, with a few hundred more in Orthodox Bibles. 

Number of Verses in the New Testament 

The New Testament consists of around 7,957 verses, beginning with Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus and ending with the expectation of his return.  

As with chapters, this number is more consistent than in the Old Testament — but it can still vary a bit based on a few disputed sections, such as the short and long endings of Mark 16. 

Longest and Shortest Verses in the Bible 

  • Longest Verse: Esther 8:9 holds the record for the longest verse in the Bible. This verse details King Ahasuerus’ decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves across his empire, “from India to Ethiopia.” 
  • Shortest Verse: John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible — and one of the most powerful. It simply states (in the NIV translation), “Jesus wept.” The brevity encourages us to witness Jesus’ profound compassion and humanity as he mourns the death of his friend Lazarus. 

Conclusion: The Value of Verse and Chapter Additions

It’s impossible to overestimate the impact that the division of the Bible into chapters and verses has had on how we read, understand, and reference God’s Word. While these divisions were not part of the original manuscripts, they have provided invaluable benefits — including easier navigation, standardized citations, and more structured theological study — for generations of readers. 

Sign up today for Bible Gateway Plus and get access to over 60 English Bible versions — plus dozens of Study Bibles, commentaries, and encyclopedias — all for less than a pack of highlighters.

Look at the Book: Deuteronomy [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Deuteronomy [Infographic]

Welcome to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. This post discusses Deuteronomy, the last book of the Torah/Pentateuch and a reexamination of the last three — as suggested by its name, which means “second law.” 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Deuteronomy concentrates on events that took place in the final weeks of Moses’ life. The major event was the verbal communication of divine revelation from Moses to the people of Israel. The other events recorded are:  

  1. Moses’ recording the law in a book and his commissioning of Joshua as the new leader; 
  2. Moses’ viewing of the land of Canaan from Mt. Nebo; and 
  3. Moses’ death. 
  • Category: Law 
  • Theme: Promise 
  • Timeline: About 1405 BC (but summarizing events of the preceding 40 years) 
  • Written: 1450-1400 BC, traditionally attributed to Moses 

Key Verse 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” — Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) 

Second Life of the Second Law 

Deuteronomy is the most quoted book of the Old Testament by Jesus during his ministry, with 23 direct references. 

It is also the third most quoted book of the Old Testament throughout the New Testament (behind the Psalms and Isaiah), with 44 direct references. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

Second Helping 

The original recipients of Deuteronomy, both in its verbal and written presentations, were the second generation of the nation of Israel after leaving slavery in Egypt. 

Access the rest of the series here. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from the book of Deuteronomy

Look at the Book: Numbers [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Numbers [Infographic]

Welcome to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. This post takes account of Numbers, a sometimes overlooked book from the Torah/Pentateuch that nevertheless contains some important (and entertaining) details. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Numbers commences with God commissioning Moses at the tabernacle of meeting to take a census in preparation for war against Israel’s enemies. Due to lack of trust in God, Israel did not want to engage its enemies militarily in order to claim the Promised Land. After forty additional years in the wilderness for their rebellion, Israel arrived on the plains of Moab. 

  • Category: Law 
  • Theme: Preparation 
  • Timeline: About 1445-1400 BC 
  • Written: 1450-1400 BC, traditionally attributed to Moses 

Key Verse 

“The Lord bless you and keep you…” — Numbers 6:24 (NIV)

Welcome to the Wilderness 

Most of the events of the book are set “in the wilderness.” The word “wilderness” is used 48 times in Numbers. This term refers to land that contains little vegetation or trees, and because of a sparsity of rainfall, it cannot be cultivated. This land is best used for tending flocks of animals. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

Consider

Despite the fact that it is 11 days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea, the journey took Israel forty years due to their rebellion against God.  

Is there something you are dragging out in your own life? Trust God to help you see it through. 

Access the rest of the series here. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from the book of Numbers

June 2024 Bible News

Bible Gateway
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June 2024 Bible News

Your source for all the latest Bible-related and Bible-adjacent news from the month of June 2024 — from archaeological discoveries and academic research to cultural events and conversations, developments in the global church, and more.

Week of June 23

  • June 27 — Oklahoma’s state superintendent issued an edict that all public schools in the state teach students in grades 5-12 about the Bible as a “necessary historical document” for understanding Western civilization. However, while the Bible is already permitted in classrooms, it’s unclear if the state has the authority to force schools to teach it. (New York Post)
  • June 26 — The Episcopal Church in America announced their new presiding bishop for the next nine years. The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe will be the youngest presiding bishop ever at 49 years old, after he won a majority of the votes and was confirmed nearly unanimously at the denomination’s 81st General Convention this week. (Episcopal News Service)
  • June 26 — Over a decade after the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood from power, Coptic Christians in Egypt are gradually resuming church (re)building projects. Though still facing persecution, many Copts are cautiously optimistic about future growth and stability. (Catholic News Agency)
  • June 25 — Among the voices often overlooked in the Gaza war (on both sides of the conflict) are Arab Christians such as those in Galilee — many of whom balance conflicting identities, strained loyalties, and uncertain futures while supporting Israel’s war effort on both frontlines and homefront. (Christianity Today)
  • June 25 — A church in Mexico has allegedly made thousands of dollars by selling plots of land in heaven at $100 per square meter, after the pastor claimed God gave him explicit permission to do so. RELEVANT‘s take? “Maybe one day these scammers will realize access to Heaven is, quite famously, free to everyone.” (RELEVANT Magazine)
  • June 25 — Catholic pilgrims — clergy and laypeople — are following four separate routes across the US, beginning in Connecticut, California, Texas, and Minnesota. They will meet in Indianapolis in mid-July for the first National Eucharistic Congress in more than 80 years. (AP News)
  • June 24 — Pastoral care: A pair of psychology researchers and pastoral counselors are shedding light on the challenges pastors, chaplains, and other spiritual leaders face in their roles — many of which include an array of responsibilities from financial planning and business organization to sermon preparation and comforting the grieving. (The Conversation)
  • June 24 — A report by Christian charity Stewardship indicates that “practicing Christians” (who attend church and read the Bible) in the UK “exhibit a higher level of generosity” than the general population. They donate £167 on average per month, compared to the national average of £65. (Christian Today)
  • June 23 — Two churches, a synagogue, and a traffic police post were simultaneously attacked in the Russian region of Dagestan. A priest and at least six policemen were killed, and a church and synagogue partially burned. Russian authorities later said they had “eliminated” five suspected terrorists, though no clear motive has been found. (Religion News Service)

Week of June 16

  • June 21 — Ecumenical amends: A Catholic abbey and Baptist university in Oklahoma have agreed to exchange property. Oklahoma Baptist University will return St. Gregory’s Abbey’s 74-acre former holding, while the abbey will grant OBU two parcels totaling 134 acres for future development. (Catholic News Agency)
  • June 20 — An ancient Canaanite shipwreck has been discovered about 56 miles off the Israeli coast. Estimated to be from the 13th or 14th century BC, it is the oldest deep-sea shipwreck ever found, and suggests ancient people had a better understanding of ship navigation than previously believed. (Haartez)
  • June 19 — A group of married Nigerian women are bringing spiritual guidance and practical help to communities in need across the country. Formed in 1930 and now comprising millions of women from many denominations, the zumunta mata has become a critical outreach arm for the Nigerian church. (The Guardian)
  • June 18 — Both the Catholic and Episcopal churches in the US are taking steps to reconcile with Native American believers past and present. By acknowledging and apologizing for past trauma, both churches hope to pave a path forward to better support Indigenous Christians and their ministries. (Catholic News Agency and Religion News Service)
  • June 18 — Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Southlake, TX has resigned in light of recent revelations about his sexual abuse of a minor in the 1980s. Gateway elders have retained a law firm to fully investigate the claims of the survivor. (Christian Post)
  • June 17 — According to a Pew survey of 10,000 adults, the rate of religious (de)conversion in East Asia is the highest in the world. Over 50% of adults in South Korea and Hong Kong have left their parents’ faith — typically Christianity or Buddhism — sometimes switching between the two, or leaving both behind. (Christianity Today)
  • June 17 — Christians continue to face high levels of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with over 50 killed on June 7 alone. Local pastors request prayers from Christians worldwide for a return to peace in the region. (Christian Today)

Week of June 9

  • June 15 — Using archaeology and aerial photography, researchers in Jerusalem believe they have discovered the site of the Assyrian conqueror Sennacherib’s camp mentioned in 2 Kings 19:35. (New York Post)
  • June 14 — No laughing matter: Pope Francis called over 100 comedians from around the world to Rome on Friday to praise them for bringing joy in “gloomy” times. Laughing at God as we would a close friend is “not blasphemy,” he said, but comics should be careful about offending people’s faith. (The Guardian)
  • June 13 — A new film based on the life of Jesus will reportedly be the first film entirely in sign language to debut in theaters. “Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film” will release June 20. Though proudly “for Deaf, by Deaf,” the filmmakers encourage the hearing community to come and witness the story of Jesus in a new way. (Religion News Service)
  • June 12 — What was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)? Asbury Theological professor Ben Witherington III has identified it as Paul’s eyesight, based on a close reading of a similar mention in Galatians 4:13-15. (Biblical Archaeology Society)
  • June 11 — The Vatican is convening a cosmology workshop June 16-21 to discuss quantum theory and relativity. Nobel prize winners and other physicists will gather at the Vatican Observatory and discuss their findings with Pope Francis, who is expected to deliver a speech. (Religion News Service)
  • June 10 — African-American megachurch pastor Tony Evans of Dallas has announced he is stepping down from public ministry to focus on “healing and restoration” of an unspecified old sin, emphasizing that the Biblical principles of repentance he preaches on must apply just as well to himself. (Christianity Today)
  • June 10 — Rev. Matthew L. Watley grew his church, Kingdom Fellowship AME in Calverton, Maryland, from 3,000 members in 2019 to 8,000 today. Kingdom Fellowship now tops the Outreach 100’s list of fastest growing churches in America. (Religion News Service)
  • June 10 — An ancient manuscript known as the Crosby-Schøyen Codex, containing the complete texts of Jonah and 1 Peter, is up for auction in London, with expected bids to exceed $3 million. Dating from around 400 AD, the Codex contains the earliest known versions of both Biblical books. (Christian Today)

Week of June 2

  • June 8 — Pastor Kelvin Washington, PhD resurfaced a partially forgotten figure known in his time as the “Black Sturgeon” for his immense, wide-ranging influence. Charles T. Walker (1858-1921) grew churches from London to Texas, though his home remained in Atlanta, and was a precursor to the “Bible in one hand and newspaper in the other” preaching style. (The Gospel Coalition)
  • June 7 — A pair of European scholars have managed to decipher a fragment of an apocryphal “infancy gospel” of Jesus. Though the material is not canonical and dates from the fourth or fifth century AD, the researchers explain that reading these once-popular texts might help us understand what early Christians believed about Jesus’s childhood. (Newsweek)
  • June 6 — A new commission of religious schools in the United States has convened with the purpose of sharing their strategies and innovations with secular universities, after a recent report indicated that religious schools grew by 82 percent between 1980-2020, while the national average lagged at 57 percent. (The Christian Century)
  • June 5 — An international Bible society group has conducted over 90,000 interviews to better understand why fewer people consider the Bible a foundation in their lives. Their work is far from over, but one area they identify as needing attention is for churches and Sunday schools to better tie the Bible to problems of mental health, sexism, racism, and oppression that young people are facing. (Religion News Service)
  • June 4 — What kinds of fish did Jesus eat with his followers? We can’t be sure, but archaeologists in Jerusalem have identified 16 species of fish eaten throughout Biblical times in the region — some local and some imported from the Nile or the Mediterranean. The most popular by far was the gilt-head sea bream, imported from Sinai. (TheTorah.com)
  • June 3 — Israel is lending one of the earliest Christian mosaics ever discovered to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. for nine months. The 580-square-foot “Megiddo Mosaic” dates from ca. 230 AD (before Christianity was legalized in Rome) and contains a reference to Jesus as God as well as to five women and a Roman soldier. (Haaretz)
  • June 3 — Part of the sarcophagus of Ramesses the Great — believed by some scholars to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus story — has been identified by a French scholar, more than a decade after it was discovered at a Coptic monastery. (Biblical Archaeology Society)
  • June 3 — The Bible found by Elvis Presley’s bedside after he died — filled with his personal notes and highlights — sold at auction for $120,000. (Christian Today)
  • June 3 — Wycliffe Bible Translators is selling its 167,000 square-foot office space in Orlando, Florida, joining other publishers like HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Lifeway Christian Resources in adopting remote-first working style. Wycliffe CEO John Chesnut stressed that the decision is not financially motivated but a strategic business move. (Christianity Today)

Week of May 26

  • May 31 — Louisiana may become the first state to require the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Though the bill has received approval from the state legislature, it is sure to face legal challenges. Proponents argue for the historical and moral importance of the teachings, while detractors cite both First Amendment issues and concerns about learning the commandments outside the context of a church community. (Religion News Service) 
  • May 29 — The Chosen’s creator Dallas Jenkins has announced the official Season 4 streaming date and schedule. The long-awaited season’s first episode was released June 2 at 7 p.m. ET, the second will be released June 6 at 8:30 p.m., and additional episodes will follow on Sundays and Thursdays. (The Hollywood Reporter) 
  • May 24 — Watch footage of the nearly 40-foot, 3,300-pound cross being returned to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after the cathedral was significantly damaged by a major fire. The cross was the only part of the entire roof that survived the flames. (AP News)

Look at the Book: Leviticus [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Leviticus [Infographic]

Welcome to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. This post will shine a light on Leviticus, sometimes considered one of the most challenging books in the Bible. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Leviticus is essentially the rulebook for Israel’s priests (the Levites). All the laws spring from God’s covenant with his chosen people. The Hebrews had grown up in slavery, so these laws were part of the process God used to mold them into the people they needed to be before they entered into the Promised Land. These laws were about relationships with one another and with their God. 

  • Category: Law 
  • Theme: Holiness 
  • Timeline: 1445 BC 
  • Written: 1450-1400 BC, traditionally attributed to Moses 

Key Verse 

“You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” — Leviticus 20:26 (NIV) 

Offers You Can’t Refuse 

There are five main types of offerings in Leviticus: 

  1. Burnt (Lev. 1): Most common sacrifice, designed as a gift to please God. 
  2. Grain (Lev. 2): Providing hospitality and paying to tribute to their covenant Lord. 
  3. Fellowship (Lev. 3): Celebrates reconciliation, and the only offering where the offeror participates in the eating of the offering. 
  4. Sin (Lev. 4): Blood of the sacrifice acts as a detergent to purify people from their sins. 
  5. Guilt (Lev. 5-6): Sacrifices to make reparations for wronging another person in the community. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

Consider

In ancient times, Leviticus was the first Biblical book with which Jewish children began their education.  

Access the rest of the series here. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from the book of Leviticus
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