The 39 books of the Old Testament are divided into 5 major sections:
- The Law or the Pentateuch (5 books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
- History Books (12 books, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
- Wisdom Books (5 books, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs)
- Major Prophets (5 books, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel)
- Minor Prophets (12 books, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)
It isn’t necessary to memorize these categories, but it can be beneficial to know what kind of book you’re reading in order to best understand its message.
