W0V18 1931 /. A ^^. ^QiCAL 8E»^ c^ Division _dSi 5 Section • l~i cL I N.- THE A ^MO'\/i,Q 19 ji BIBLE AND ITS BOOKS. BY PROF. H. M. HAMILL, D.D., Superintendent of Training Work, M. E. Church, South. Nashville, Tenn. ; Dallas, Tex. : Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South, BiGHAM & Smith, Agents. 1903. Copyright, 1903, BY H. M. Hamill. INTRODUGTORT. Two methods of Bible study are needed by the busy people who teach in our Sunday schools, each the com- plement of the other. One method has in view a general knowledge of the Book, in the unity of its divine truth. This is the lar- ger, "long-range" vision, without which one can never understand the great movements of sacred history, prophecy, and doctrine. The other method aims at a knowledge of the several books composing the Bible, the content and intent of each, as related to the others and to the unity of the whole. One who thus studies the Bible and its books will know and teach better any portion of it. It has been the aim of the writer to combine some- thing of both methods in this small volume, with the one purpose of helping the student whose time and equip- ment are limited. The reader will note that the writer has followed reverently the traditional paths of the Church in all mooted biblical questions. Whenever the masters of the new school of criticism shall agree among themselves, it will be time enough to consider the re- casting of beliefs of many centuries. H. M. Hamill. Nashville, Tenn., April 1, 1903, (3) CONTENTS. PART I— THE BIBLE. _ Page I. Inspiration of the Bible 7 II. Story of the Bible 14 III. Ancient Manuscripts and Versions 20 IV. Our English Bible 27 V. Bible Summary 35 PART II.— THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS. I. The Pentateuch 43 n. The Books of History 51 in. The Books of Poetry 64 IV. The Greater Prophets 72 V. The Lesser Prophets 79 PART III.— THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS. I. The Gospels 98 II. The Book of Acts 109 III. The Pauline Epistles Ill IV. The General Epistles 130 V. The Book of Prophecy 137 (5) ^\ — Aa>THNcn>rreA/ A^NToynATfOCM-r ^hs. ference. In recent years, the assumptions of the so-called "higher criticism'' have forced into re- newed prominence and discussion all questions re- lating to the subject. This discussion affects both the fact and the method of inspiration, and is therefore of vital interest to students and teachers of the Bible. Bible Testimony. — The Bible gives direct and conclusive evidence of its inspiration, both as to the fact and the extent of it, by the testimony of those who wrote it. 1. The Hebrew prophets generally, upon begin- ning their ministry, authenticate and confirm their messages by "Thus saith the Lord,'' or "The Lord spake by me, saying." The New Testament de- clares of these prophets that "God spake by them." 2. Jesus Christ everywhere spoke of and quoted from the Old Testament as the word of God. He enforced the divine truth and authority of all parts of it, and taught from it as a book of divinely in- spired truth, whether of historic fact or religious doctrine. Upon its foundation he placed himself and his own doctrine. 3. The apostles were even more specific in as- serting the inspiration not only of the Old Testa- ment, but of their own writings. Peter declared (2 Pet. i. 21) that "holy men of God spake as they were mored bv the Holv Ghost ;" and Paul lays it Inspiration of the Bible. 9 down as a characteristic of "all scripture" (2 Tim. iii. 16) that it "is given by inspiration of God." The recent attempt to turn this passage about, and to render it "All divinely inspired scripture is profitable/' is in direct violation of a received rule of Greek syntax, and is opposed by the common usage of the fathers and by almost all the versions. It would make the fallible human critic the final arbiter of what is and is not inspired. It should be noted also that the sacred writers assert their inspiration, not only as to the matter but as to the manner of inspiration, in such pas- sages as, "This scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake" (Acts i. 16), and "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wis- dom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (1 Cor. ii. 13). It is a significant commentary upon the doctrine of inspiration, in any age of the Church, that the nearer one lives after the pattern of the holy men who wrote the Bible, the more de- voutly one clings to their view of Bible inspiration. Mode of Inspiration. — As to the manner or proc- esses through which holy men were moved upon to speak or to write, the Bible discloses a variety of ways. Whatever the mode of God's operation, he made it plain to his servants that the truth to be spoken or written was from himself. Inspira- 10 The Bible and Its BooTcs. tion included not only the subject-matter to be written, but gave direction to the very form of the writings. Future events, new doctrines, things not known to the writers by natural means, were di- rectly revealed. The pen of the historian was guided immediately by the Holy Ghost through the mass of tradition and cont'emporaneous history, so that the truth only would be written. The Holy Spirit restrained from error in fact and doctrine, and the writers wrote just so much and in such a manner as God saw to be best. How far the mind of the writer was active or passive under the guid- ance of the Holy Spirit, we cannot know. That memory and judgment were divinely aided is plain from the promise of Jesus that the Holy Spirit should ^T^ring to remembrance" and "guide into all truth." To object that each writer has a "style" of his own, and that therefore inspiration did not extend to the forms of language, is to ignore the fact that God gave to each writer by nature his "style," and could employ these varied styles as his media of revelation. To further object that the various admitted discrepancies and disagreements of the sacred writers preclude the application of inspiration to the language of the writers is to ig- nore the fact that inspiration is claimed for the original documents only, and is not to be charged with errors that have come through transcription. Inspiration of the Bible. 11 translation, and revision, the work of uninspired custodians of the Bible. Theories of Inspiration. — These have varied ac- cording to the measure of one's faith in the super- naturalism of the Bible. The "scientific method'' of Bible study is responsible for not a little of the confusion over the questions of inspiration, inas- much as its assumption is that nothing is to be as- sumed for the Bible above other books, but that miracles, inspiration, faith itself, are to be sub- jected to purely scientific tests. It is to be regret- ted that even preachers and teachers of the Bible have been caught by this bait of German rational- ism, although Prof. Christlieb, among the greatest of Germany's scholars, pertinently asked: "Why do Americans gather from the gutter so much of the theological rubbish we Germans throw away?" Briefly stated, the current theories of Bible in- spiration are as follows : 1. The "orthodox" theory, sometimes called the "dynamic," which considers the Bible to be in- spired in such a sense as to make it infallibly cer- tain when taken in its legitimate sense, and of ab- solute authority in all matters of faith and con- science. This theory recognizes the inspiration of the writer, but does not extend it to the form of 12 The Bible and Its Boolcs. the writing, or free the writer from possibility of errors in matters not of religion. 2. The "plenary" theory, which holds that in- spiration had respect to the language, and that the entire Bible was so authenticated or dictated by the Holy Spirit that it became truth without mix- ture of error, expressed in such terms as the Holy Spirit ruled or suggested. In so far as this theory is applied to the original documents of the Bible, it has been successfully maintained by some of the most eminent scholars of the Church, and is the only theory which measures up to the claims which the writers of the Bible made for themselves. 3. The ^^imited" theory, which limits the in- spiration of the Bible to strictly religious truth, and holds that the value of the religious element in the Bible is not lessened by errors in the scien- tific and miscellaneous matters which accompany it. This is the working theory of conservative "higher criticism," the fatal defect of which is that it gives to truth of infinite value a setting of error, though from the same writer, and puts the Bible under the odium of being "part truth and part falsehood." To be able to draw a line be- tween what is and is not religious truth, is more than the sacred writers themselves professed ability to do. 4. The "rationalistic" theory, which concedes to Inspiration of the Bible, 13 the Bible a high order of poetic or religious fervor ; but challenges its miracles, visions, and supernat- uralisms as myths and "allegories/^ Such is a theory held in common by materialists, skeptics, and not a few of the destructive "higher critics" who are preachers and teachers of the Christian Church. II. STORY OF THE BIBLE. Growth of the Bible. Canon of Scripture. Old Testament Canon: New Testament Canon: 1. Three Divisions. 2. Ezra's Revision. 3. N. T. Evidence. 1. Order and Time. 2. Disputed Books. 3. Church and Council. Growth of the Bible. — The Bible grew slowly, as a book of inspired literature. Even its present title was not given it until the fourth century. Hebrews i. 1-2 is a summary of its growth: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." The "Scriptures," as termed by ancient Jew and early Christian, spread out over many centuries. Begin- ning with the writings of Moses, about 1500 B.C., and closing with the prophecy of Malachi, the Old Testament was more than a thousand years in the process of formation. The thirty-nine books com- posing it were not given in an unbroken series. Thirty or more writers of the Old Testament, and eight of the New, very few of whom were contem- poraries, wrote at "sundry times," as they were "moved by the Holy Ghost." The twenty-seven books of the New Testament were written within (14) story of the Bible. 15 the last sixty years of tlie first Christian century. The Bible therefore was a growth of about sixteen centuries, at the hands of about ''forty writers. Portions of it came by direct audible revelation from God, as in case of Moses; part as messages through angels, as to Mary; part as visions, as to Daniel and John. To the prophets came by the Holy Ghost communications, which in the Old Testament are termed "burdens,^^ sometimes not understood by the prophet himself. Some of the books of the Old Testament were compiled from the sacred annals of the Jewish nation ; all, in both Old and New Testaments, received final revision, doubtless under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To the i^ew Testament writers came special divine illumination, prompting and directing their writ- ings. The Old Testament grew up about the his- toric and religious life of God's chosen nation, as out of it should come his Son, and upon it should be superimposed the Christian Church and its Scriptures. The !N'ew Testament, in its record of the ministry of Christ and his apostles, fulfilled and perfected the Old. Tlie Canon of Scripture. — The final determina- tion of what books should compose the sacred canon was made by the Jewish and Christian Churches, respectively, always under a superin- tending Providence. The Jewish Church, four 16 The Bible and Its Books. centuries B.C., had fixed the Old Testament "canon/' or authoritative list of its inspired books. The Christian Church, first by the testimony of Christ and his apostles, a little later by the con- sensus of the Church of the first three centuries A.D., authenticated the books of the Old Testa- ment, and added to the canon, as of like inspiration and authority, the books of the New Testament. Thus the formation of the canon began wdth the placing of the five books of Moses in the side of the ark (Deut. xxxi. 26), and extended to the third or fourth century of the Christian era. • The evidences or tests upon which the final de- termination of the books of the Bible was made is worthy of special consideration. Nothing could have exceeded the watchfulness of either Jewish or Christian Church in making the final selection. Upon every book of the Bible was imposed at least three rigorous tests: (1) Is the book inspired of God ? This was determined by the claims of divine inspiration in the book itself, and by the concur- rent voice of the body of devout believers. (2) Is the book genuine? Is it the actual book iti is claimed to be, without essential defect, corruption, or interpolation ? This was determined by a chain of documents outnumbering and outweighing those in evidence of any other ancient books. (3) Is the book authentic? Is it the work of the author to story of the Bible. 17 whom it is accredited? This was determined as TO most of the books by a mass, of history taken from the times when the books appeared. Through and over all this testing process by the Church, every devout Christian will easily believe there was the directing influence of the Holy Spirit, the In- spirer and Custodian of God's revelation to man. The Old Testament Canon. — 1. The Old Testa- ment appeared in three successive divisions: the "Pentateuch/' or "book of the law/' which for cen- turies constituted the sole canon; "the Prophets/' composed of such books as were written or com- piled by the official Hebrew prophets, in order from Moses to Malachi, and consisting of the historic and prophetic books of t;he Old Testament; "the Psalms" (so termed by the Jews and by our Lord), or simply the "writings," consisting of the five poetical books, also Euth, Lamentations, and Esther, together with the postexilian books of his- tory, Ezra, [N'ehemiah, and Chronicles. Students of the Bible are divided in opinion as to why some of these books w^ere placed in this division out of their seemingly proper order of time and relation. The second division gradually took rank with the ^^ook of the law/' as being divinely inspired, and its successive books were received, deposited in the temple, and copied by the Jewish Church as a part of the canon. The third division, which was the 2 18 The Bible and Its Boo'Jcs. growth of one thonsand years, took similar course, most of its books constituting the ritual of the Jewish Church. 2. The final collection, compilation, and revi- sion of the Old Testament canon was the work of Ezra and the "Great Synagogue," in the fifth cen- tury B.C., after the return from Babylon, the re- building of cit'y and temple, and at the closing of prophecy under Malachi. The canon thus fixed by Ezra, and accepted and authenticated by our Lord and the apostles, and by the early Christian Church, has continued undisturbed to the pres- ent day. Josephus, the Jewish historian, writing, near to the time of Christ, names the books as in the canon of Ezra, and affirms that since his day "no one had dared to add to, or take from, or alter anything in the sacred books." 3. As has been remarked, our Lord and the apostles freely authenticated and quoted from most of the books of the canon as established by Ezra, and by recognizing the three divisions of the canon, as above described, thereby authenticated each book of the entire canon. By direct quota- tion or allusion, indeed, it might be shown that every book of the Old Testament bears the express sanction of our Lord and the apostles. The New Testament Canon. — 1. The time, or- der, and authorship of the books of the New Testa- Story of the Bible. 19 ment are known more clearly than those of the Old. Matthew^s Gospel (written probably A.D. 38), followed by Mark's and Luke's, was the be- ginning of the canon, and the three were at once received as canonical among the Christian Church- es. The book of Acts and the earlier Epistles of Paul appeared about this time, followed closely by the later Epistles of Paul and others, and closing with the writings of John, near to 100 A.D. 2. The Gospels and most of the Epistles at once took unchallenged place in the New Testament canon; but for a time, and for reasons not fully known, the books of James and Jude, Second Peter, Second and Third John, and Revelation, though received as canonical by a majority of the Churches, were held to be "disputed" books. 3. Finally, after a period of severe testing and lessening doubts on the part of the various Churches and their leaders, the N'ew Testament canon, as we now have it, was adopted. Successive councils of the Church ascertained the mind of the Church, and the complete canon was ratified by the Council of Carthage, A.D. 397. III. ANCIEITT MAinJSCRIPTS AND VERSIONS. Bible Material. Method of Study. Mannscripts : Hebrew. Greek : Vatican. Sinaitic. Alexandrian. Tersions : Targums. Septuagint. Syriac. Vulgate. Bible Material. — So far as known, there is in existence no original or autographic copy of any book of the Bible, though in the light of modern archaeological investigation such a discovery may yet be made. But no other book from the ancient world at all compares with our Bible in the num- ber and reliability of translations and manu- script copies containing the original text. Of Herodoins, for instance, most ancient and impor- tant of the classic historians, whose Greek is part of all our college curricula, there are only about fif- teen manuscript copies, the oldest, in the Cam- bridge library, dating back to the ninth century A.D. Of Plato's original, there are even fewer and no older copies. On the contrary, there are now in the libraries of the world, accessible to scholars, and for many years past the subject of most crit- * ical study, more than one thousand five hundred (20) Ancient Manuscripts and Versions. 21 ancient manuscript copies of the Bible, in part or whole, ranging back in date to the fourth century A.D. A few of these contain the entire Bible ; by the others all parts of the Bible are repeatedly 2)aralleled. So abundant are these manuscripts, and so thoroughly ]ias textual criticism investi- gated them, that when English and American scholarship, after using the "Authorized Version" of King James (1611 A.D.) for nearly three hun- dred years, gave to the world tOie recent "Ee vised Version,"' it was found that surprisingly few changes were needed, though the later translators had the advantage of using the three oldest and greatiest of the ancient manuscripts. Of the changes made, many were to conform to the changes in our own English language since the days of King James. This mass of ancient manuscripts, if it could be gathered from all parts of the world into one place, v:ould be an object of wonder and reverence to the Bible student. Written most painstakingly and often beautifulW, upon vellum and parchment, there is great variety in appearance. Some of the manuscripts are worn by time and use, until no longer legible in portions ; others are as clear and fresh as though only a centur}?" old. The smaller number are severely plain in their construction, and these are usuallv the most ancient. Manv are %, The Bible and Its Bo&lcs. "illuminated" by fanciful initial letters and orna- mentations. What are called the "Uncials" — about one hundred in number — are written in large capital letters, in closely crowded lines, with- out space between words or even sentences. This uncial writing marks the oldest and most valu- able manuscripts. A specimen page from the famous "Sinaitic" manuscript, probably the old- est of all, is given at the beginning of this book. The greater number by far of the manuscripts are the "Cursives," written in a free running hand, v/ith more decoration and embellishment than the homely "Uncials." These "Cursives" are several centuries later in age, and usually less accurate in their texts. Their number is about 1,500. Method of Study. — In the formation and revi- sion of our English Bible from the texts of these ancient manuscripts, the translators needed to fol- low three lines of investigation : 1. A study and comparison of the manuscripts, allowing usually the greater value to those known to be most ancient, for the reason that the nearer in time the copy is to the original, the fewer, as a rule, will be its inaccuracies. The relative age of the manuscript was determined by the lettering, uncial or cursive, by the initial letters, by the style of the writing, by the language, and by the form and condition of the parchment or vellum. Ancient Manuscripts and Versions. 23 3. By a stndy of the several versions, or trans- lalions from Hebrew or Greek originals to otlier languages, and by comparing the text of these among themselves and with the manuscripts. 3. By careful examination of the writings of the Christian fathers of the first three centuries A.D., in Avhich appear such a mass of quotations, espe- cially from the New Testament, thati it is claimed that all of it, except twelve verses, could be collated. It is a matter of profound gratitude and won- der that, notwithstanding this mass of manuscripts, ranging through many centuries, such is their sin- gular agreement upon all vital matters of revela- tion that no important fact or doctrine of the Bible has been put in peril, although the keenest scrutiny of both devout and ske]Dtical scholarship has been vigorously applied to them. Manuscripts and Versions. — This Bible material will be better understood when classified as fol- lows : The Old Testament, written originally in Hebrew, was used at the time of our Lord in any one of three forms — the Hebrew MSS., either the originals or copies: the "Targums," in Chaldaic, which began under Ezra, after the exile, and were for the use of the people, who had generally sub- stituted the Chaldaic language acquired in exile for their mother Hebrew; the Old Testament versions" or translations, chief of which was the «. 24 The Bible and Its Bo&ks. "Septuagint/' in Greek, which had become the almost -universal medium of speech and writing throughout the Eoman Empire. The Xew Testament, written in the Greek, was also in three forms : the Greek MSS., of which we now have, as already stated, more than 1,500, dat- ing from the fourth century A.D. ; back of the ear- liest of these MSS., and filling the first three cen- turies, the "versions" of the New Testament, the (earliest and most important of which were the "Syriac" or "Peshito," the "Italic," "Armenian," "Coptic," and others of the second century and later; back of these versions, or contemporaneous with them, were the writings of the Christian fa- thers, with their corroborative quotations from the Kew Testament. Of these Old and :N'ew Testament MSS. a.nd versions now existing, the more distinguished are as follows : 1. The "Hillel" Hebrew MS. of the Old Tes- tament of the seventh century A.D. Since Je- rome's popular translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew direct to Latin in the fourth century A.D., the lack of Hebrew MSS. has not been great- ly felt. 2. The 'Vatican" MS. of the fourth century A.D., for five hundred years in the papal library at Ancient Manuscripts and Versions. 26 Rome, the property of the Roman Catholic Church. 3. The "Sinaitic" MS. of the fourth century ^^' A.D., now at Petersburg, the property of the Greek Catholic Church, discovered by Dr. Tischendorf in 1859, at St. Catlierine's Convent, near Mount Si- nai. 4. The "Alexandrian" MS. of the fifth cen- tury A.D., now in the British Museum, the prop- erty of the Protestant Church. Each of these three noble Greek ]MSS. contains nearly the entire Bible. 1. Of the "versions,'' the "Septuagint" Old Tes- tament, translated direct from the Hebrew to the Greek, about 285 B.C. at Alexandria, was for cen- turies the most popular among Jews and Chris- tians alike, and was the text chiefly used by Christ and the apostles. 2. The "Syriac," and the "Italic" or early Latin, both of the second century A.D., were translations of the entire Bible, for provincial use, into the Syriac and Latin languages. 3. The greatest of all the versions was the Latin "Vulgate" of the ISTew Testament, translated in 385 A.D. from the Greek into the Latin by St. Jerome, the finest scholar of his age. The Old Testament was later translated by him direct from the Hebrew. For one thousand years this noble 26 The Bible and Its Booths. work contin-ued as the Bible standard and parent of all later versions, strongly influencing Protes- tant scholarship in the King James version of 1611. The following diagram of the first ten centuries of ihe Christian era, studied in connection with the above text, will show the location and order of the sources from which our Bible sprang. The letters below the line are the initials respectively of the MSS. and versions cited above: ^^ 4lh 5th ^th 7lh glh 9lh IQIJ! i P^ i I ! II I I > MWKV H .^^^' 1,500 Greek Mss. IV. OUR ENGLISH BIBLE. Early England. Bible Material. Wyclifre'sBible,1380A.D. Tyndale's Bible, 1525. CoTerdale's Bible, 1535. Cranmer's Bible, 1539. (jeneva Bible, 1560. Bishops' Bible, 1568. AuthorizedVersion,1611. Revised Version, 1886. Early England. — From the sixth to the six- teenth century A.D., England was a fitting soil from which to grow the greatest of all Bibles. Our bold and liberty-loving Saxon ancestry infused their spirit of reverence and independence into its first beginnings. The minstrel Caedmon charmed the farm people with liis metrical paraphrases of Bible history;' the Saxon bishops, Aldhelm and xYelfric, translated portions of the Bible into the rude native tongue; the "learned Bede" compiled while dying a Saxon version of John's Gospel; King Alfred founded the great Oxford University, and gave to his people translations of the Psalms and the Commandments; William the Conqueror began the long battle of four centuries in defense of the rights of the nation against the aggressive tyrann}^ of the Eomish Church. Successive Eng- lish kings and Church leaders wrestled with, or succumbed to,^ the popes in their persistent efforts to keep the nation under intellectual and ecclesias- (27) 28 The Bible and Its Bocfks. tical subjection. The clergy became corrupt and ignorant, and the plain people, in whose hearts there was a pathetic desire for a free and uncor- rnpted Bible, were made to pay their money for masses and pardons, ''as if God had given his sheep not to be pastured, but to be shorn/' But in the hearts of these people the spirit of religious free- dom and the love of learning were steadily rising, until at length, in the fourteenth century, God raised up Wycliffe to open the Scriptures and make them plain to their understandings. Bible Material. — Wlien Wycliffe began the first English translation of the entire Bible, his lament was that no such English version liad preceded him. His available sources from which to con- struct an English Bible were the fragments of ear- lier versions already cited, and the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome, greatly corrupted either by intent or neglect of the Romish Church. "The commune Latyne Bibles," he replied to his critics, "have more nede to be corrected, as manie as I have seen in my life, than hath the Englishe Bible late translated." Hebrew and Greek MSS. of the Bible were not available, nor had Wycliffe the skill to use them. The Oxford University had no great Hebrew or Greek scholars to assist him. Greek learning had long been under papal ban. "If you study the Greek," said a Eomish prelate, "'you will become a Our English Bible. 29 pagan; if yoii study the Hebrew, you will become a Jew." Under such hard conditions, and with such scant material, did this brave English priest, rightly called the '^morning star of the Reformation," enter upon his lifelong eSort to give an English Bible to the common people. Here is his quaint definition of a translator of the Bible : "He hath grate nede to studie well the sentence, both before and after; he hath also nede to lyve a clene life, be full devout of preiers, and have not his wit oc- cupied about worldli thynges." WijcUffe's Bible, 1S80 A. 2). —Woefully hindered by lack of Bible material, deprived of scholarly help, persecuted to the end of his life by the Rom- ish Church, Wycliffe's Bible, when completed, forced its way unaided into the aifections and use of the people. Despite all efforts to destroy it, there are at this day not less than one hundred and fifty copies of this earliest English Bible. Its pe- culiarities are : homeliness of style, as it was writ- ten expressly for the common people, and not for the court or scholars; the absence of technical words, as its substitution of ^'riches" for "mam- mon;" its intense literalness. Here is a specimen of the book : 30 ■ The Bible and Its Bocfks. fforeotbc tbat tlJ^c 3oon ba^^e clotb of tbe bcerle of camei?lt0 an^ a girMl of efti^n about ble IccnMe; eotbeli? bte mete wercn locustte an^ bon? of tbe wo&e. 'Ibanne Jeruea^ lemi >x)ente out to b^m, an^ al 3ut)e, an& al tbe cuntre aboute 3or^an, an^ tbel voeren cri?etene^ of b)?m in 3orDan, hnowlecb^nsc tbere e^nnes. Wycliffe was formally tried and excommunica- ' ted, and a petition was made to the pope after his death that his body be exhumed and buried in a dunghill. The body was burned, its ashes thrown into the little river Swift that ran past his church at Lutterworth, and the poet truly sang: "The Swift unto the Severn runs, The Severn to the sea; And so shall Wycliffe's dust be spread Wide as these waters be." TyndaU's Bible, 1525 ^. P. —William Tyndale, born 1483, the 3^ear after Luther's birth and one hundred years after Wycliffe's death, had in begin- ning all that was denied to Wycliffe. He was mas- ter of seven languages, including Hebrew and Greek; he was distinguished as a scholar at both Our English Bible. • 31 Oxford and Cambridge/ and was a pupil of the famous Erasmus, greatest Greek scholar of his age; he had the use of Hebrew and Greek MSS. He had more than these. The art of printing had been discovered by Gutenburg in li50 A.D., and was greatly multiplying and cheapening books. ^Vj'cliife's Bible had sold at forty pounds sterling a copy ($200). Greek learning had been revived in all the universities of Europe, until one has said : "Greece rose at this time from her grave with the ^N'ew Testament in her hand." Refused permis- sion to carry on his work of translation at home, T^Tidale became an exile, and printed six thousand copies of his iSTew Testament at Worms. Betrayed by friends, persecuted by the Church, he contin- ued in exile, printing Bibles and shipping them secretly to England. Most of the Old Testament was also translated and printed by him. After bitter and lifelong persecution, he was treacher- ously lured to England by an emissary of the Lom- ish Church, imprisoned, strangled, and then burned at the stake, October 6, 1536, pra3'ing at the last : "Lord, open thou the eyes of the king of En- gland.'^ In the beginning of his career he had said: "I defy the pope; and if God spare me, I vrill one day make the boy that drives the plow in England know more of Scripture than the pope himself." 32 The Bible and lis B.o&hs. Coverdale's Bible and Others, 1535 to 1568 A.D. — By the side of the two great typical Bibles, Wycliffe's homely version for the common people and Tyndale's original and scholarly work, the nnmeroiTS' succeeding Bibles of the sixteenth cen- tury (see outline at the beginning of chapter) ap- pear as inferior, and were in fact weak plagia- risms in jDart upon the strong sense of Wyclitfe and the great learning of Tyndale. Taken to- gether, they prove the increasing hunger of En- gland for the Holy Scriptures and the enduring power of the martyred Tyndale, whose blood in- deed became the seed of a freer and holier Church. Taken separately, iliey prove the partisanship and jealousies of Church factions, and the fear by the hierarchy of the free spirit of the English people. ^'Coverdale's" was probably the first entire Eng- lish-printed Bible; "Matthew's," the first author- ized version ; "Cranmer's" bore the pretentious title of the "Great Bible ;" the "Geneva," printed at Geneva by Eeformers, was the first distinctive- ly Protestant Bible, and was for fifty years the most popular version in England; the "Bishops' Bible," so named from the fact that eight of its translators were bishope,was least of the list in pub- lic esteem; the "Rhemish and Douay," the Catho- lic Bible, was the effort of the Romish Church to stem the rising tide of Protestant influence. Our English Bible. 33 The Authorized Version, 1611 A.D. — For three hundred years this Bible has been the flower and fruit of classic and English scholarship. "It has in it the lifeblood of kings, scholars, reformers, and saints." In construction, scholarship, purity and dignity of language, it far surpassed all predecessors; and it will doubtless be many years, if ever, before it is displaced by a later ver- sion. Under appointment of King James, forty- seven great scholars of England were its transla- tors. Among their rules v/ere : "There shall be no change except the text require it ;" "manuscript copies and competent scholarship shall be consult- ed;" "marginal references shall be instituted;" "no maro:inal notes shall be allowed ;" "all differ- ences of opinion shall be decided at a general meet- ing." After five years of continuous service, working in six divisions, determining all vexed questions in general meeting, the great version Avas completed in 1611 A.D. The Revised Version, A.D. 1885. — Archaeolog- ical investigation and discovery; the bringing to light of many ancient MSS. (among which was the Sinai "Codex" of the fourth century) ; the changing forms of our English language, and the increasing number of obsolete words in the Au- thorized Version; the advance of textual criticism and of Hebrew and Greek scholarship since 1611 3 34: The Bible and Its Bo&ks. A.D. — all conspired to bring about the Eevised Version of 1885. It was begun in 1870 through the English Church, by the appointment of a "N'ew Testament^' and an "Old Testament Company'^ of eminent English scholars, representing the greater divisions of Protestantism, and by a "Cor- responding Committee" of American scholars. The first session of the English translators was held in June, 1870, in the famous "Jerusalem Chamber" of Westminster Abbey, London. Ten years later, jSTovember 11, 1880, in the church of St. Martin-in-Fields, London, the JSTew Testament Comj^any closed its labors with prayer and thanks giving. The entire Bible was com^pleted and given to the world May 5, 1885. Whether it will take the place of the Authorized Version, no one can tell ; but in fullness of learning, clearness of plan, and helpfulness to the Bible student and teacher, there can be no question but that it is the best, as it is the latest, version of Scripture. V. BIBLE SUMMARY. A brief summary of the claims made for the Bible by devout Christians, and of its historic changes in form, will be found helpful to its stu- dents and ceachers. Three great claims are made for the Bible : (1) Its inspiration — it came from God; (2) its genuineness — we have it substantially as it was given; (3) its credibility — it is amply attested as the word of God. The Claim of Inspiration. As to the Fact. — 1. The prophets of the Old Testament asserted it of their writings. 2. Our Lord repeatedly cited the Old Testament as in- spired, and placed his divine seal upon the three great divisions of the Jewish canon — ^t'he Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms — quoting directly from eighteen of the thirty-nine books. 3. The apostles Paul and Peter declared that the entire Old Tes- tament was "given by inspiration" and that holy men were "moved by the Holy Ghost" to write it. 4. As to the Xew Testament, the apostles asserted its inspiration, and commanded it to be read in the churches, ranking it with the Old Testament. 5, The claim of inspiration for the Old Testament (35) b6 The Bible and Its Books. was reverently received by the Jews, and of both Old and Xew Testaments by the early Christian Church. As to the Mode. — 1. The orthodox, or "dynam- ic," theory — that the sacred writers were snper- naturally inspired npon all subjects of which they wrote, but were left free as to their forms of ex- pression. 2. The "plenary," or verbal, theory — that even the words themselves, as to the original docu- ments, were inspired. Orthodox opinion is di- vided between the two first-named theories of in- spiration, with the preponderance in favor of the "dynamic" theory. 3. The "limited" theory— that inspiration is restricted to purely religious truth of doctrine or practice, and that all other parts are merely human. 4. The theory of the "higher criticism" — asserting the "errancy" of the Scrip- tures, and their need of being tested and amended by modern scientific study. 5. The "rationalistic" theory — that the inspiration of the Bible is but a high degree of poetic or religious fervor, consistent with error in fact or doctrine. The Claim of Genuineness. This is proved: 1. By the reverence of copyists, whether Jewish or Christian, the severest pen- allies being denounced against mutilation or change. 2. By Josephus's ancient catalogue of the Bible Summary. 37 books, and by the agreement between oar o^atl and the text of the two most ancient Jewish versions, the Samaritan and the Septnagint. 3. By the agreement with our modern text of the Chaldee Targums made before Christ, and the mass of direct quotations in the works of the early Chris- tian fathers. 4. By the fact that in the nearly two thousand known manuscripts of the Bible, some of them fifteen hundred years old, there are few, if any, inexplainable disagreements, and only minor verbal and OTammatical differences. 5. Bv the weekly public readings in both Jewish and Christian churches for thousands of years, and by the jealousy of opposing sects — Samaritan and Jew, Pharisee and Sadducee, Jew and Christian — j)reventing all corruption of the text. The Clai:^! of Credibility. This is shown: 1. By its adaptation to man's spiritual needs, which demand just such a reve- lation from God. 2. By the undisputed integrity of the writers, and their corroboration by profane histories and monuments. 3. By the harmony of its forty writers, writing without opportunity for collusion, between extremes of sixteen hundred- years. 4. By the harmony between the Bible and iSTature, the "greater and the lesser lights" of rev- elation. 5. By fidfilled and fulfilling prophecy, 38 The Bible audits BooTcs. and repeated public miracles, as seals of its truth. G. By its supernatural power over individual and national life, in government, society, art, ed- ucation, etc. 7. By its reverent acceptance as the word of Almighty God by all classes in all ages. It is inconceivable that a book not divine could be thus universally accepted. The historic summary of the Bible is as follows : TiTE Old Testament. 1. The Jewish Scriptures were written during the fifteen centuries preceding Christ. 2. They were written mainly in the Hebrew language. 3. The originals were kept by the priests in the temxple, and copied for public uses. 4. Certain noted versions or translations were made as follows : (a) The Chaldee translations or ^^Targums," f or the use of the common people after the captivity; (&) the Samaritan, a Hebrew copy of the Pentateuch made for the Samaritans, probably before Judah's captivity; (c) the Sep- tuagint, a Greek copy of the entire Old Testament, made at Alexandria by exiled Jcavs, 285 B.C., and in popular use at the time of Christ. The Jewish Canon had three stages of growth : 1. The "Law,'' or books of Moses, were the only canonical scriptures until after the captivity of Bible Summary. 39 Judah. 2. "The Prophets/' including twenty- one books of history and prophecy, were compiled, edited, and made the second part of the sacred canon by Ezra and Xehemiah, about 450 B.C. 3. ^'The Scriptures," including the devotional books, together with Euth, Lamentations, Esther, Ezra, Xehemiah, 1st and 2d Chronicles, were made the ihird division, either by Ezra or possibly in part after his time. The Xew Testament. 1. The Christian Scriptures were written during the tirst Christian century, 38-96 A.D. 2. They were mainly written in the Greek. 3. Copies of the books were extensively made by the apostolic Churches. 4. Xo authentic manuscript earlier than the fourth century is known. 1. The Christian Canon is traditionally ascribed to the Apostle John, about 100 A.D. 2. The present canon was generally received as early as tlie second century. 3. Seven books — Hebrews, James, 2d Peter, 2d and 3d John, Jude and Revelation — were classed as "disputed" during the second and third cen- turies. 4. Finally, in 397 A.D., the Council of Car- thage confirmed the canon as it stands. 40 The Bible and Us Books. Tpie Ancient Bible. The most noted ancient copies were : 1. The "Syriac" and the '^Italic;' translated into the Syrian and Latin languages near the be- ginning of the second century. 2. The "Vulgate," in Latin, made by Jerome, 385 A.D. 3. The Vatican Codex in Greek, of the fourth century A.D., now in the Pope's library at Rome. 4. The Sinai Codex in Greek, of the fourth cen- tury, held by the Greek Church at St. Petersburg. 5. The Alexandrian Codex in Greek, of the fifth century, now in the British Museum. Fully two thousand ancient manuscripts are ex- tant, mainly fragmentary, fifty of which are over one thousand years old. The Modern Bible. The five most noted versions are : 1. Wycliffe's Bible, 1380 A.D., the first Bible in English. 2. Tyndale's Bible, 1525 A.D., nearly entire, the first printed Bible. 3. Coverdale's Bible, 1535 A.D., the first entire printed Bible. 4. The ''Great Bible," 1539 A.D., known as Cranmer's. 5. The Geneva Bible, 1560 A.D., made by Puri- Bihle Summary. 41 tan exiles from England — the first strictly Prot- estant Bible. 6. The Eheims-Donay, or Catholic Bible, made from the Vulgate in 1609, for the Eoman Catholic Church, including as canonical seven books reject- ed from the Protestant Bible. 7. The "King James Bible," or "Authorized Version/' 1611 A.D. 8. The "Eevised Version/' completed in 1885, by English and American scholars. THE OLD TESTAMENT. I. The Pentateuch. Book. Writer. Time. Subject. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. Moses. 4004 B.C. 1635 B.C. 1490 B.C. 1490 B.C. 1451 B.C. The Chosen Family. The Chosen Nation. The Jewish Church. The Nation Tested. The Jewish Code. II. The Historical Books. Joshua. Judges. Ruth. 1 and 2 Samuel. 1 and 3 Kings. 1 and 2 Chron. Ezra. Nehemiah. Esther. Joshua. Samuel. Samuel. Na than, Gad, Jere- miah, et al. Ezra. Nehemiah. Mordeeai. 1451 B.C. 1425 B.C. 1322 B.C. 1171 B.C. 1015 B.C. 1056 B.C. 536 B.C. 446 B.C. 521 B.C. The Conquest. The Fifteen Judges. Christ's Ancestress. The Monarchy. I The Divided Kingdoms. The Restoration. The Reformation. The Jew in Exile. III. The Poetical Books. Job. Psalms. Proverbs. Ecclesiastes. Song. I Moses. I David et al. / Solomon. 1520 B.C. 1056 B.C. 1000 B.C. 977 B.C. 1014 B.C. Providence. Devotion. Wisdom. Happiness. Religion. IV. The Greater Prophets. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Lamentations. Ezekiel. Daniel. Isaiah. > J eremiah. Ezekiel. Daniel. The Messianic Kingdom. The Doom of Judah. 760 B.C. 629 B.C. 588 B.C. 595 B.C. 607 B.C. The Messianic Triumph. I i The Restoration. V. The Lesser Prophets. Hosea. 1 785 B.C. Kingdom of Israel. Joel. 800 B.C. Kingdom of Judah. Amos. 787 B.C. Kingdom of Israel. Obadiah. 587 B.C. Edom. Jonah. 862 B.C. Nineveh. Micah. The 750 B.C. Israel and Judah. Nahum. Prophets. 713 B.C. Assyria. Habakkuk. 626 B.C. Chaldea. Zephaniah. 630 B.C. Kingdom of Judah. Haggai. 520 B.C. Christ's Coming. Zechariah. 520 B.C. Christ's Kingdom. Malachi. 397 B.C. Christ's Advent. Note. — The " time " quoted above foUowa the chronology of the Oxford Teachers' Bible, and much of it is conjectural. The year given in each cuse marks the beginning of the subject-matter of the book. (42) PART II -THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS. I. THE PENTATEUCH. GENESIS. Subject: Chosen Fam- ily. Writer: Moses. Class: History. Persons: Adam to Jo- seph. Events: Creation, Fall, Chronology: B.C. 4004 to 1635. Flood, Family of Abraham. The book of Genesis is the first and, in some re- spects, tlie greatest of the books of the Bible. It is the book of beginnings : of the world, of man, of sin, of redemption. It is the oldest of all books, and the only aathentic account of more than two thousand years of the history of mankind. Subject. — It centers about the chosen family of Abraham. Part of it narrates the history before the flood; the larger part begins with the call of Abraham, and ends with the death of Joseph, his great-grandson. It starts with the story of the sin- gle pair in the garden of Eden; it centers, later, about the family of ^oah ; then narrates the rise of nations, until it narrows down to the history of a single chosen family, out of which should spring God's chosen nation. Writer. — Moses ^Tote this and the succeeding (43) 44 The Bible and Its B.oohs. books of the Pentateuch. Jew and Christian alike have accepted the declarations of the Old and the New Testament as to his authorship. Within a hundred years or more, German rationalists, fol- lowed by American ^^higher critics/' have denied the Mosaic authorship, and attempted to make of it a mere compilation. The student will find many references in the Bible to the "book of Moses,'' ^'the law," etc., and it is difficult for a devout believer in the inspiration of the Scriptures to reject the Mosaic authorship of the first five books of the canon. Chronology. — The vast range of the history in Genesis, taking Usher's system of chronology as the best working basis, is shown by the fact that it is the only authentic history of all that happened from the creation, 4004 B.C., to the death of Jo- seph, 1635 B.C., a period of two thousand three hundred and sixty-nine years, or more than one- third of the entire world's history to date. Persons. — First in order and prominence are Adam and his sons; farther along the line is Enoch, the devout patriarch ; Noah, the righteous ; afterwards appears Abraham, followed by Isaac, Jacob, and his twelve sons. Events. — Only the chief events need to be com- mitted to memory. These in order are : the crea- tion of the world and man in six days or periods of The Pentateuch. 45 time ; the sin and fall of Adam and Eve ; the rapid increase of mankind and the growth of sin ; the de- struction of the race, except a single family, by the flood ; after a long interval, the call of Abraham to be the father of the chosen family and head of the chosen nation; the narrative of the Abrahamic family through four generations, from Abraham to Joseph, inclusive. EXODUS. Subject: Chosen Na- tion. Writer: Moses. Class: History. Chronology: B.C. 1635 to 1490. Persons: Pharaoh, Mo- ses, Aaron, Miriam. Events: Bondage, Deliv- erance, Tabernacle. Exodus, like Genesis, is historical, taking up the story where Genesis leaves off, with the death of Joseph. It is no longer a biography of individ- uals, or a story of one family ; but the current of history widens until a nation becomes its theme. Subject. — The book narrates the origin, gro\\i;h, oppression, and final organization and deliverajice of God^s chosen nation, out of which he designed that his Son should come, and by whom the world should be redeemed. Chronology. — The time ranges from the death of Joseph, B.C. 1635, to the completion of the tab- ernacle at Sinai, B.C. 1490, a period of one hun- dred and forty-five years. 46 The Bible and Its B.o&Jcs. Persons. — These include the Pharaohs, succeed- ing the days of Joseph, especially the oppressor of the Hebrew slaves; Moses, the prince, deliverer, and lawgiver; Aaron, his brother and helper; Mir- iam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. Events. — These center about the long bondage under Pharaoh in Egypt, the ten great miracles of national deliverance, the institution of the Pass- over, the exodus into the Wilderness, the giving of the Law at Sinai, the building and erection of the Tabernacie, and organization of the Jewish Church. LEVITICUS. 1 Subject: Jewish Church. Writer: Moses. Class: History. Chronoloery: B.C. 1490- One Month. Persons: Moses and Aaron. Events: Institution of Priesthood, Code of Priests. Leviticus, though not strictly historical, is a close sequel to Exodus. Its subject-matter is legislative and ecclesiastical, centering upon the formal insti- tution of the Church. Subject. — Tlie Jewish Church expresses its theme. Before this all worship had been crude and unorganized. The father was the priest in his own home ; the altar of stone or earth, the sym^ bol and place of worship. Now God organizes his Church in the Wilderness, and ordains a ritual and place of national worship. The Pentateuch. 47 Chronology. — One month, under the shadows of Mount Sinai, is the scope of the book, B.C. 1490, the second year after the crossing of the Red Sea. Persons. — Two continue in prominence: Moses, the great lawgiver and leader, the vicegerent of the theocracy ; Aaron, the newly installed head of the Hebrew priesthood. Events. — Two notable events divide the book. The first is the appointment and consecration of the Aaronic priesthood, as mediators between God and men ; the second is the deliverance of the priest's code, which includes most of the book. NUMBERS. Subject : The Nation Tested. Writer: Moses. Class: History. Chronology: B.C. 1490 to 1451 Persons: Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Ca- leb. Events : The March, Rebellions, Wars, Appointment. The book of Numbers resumes the history of the nation It takes its name from the twice number- ing of the people, but it is really a history of the moldings of a newly constituted nation, under se- vere discipline, into permanent form — such a his- tory of trial as our own nation passed through in the years of the revolutionary struggle. Subject. — The book deals with God's tests of the nation in the Wilderness, and its long march from Sinai to the borders of the Promised Land. Prone 4:8 The Bible and Its B.oaks. to lapse into the idolatries of Egypt, and unfit for permanent national life, the nation was kept in the hard school of discipline until the generation of Egypt were dead, and their children, reared under a life of obedience and trial, were grown to man- hood and womanhood. Chronology. — The time extends from the erec- tion of the tabernacle, B.C. 1490, to the last en- campment on the plains of Moab, this side the Jordan, B.C. 1451. Persons. — Aaron and Miriam of the old order pass away; Moses continues as leader and lawgiver; Joshua and Caleb come into prom^inence. Events. — First, the weary march of thirty-eight years, doubling back again and again upon its track; the sin of Moses and Aaron; the wars against the Amorites and the Midianites; finally, the appointment of Levitical cities and cities of refup-e. DEUTER Subject : Jewish Code. Writer: Moses. Class: History. Chronology: B.C. 1451- Two Months. ONOMY. Persons: Moses, Josh- ua. Events : Review, Re- vision, Renewal, Death. Deuteronomy is the last of the five great books written by Moses. Some friendly hand, doubtless that of Joshua, added to the book its last chapter, concerning the death of Moses. The Pentateuch. 49 Subject. — The nation was soon to enter the Promised Land. The fathers who had heard the first giving of the law at Sinai were dead. A new generation had succeeded them, and new conditions of permanent national life awaited them. There- fore Moses revised the old Sinaitic and Wilderness laws, adapting them to fixed residence in cities tin- der a stable government; and the book becomles, practically, a revised national code of laws. Chronology. — The time covered by the book is about two months of the year B.C. 1451, on the eve of the entrance into Canaan. The scene of the book is the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan. Persons.' — The last glimpse is given us of the no- bility, wisdom, and last days of the great Hebrew leader, Moses; together with a view of his succes- sor, Joshua, in whose warrior hand God had placed the sword of conquest. Events. — The book divides into three parts. It has little history, and is chiefly admonitory and legislative. Closes assembles the people and re- views their trials and mercies, and shows God's goodness to the nation; next, he promulgates the revised national laws; lastly, he renews the conse- cration of the nation to God. Joshua is divinely installed as successor to Moses, and Moses dies in sight of the Promised Land. 4 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. Each quadrant of the circle represents 1,000 years. Note to Superintendents and Teachers.— The above circle of Old Testament history, together with other like illustrations inter- spersed throughout this book, are to assist the student and also to suggest material for brief blackboard or chart drills of school or class. (50) II. THE BOOKS OF HISTORY. JOSHUA. Subject: The Conquest. Writer: Joshua. Class: History. Chronology : From 1451 to 1425 B.C. Persons : Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar. Events: Conquest, Al- lotment, Covenant. Subject. — The book of Joshua carries forward the Old Testament history in close sequence to the Pentateuch. The book introduces Joshua as the divinely commissioned successor to Moses, and nar- rates his conquest of the Promised Land, and par- tition of it among the tribes. Tlie subject of the book may be summed up briefly as "the conquest.'' Writer. — Joshua, according to the judgment of Jews and Christians generally, wrote the book. The Jewish tradition is that Joshua followed the example of Moses, and, under divine command, wrote the annals of his own times. This does not conflict with the later tradition that all the books of Old Testament hstory were revised and edited by Ezra the Scribe. Chronology. — The book of Joshua includes twenty-five years, and extends from the death of Moses and entrance into Canaan, B.C. 1451, to the death of Joshua, B.C. 1425. The first seren years (51) 52 The Bible and Its Books, of the twenty-five were spent in the subjugation of Canaan and hostile neighboring nations. After this, the work of conquest proceeded, together with the allotment of the land to the tribes of Israel. Persons. — The hero of the book is Joshua, the conqueror. The book deals little with biography. Eleazar, successor to Aaron, is the counselor of Joshua; Caleb wins further honors; and Othniel, afterwards a famous judge, is introduced. Events. — The book falls naturally into three parts : the three campaigns of Joshua in securing piossession of the land ; the allotment of the land among the tribes; the renewal of the covenant of the nation, closing with Joshua's death. JUDGES. Subject: The 15 Judges. Writer: Samuel. Class: History- Chronologry: From 1425 to 1130 B.C. History :Josliua to Sam.son, Persons: Othniel, Deb- orah, et al. Events : Seven Deliver- ances. RUTH.— The Ancestry of Christ. Subject. — The book of Judges is a history of Israel under the rule of its Judges. There were fifteen judges from Othniel, the first holding the office, to Samuel, the last. Only thirteen of the fifteen judges are included in this book, the ac- count of Eli and Samuel being carried over by the sacred historian to the first book of Samuel. The The Books of History. 53 book exhibits the apostasy of Israel. It recounts liow the chosen nation persistently descended from the righteous standard of Joshua to a condition of anarch3\ Writer. — The Jews generally ascribed the book to Samuel, allowing for certain later revision. It bears strong internal evidence that it was written close to the time of its events. There are frequent hints in the Old Testamient books of liistory that faithful records were kept b)^ chosen men, from which the completed history could, under divine direction, be compiled. Chronology. — This includes about three hun- dred years, ranging from the death of Joshua, B.C. 1425, to the death of Samson, about B.C. 1120. The book of Judges is not chronologically arranged, the last five chapters, concerning the destruction of the tribe of Benjamin, belonging probably to the oldest portion of the book. Persons. — The judges of greater renown were as follows : Othniel, deliverer from Mesopotamia ; Deborah (with Barak), deliverer from the Canaan- iies; Gideon, from Midian; Jephthah, from Am- nion; Samson, from Philistia. Events. — Seven great deliverances from op- pressing nations are narrated : ( 1 ) From Mesopo- tamia, by Othniel; (2) from Moab, by Ehud; (3) from Philistia, by Shamgar; (4) from Canaanites, 54 The Bible and Its BooJcs. by Deborah and Barak; (5) from Midian, by Gid- eon; (6) from Ammon, by Jephthah; (7) from Philistia, by Samson. • The Book of Kuth. In the ancient Jewish canon this book was a part of Judges. The time of the book is uncertain, probably near to the days of Deborah. Samuel was believed to be the author. Apart from the beauti- ful portraiture of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, and of ancient home life, the book has special value in showing the mingling Jewish and Gentile ancestry of David and of David's "greater Son," our Lord. SAMUEL. Subject : The Mon- Persons: Eli, Samuel, archy. Saul, and David. Writers: Samuel and Events : Refor m a t i o n Others. under Samuel. Class : History. Reigns of Saul and Chronology: From 1171 David. to 1015 B.C. Subject. — In the ancient Jewish canon, the two books of Samuel were one. The translators of the Septuagint, B.C. 285, first separated them. The books center upon the Hebrew monarchy ; and, be- ginning with the story of Eli and Samuel as an introduction, narrate the reigns of Saul and David, the first of the long line of Hebrew kings. Writers. — Partly in honor to Samuel's noble life, which the opening twelve chapters of the book con- The Books of History. 65 tain, and partly because Samuel is accredited with having written the first twenty-four chapters, the books are so named. But the books of Samuel, of Kings, and of Chronicles, were composite. From the time of Samuel on, the prophets in succession seem to have been charged with keeping the historic record. Gad, N'athan, and other prophets down to Jeremiah, are to be credited with the original an- nals. The work of subsequent compilation of all books of history is ascribed by the Jews to Jer- emiah and Ezra, especially the latter. Chron,ology. — The two books of Samuel range from the birth of Samuel, B.C. 1171, to the death of David, B.C. 1015, a period of one hundred and fifty-six years ; eighty of which belong to the reigns of Saul and David, each forty years. Persons. — Four noted names comprise the bi- ographical succession : Eli, Samuel, Saul, David. Eli's life illustrates forcibly how one may be a good man, with great opportunities, yet ruin his family and his nation by persistent weakne^^s. Saul, with a brilliant beginning and a miserable end, shows the folly and ruin of willfulness. Samuel, last of the judges and first of the national prophets, one of the most majestic figures of the Old Testament, has been properly called the ''^Hebrew Aristides." David, ranking with Abraham and Moses, yet 56 The Bible and Its Boohs. stained by one great sin, shows the perils of human nature in all ages and stations. Events. — These may be summed up briefly, in the defeat and death of Eli, the reformation un- der Samuel, the establishment of the monarchy, and the reigns of Saul and David. KINGS. Subject: The Divided Kingdoms. Writers : The Prophets and Jeremiah. Class: History. Chronology: From 1015 to 588 B.C. Persons: The Jewish Kings. Erents :Solomon's Reign and Temple, the Divided K i n g - doms, the Captivity. Subject. — The two books of Kings were former- ly one book, known as the second book of Kinars. The books give the records of Solomon, the last great king of the Hebrew monarchy, and of the thirty-nine succeeding kings (including one usurping queen) of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Writers. — Jewish tradition ascribed the com- pilation of Kings to Jeremiah. Three sources the compiler names as follows : the ^^Book of the Acts of Solomon/' the "Chronicles of the Kings of Judah," the "Chronicles of the Kings of Israel." Chronology.- — The books begin with the death of David, B.C. 1015, and close with the captivity of Judah, B.C. 588, a period of 427 years, thus giving The Books of History. 57 the longest and most eventful period of Jewish na- tional history. Persons. — The reigns of forty kings constitute the biographic matter of the books, from Solomon to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. Of the nine- teen kings and nine dynasties of Israel, not one re- deemed the long line of evil riilers. Of the twenty kings of Judah, three only are distinguished for wise and righteous reigns : Jehoshaphat, Hezekiali, and Josiah. These three reformed the apostate nation, and revived its ancient faith and worship. Events. — The greater events are: the reign of Solomon ; the building of the temple ; the division of the kingdoms; the wars of Judah and Israel against each other and neighboring nations; the captivity of Israel by the Assyrians; and, finally, the captivity of Judah, and the destruction of Je- rusalem. The kingdom of Israel lasted about two hundred and fifty years ; that of Judah, about foui hundred vears. CHRONICI.ES. Subject: The Divided Kingdoms. Writer: The Prophets and Ezra. Chronology: 1056 to 536 B.C. History: David to Ze- rubbabel. Persons: Kings of Ju- dah. Events: Relating to Judah. The two books of Chronicles were originally one. The Septiiagint Version gave them a Greek title, meaning '^the things omitted." It was evidently ^S The Bible and Its B^o^s. the compiler's purpose to put into these books cer- tain historic facts and tables which had been light- ly touched in previous sacred histories, or were wholly omitted. The books are not consecutively historic, but bring together, at long range, gene- alogy and history, both civil and ecclesiastical. Studied side by side with the books of Samuel and Kings, the value of their supplementary history will appear. Sul'jed. — Tliis may be summed up in the words, '^supplemental history of the Divided Kingdoms, especially of Judah." Compiled after the Baby- lonian captivity, a peculiar condition confronted the returning Jewish exiles. The temple wor- ship was to be reenacted, the priesthood and Le- vitic officers reassigned, the lands to be reallotted. The history of their nation needed to pass in review before them, the exile having turned their thoughts toward God and the ancient ritual of their fathers. Hence the painstaking review of the genealogical lines of the heads of the nation, both priestly and political, particularly along the line of Judah, out of wliich the "Shiloh" of prophecy should come. Writer.—EzTSi was undoubtedly the compiler of Chronicles, selecting his material from as many as twelve books of sacred record, named in Chronicles. Chrono'Iogy. — The two books, so far as their his- tory goes, range through a period of five hundred The Boohs of History. 59 and twenty years, beginning with the accession of David, B.C. 1050, to Prince Zernbbabel, who led the returning exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem, B.C. 536. Events. — These deal with "things omitted," rath- er than with the regular succession given in the books preceding. The opening chapters give genealogical tables from Adam to Abraham, of the twelve tribes, of David's royal line ; and follow with the reigns of David, Solomon, and the kings of Judah, ignoring largely the kings of Israel. Em- phasis is given to the temple and its services, and to Judah's reformers, such as Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah, which is in keeping with the special religious purpose of the book. EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. Subject: Restoration and Reformation. Writers: Ezra, Nehemi- ali. Class: History. Chronology: 536 to 434 B.C. Persons : Cyriis, Zerub- babel, Ezra, Nehe- miah. Events: Return, Re- building, Reforma- tion. These two books also were anciently joined in one. They are a close sequel to Chronicles, and carry forAvard the Jewish history to the close of the Old Testament record. Subject. — The books belong to the post-captiv- ity, and narrate the restoration and reformation of 60 The Bible and Its B.oo'ks. the people of Judali, politically and religiously, un- der Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Writers. — By the Jews Ezra was accredited as the author of that portion now called distinctively the book of Ezra; and Nehemiah, of the book of Nehemiah. Chronology. — The books extend the history of the nation from the return under Zerubbabel from Babylon, B.C. 536, to the death of Nehemiah, about 434 B.C. They close the history of the Old Testament, and are followed by silence and servi- tude of more tlian four hundred years, until the advent of Christ in ISTew Testament history. Persons. — Four names are prominent: C3TUS, the deliverer from exile ; Zerubbabel, the rebuilder of the temple ; Ezra, the restorer of tlie law; Nehe- miah, the reformer of religious and civil abuses. Zerubbabel, prince of tlie house of Judah, led the fort3^-two thousand three hundred and sixty exiles back to their loved country, reestablished the daily sMcrifice, rebuilt the temple in twenty years, in the face of fierce hostility from the enemies of Judah. Ezra, esteemed by Jews as second only to Moses, fifty years later led a second band of exiles to Je- rusalem, restored the laws and worship of the na- tion, and compiled and revised the sacred Scrip- tures. Nehemiah, the patriot exile, forsook high place in the Persian court, came as governor to Je- The Bool's of History. 61 rusalem, and devoted his energies to rebuilding tiie walls of the city and instituting religious reforms. Events. — These great event's mark the histor}^ in the two books : the rebuilding of city and temple by Prince Zerubbabel ; the political reforms under Ezra; the religious reforms u«ider Nehemiah. ESTHER. Subject : Jew in Exile Writer: Mordecai. Class : History. Chronology: 521 to 495 B.C. Persons: Ahasuerus, Hainan, Mordecai, Esther. Events : Promotion, Plot, Decree, Deliv- erance. Like the book of Ruth, this is a brief but beau- tiful episode in the history of the Jewish nation. It belongs near to the time of the Babylonian cap- tivity, and is an incident of exile in the far-away court of the greatest of Persian monarchs. After the lapse of centuries, devout Jews in every land yet observe its anniversary, called the "Feast of Purim." Subject. — The "Jew in exile" aptly defines the book's place in history, as revealing God's care over his suffering people in time of exile. The name of God does not once appear in the book, yet the providence of God overshadows its every inci- dent. Writer. — The book's authorship was in doubt among the Jews, who had the best right to know 62 The Bible and Its Boolcs. the origin of their sacred books. Ezra is thought b}^ some to have written it ; but the better opinion, in view of his intimate relationship to the book's history, is that Mordecai was its author. Chronology. — This too is in doubt, the only cer- tain thing known being its relation to the years of exile. Ahasuerus, the king, is thought to have been Xerxes, and the time prior to the invasion of Greece. Persons. — Four persons are prominent: Ahas- uerus, the typical Oriental monarch, luxurious, hasty, yet with a strong sense of kingly justice; Haman, the crafty prime minister, full of hatred to one who refused, for conscience's sake, to bow down before him; Mordecai, the Jew in exile, the man of God, and lover of his exiled nation ; Esther, the beautiful queen, divinely lifted to the highest place of honor, to become God's chosen instrument of deliverance. Events. — The book centers upon four scenes: The royal banquet and elevation of Esther to the queenship ; the plot of Haman against the Jewish people; the disclosure of Esther and death of ITaman ; the counter decree and deliverance of the Jews. THE JEWISH KINGS. The above is designed to exhibit, within periods of one century each, the succession of the Jewish Kings of the Divided Kingdoms, with the length of each reign. Judah's Kings are expressed in capital letters. (63) III. THE BOOKS OF POETRY. JOB. Sal)ieet: Special Provi- dence. Writer: Moses. Class: Poetry. Chronology: Patriar- cha]. About 1530 B.C. Persons: Jehovah, Sa- tan, Job, Friends, Elihu. Events : Introduction, Controversy, Acquit- tal, Restoration. The atmosphere of the patriarchal age is about one who comes to the study of this great book, the noblest of the epics, the one divinely inspired. It has real history as its basis. See Ezekiel xiv. 14; James v. 11. To Jews and to Christians it reveals the beauty of religion — constant in spirit, chan- ging only in form — in the far-away mists of the world's early morning. Subject. — The book sets forth a devout soul struggling over the hardest of human problems — why the good should be called to suffer. It teaches immortality; it reveals the needed discipline of sorrow. But its central theme, about which its teachings all revolve, is the doctrine of God's spe- cial providence, as wrought out through Joy or sorrow, wealth or poverty, in every devout life. Writer. — Opinions vary widely. Some hold that Job wrote it ; others accredit its authorship to Solo- mon, Ezra, or to a post-exilian writer. The Jews (64) The Boohs of Poetry. 65 assigned it to Moses, holding that he rewrote it from the original, which came from Job, and put it in its present form. Chronology. — No one knows. The Oxford Teachers' Bible dates the history in the book at B.C. 1520. The setting, language, history, and re- ligion of the book belong to the patriarchal age. The father is priest over his house. There is no hint of later Jewish history or worship, which is inexplainable if the book was written after the time of Moses. Persons. — Satan, Job, the three friends, Elihu, the mediator, and Jehovah, are the dramatis per- sonam. Satan is a personal devil, real, powerful, malignant. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are skilled in human philosophy, and full of "wise saws and instances," but mistaken judges of di- vine problems. Elihu is the true interpreter of Providence. There is nothing grander in the Bible t.han the sublime picture of Jehovah which the book presents. Events. — The movement is in four parts: (1) The introduction (in prose), recounting Job's prosperity, followed by his dire affliction; (2) the controversy — a series of speeches, three in number, alternating between Job's friends and himself ; ( 3 ) the acquittal, containing the mediatory speech of 5 6Q The Bible and Its Books. Elihii and the address of Jehovah; (4) the resto- ration of Job, and his latter end (in prose). PSAL-MS, Subject: Devotion. Writers: David et al. Class: Poetry. Chronology: 1500 to 500 B.C. Dirisions: In 5 parts. Compilers: David, Sol- omon, Hezekiah, Ezra. Subject. — The book of Psalms is the one great manual of devotion for Jew and Christian alike. It is a collection of religious poems, from the ex- periences of inspired writers, and specially designed for the Jewish temple worship. But so wide is their range, so truly adapted to every age, condi- tion, and clime, so expressive of every phase of re- ligious life, that the book of Psalms is read and sung the world over, and enters more largely into the ritual of the Church and the worship of the family than any other part of the Bible, not even excepting the Gospels. In the temple service, at the daily hours of sacrifice, and at the feasts and festivities, the Psalms were sung by the great Levite choir, to the music of many instruments. Writers. — David did more than all others to de- velop the musical life of the nation, and to put it to the noblest religious and patriotic uses. But David was only the chief, not the exclusive, writer of the Psalms. Out of the one hundred and fifty, Tlie BooTcs of Poetry. 67 he probably wrote eighty, with a score or more partly accredited to him. David's chief musician and choristers, with Solomon, Moses, Hezekiah, and others, were doubtless in part composers. The ascriptions or titles of the Psalms are of question- able origin. Chronology. — -The book of Psalms ranges through the entire life of the nation, from the con- quest to the captivity. Moses doubtless wrote the ninetieth Psalm. Some of the Psalms are known to have been com.posed during and after the cap- tivity of Judah; so that they may be said to extend from B.C. 1500 to B.C. 500, a period of one thou- sand years, though usually assigned to the reign of David, which began 1056 B.C. Divisions and Compilers. — The book is in five distinct parts. David, as founder of Hebrew psalmody, first introduced it into public worship; his successors, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Ezra, are believed to have compiled the Psalms, and ar- ranged them in order in five collections, as follows : First collection, Psalms i.-xli., all of David; sec- ond collection. Psalms xlii.-Ixxii., compiled prob- ably by Solomon from compositions of David and others; third collection. Psalms Ixxiii.-lxxxix., compiled by Hezekiah; fourth collection. Psalms xc.-cvi., compiled in Josiah's time ; fifth collection, 68 The Bible and Its B.oaks. Psalms cvii.-cL, compiled by Ezr^ during and after the captivity. Subject: Wisdom. Writers: Solomon et al. Class: Poetry. Chronology: 1000 to 500 B.C. PROVERBS. Dirisions: In 5 Parts. Compilers: Hezekiah, Agur, Lemuel, Ezra. Subject. — This book is a fitting companion to Psalms. As that book is a manual of devotion for the inner life, so is Proverbs a manual of wisdom for the outer life. It is eminently the "book of wisdom/^ and its maxims are beyond those of mere human production. The essence of all worldly wisdom is selfishness; the essence of the proverbs of Solom,on is righteousness. The Proverbs of Solomon apply as aptly to our complex modern life as they did to the cruder conditions of ancient civ- ilization, which is an evidence of their divine in- spiration. They recognize God in every event, and the "fear of the Lord" is the keynote of the book. Writers. — The first verse of the book names as author Solomon, the King; but as the book of Psalms is named after David, the chief contribu- tor, so it is with Proverbs. Solomon, perhaps, wrote more than all others whose proverbs enter into the book. Of the thirty-one chapters compos- ing the book, it is safe to say that twenty-four are the work of Solomon. King Hezekiah enlarged TheBools of Poetry. 69 the collection in his day, from what sources is not known. The words of Agur and Lemuel form the thirtieth and part of the thirty-first chapters. It was a Jewish tradition that the book was further -enlarged by Ezra the Scribe. Chronology. — Solomon came to the throne B.C. 1015, and died B.C. 975. Taking the above tradi- tion at what it may be worth, the book of Proverbs, compiled in part at the beginning by Solomon, was not completed until the time of Ezra, about five hundred 3'ears later. Divisions and Compilers. — The book is plainly a growth, in at least five parts or stages. The first nine chapters differ from all the others. They consist of several compositions in parallel or an- tithetic sentences, together personifying "wisdom." From the tenth to the twenty-fourth chapters, in- elusive, is the second division — containing short sayings, without an apparent connection of thought or subject, written by Solomon. From the twenty- fifth to the twenty-ninth chapter are selections made by 'Hhe men of Hezekiah," after the lapse of two hundred and fifty years, forming a third divi- sion, "The words of Asrur," and the "words of King LemueV form the concluding divisions. 70 The Bible and Its Books. ECCI.ESIASTES. Subject: Happiness. Writer: Solomon. Class: Poetry. Chronology: 1015 to 975 B.C. Divisions: In 4 Parts. SOLOMON'S SONG.— The Beauty of Religion. The book of Ecclesiastes is another exposition of inspired wisdom. Some have found it perplexing and contradictory, and upon a lower level than other Old Testament books ; but the trouble is rath- er with the critics than with the book. The his- torical setting and plan of the book being consid- ered, its place and purpose will be plain. Subject. — The book has for its subject the prob- lem of human happiness — what it is, whence it comes. Every supposed source of happiness is in turn considered — wealth, learning, pleasure, etc. The experiences of the author are rehearsed, his judgment is summed up in the oft-recurring words "vanity of vanities," and he brings us at last to the one solution of the problem : "Let us hear the con- clusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments : for ihis is the whole duty of man." Writer. — The book names as its author Solomon, "the son of David, King of Jerusalem." There is no warrant, in the book or out of it, for supposing that any one else had part in its authorship, or that the book belongs to a time later than Solomon's. The Boohs of Poetry. 71 It is safe to follow the opinion that the book was written by Solomon late in life, after his backslid- ing and restoration. Chronology. — The time can be conjectured only. It was probably written near to the close of Solo- mon's reign, which w^as from 1015 to 975 B.C. Divisions. — The prologue states the problem. After this come four parts, as follows : The vanity of worldly pleasure (chapters ii., iii.) ; of wealth and power (chapters iv.-vi.) ; of mere knowledge (chapters vii.-xi.) ; the value of religion (chap- ter xii. ) . Solomon's Song. This is the one remjaining song of the many ac- credited to Solomon in 1 Kings iv. 32. It was part of the ancient Hebrew canon, but its place in the Christian canon has sometimes been challenged. It is a single long poem, with two interlocutory speakers. What its true subject or purpose is finds many opinions. Some of the critics deal with it as an allegory, representing the union of Christ and his Church ; others, as presenting in fervid oriental imagery the beauty of religion. IV. THE GREATEE PROPHETS. ISAIAH. Subject: Messianic Kingdom. Writer: Isaiah. Class: Prophecy. Chronology: 760 to 698 B.C. Prophecies: Syria, Ten Tribes, Tyre, Nine- veh, Babylon, Christ. Subject. — First, Judah and her enemies. Isaiah came in the "Indian summer^^ of Judah, serving four of her kings. The j)eople had grown rich and luxurious, caring little for the temple and its wor- ship. Hezekiah was one of the few good kings. Together with the prophet, he turned the nation back from its corruptions. The kingdom of Israel was on the verge of destruction, which came to pass while Isaiah was serving Judah. Assyria, Eg3'^pt, Bab3don, Tyre, and Damascus,. enemies of Judah, were in turn denounced by the prophet, and their doom foretold. Second, the Messianic kingdom, chapters xl.-lxvi., in which Isaiah vividly draws upon the canvas of the future the advent, person- ality, and kingdom of Christ. So full and lofty, yet so accurat-e in detail, are these prophecies, that the other wonderful visions of Isaiah suffer in com- parison. The entire book might properly be called a representation of the Messianic kingdom. (72) The Greater Prophets. 73 Writer. — Isaiah was the greatest of the Hebrew prophets. He was fifth in order of time. He lived in Jerusalem, and served Judah especially. He prophesied under four kings — a period of sixty years. His contemporaries in prophecy were Amos, Hosea, and Micah, He died during the reign of Manasseh, aged ninety years. He was probably of royal blood. Chronology. — Isaiah began to prophesy in the eighth century B.C. (about 760), and died prob- ably 698 B.C. He was contemporary with three great rulers of Assyria : Pul, Sargon, Sennacherib. Eomulus -was building Rome during the life of the prophet. Prophecies. — Isaiah's greater prophecies were as follows : the destruction of Syria, fulfilled by Pul ; the captivity of the ten tribes, by Sargon ; the ruin of Tyre, completed by Alexander the Great; the desltruetion of Nineveh, by the Medes ; the capture and ruin of Babylon, by Cyrus the Great ; the ad- vent of the Messiah. 74 The Bible and Its B.oaks. JEREMIAH. Subject: Doom of Ju dah. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Jeremiah. Chronology: 639 to 588 B.C. Prophecies: Jerusalem, Zedekiah, Captivity, Babylon, Exile and Restoration. LAMENTATIONS.— Lament for Jerusalem. Suhject. — The book is a mingling of prophecy and histor}^ the former largely predominating. The prophecies relate chiefly to the doom of Jiidah and the destruction of Jerusalem, and the history to the siege, captivit}^, and downfall of the country. The prophet lived under the shadow of impending doom, with a clear vision before him of the con- quering hosts of the brilliant Nebuchadnezzar, the exile of the nation, the destruction of holy city and temple. By the Jews the book of Lamentations was joined with the main book, as its concluding portion. It is a Hebrew acrostic poem (like Psalm cxix.), and was written by Jeremiah after the destruction of Jerusalem, in a series of dirges over the ruin of the city and the sorrows of its people. Writer. — Jeremiah lived about sixty years, main- ly in the last half of the seventh century B.C., and was called to prophesy when a young man, near the middle of Josiah's reign. For forty years his prophetic career continued, amid intense sorrow and persecution. He survived the destruction of Tli.e Greater Prophets. 75 Judah and Jerusalem, is said to have rescued and buried the ark, became an exile in Egypt with a remnant of his brethren, and was there stoned to death by them. Chronology. — Jeremiah began to prophesy sev- enty years after Isaiah's death, his prophecies ex- tending from about 629 B.C. to the destruction of Jerusalem, 588 B.C. Prophecies. — His most no't/able prophecies are as follow^s: The destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; the captivity and blinding of King Zedekiah ; the date and duration of the Babylonian captivity ; the destruction of Babylon. EZEKIEL,. Subject: The Restora- tion. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Ezekiel. Chronology: 595 to 574 B.C. Prophecies: Doom of Seven Nations, and Judah's Return. Subject. — The theme of Ezekiel's prophecies, like that of Jeremiah, refers to Judah and her im- pending calamities. His prophecy of the restora- tion of Judah, however, and her deliverance and return from Babylon, was expanded to a higher and grander spiritual restoration in the far future, and thus exceeds the vision of Jeremiah. Writer. — Ezekiel is called the "captive prophet," having spent his entire ministry in captivity. He 76 The Bible and Its Boohs. was a boy in Jerusalem when Jeremiah began to prophesy, and at the age of twenty-five was car- ried a prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar to Chebar, on the river Euphrates, two hundred miles north of Babylon. He was contemporary as a prophet six years with Jeremiah, and twenty-two years with Daniel. When he was a child, Nineveh, the mighty x\ssyrian capital, was the military center of the world. Tyre vv^as next, as the greatest commercial center. Jerusalem, under Josiah, was again rich and famous ; Babylon, least of the four, was rising into renown. When he was a man, Nineveh was in ruins. Tyre had fallen, Jerusalem was desolated, and Babylon was ruler of the world. Chronology. — Ezekiel's prophetic career began when he was about thirty years old, and extended from 595 to 574 B.C. Prophecies. — These are in three groups, and cen- ter upon Judah and Jerusalem. The first group was delivered before the siege of Jerusalem, and warned the city against hope of deliverance from Egypt. The second group, delivered during the siege, denounced God's judgments against the sev- en nations which had aided the conquerors of Ju- dah : Sidon, Tyre, Ammon, Moab, Philistia, Edom, Eg3^pt. The third group, after the siege, predicted the return of Judah from exile, and her spiritual restoration. The Greater Prophets. 77 DANIEL. Subject: Messianic Tri iimph. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Daniel. Chronology: 607 to 534 B.C. Prophecies: The Rise of Four Enrpires, and Advent of Christ. Subject. — The book is part history and part prophecy, but the former is of small moment com- pared with the latter. It is, indeed, the last and, in some respects, the greatest of the greater books of prophecy. The history in the first six chapters deals with Daniel's life and the events of the exile in Babylon, while the prophecies range in scope from his own time, through the rise and fall of suc- cessive empires, until the final establishment and universal triumph of the kingdom of Christ. Writer. — Daniel was a prince of the royal blood in his own country, and became a greater prince in the land of exile. At the age of sixteen, in the third year of King Jehoiakim (607 B.C.), he was carried by ISTebuchadnezzar to Babylon. He began his prophetic career two years later, and continued it throughout the seventy years of exile. He was made chief of iSTebuchadnezzar's council while yet a young man, and was vicegerent during the king's madness. After the capture of Babylon and death of Belshazzar, Darius, the Mede, made Daniel his prime minister, in which high place he was after- wards confirmed by Cyrus. He witnessed the re- 78 The Bible and Its B.oo^]cs. turn of Judah from exile, and died at Babylon when about ninety years old. Chrorwlogy. — The book includes from 607 to 534 B.C., and is concurrent with the exile in Bab- ylon. Pro'phecies. — Daniel's earlier prophecies relate to the successive rise and fall of four great empires : Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Home. - His four visions symbolized the course of these great kingdoms, ending, finally, in the advent and world- wide triumph of the kingdom of Christ. Daniel foretold, with exact detail, the date of Christ's ad- vent, the duration of his ministry, and his death. V. THE LESSER PROPHETS. HOSEA. Subject: Kingdom of Israel. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Hosea. Chronology: 785 to 725 B.C. Prophecies: Doom of Is- rael, Assyrian Exile. Subject. — What Jeremiah was to Judah, Hosea was to the northern kingdom of Israel. That king- dom was nearing its end, and had grown utterly corrupt. Its wealth was great, and its wickedness greater. The doom of Israel, its captivity, and ut- ter desolation by the Assyrian hosts, is the one theme of the prophet's warnings. Writer. — Little is known of Hosea. He was a prophet of the northern kingdom, successor prob- ably to Amos, and contemporary with Isaiah of the kingdom of Judah. He began his career under Jeroboam II., and continued prophesying until near the captivity of Israel, 721 B.C. He is thought by some writers to have witnessed that captivity. Chronology. — The prophet's ministry extended from the time of Jeroboam in Israel, and Uzziah in Judah, to the reign of Hezekiah, in whose sixth year Israel's captivity occurred — about sixty years, from 785 to 725 B.C. Jeroboam II. had added to (79) 80 The Bible and Its Books. the wealth and bounds of his kingdom; but As- syria, under its great warriors Pul and Shalma- neser, was threatening destruction to its enemies. Israel at last, under the Assyrian Sargon, was led into captivity. Prophecies. — Hosea predicted the conquest of the kingdom, the desolation of the land, the exile of the people — all of which were fulfilled by the Assyrians. Subject: Kingdom of Judah. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Joel. JOEL. Time: 800 to 760 B.C. Prophecies : Assyrian Invasion, the King- dom of Christ. Subject. — JoeFs place in the prophetic line is one of the difficult problems for Bible chronolo- gists, which leaves in doubt the immediate subject of his prophecies. Sonae place his prophecy as early as Josiah ; others make him contemporaneous with the reign of Uzziah. In the latter case, it is not hard to apply his prophecies. The northern kingdom of Israel was nearing destruction, and the Assyrian war clouds were gathering over Judah. Hence the voice of the prophet is raised in denun- ciation of the sins of the kingdom of Judah, and in warnings against the invasion of the Assyrians. Writer. — Little is known of Joel. He was an in- habitant of Jerusalem, a prophet of the kingdom The Lesser Prophets. 81 of Judah. He belongs in the list of direct Messi- anic prophets, as is exhibited by his memorable prophecy of tlie "last days," the outpouring of the Spirit, and the vision of the judgment. Chronology. — Assigning him to the reign of Uz- ziah, his prophecies ranged between B.C. 800 and 760. As the book indicates, it was a time of sore drought and famine, together with an invasion of the dreaded locusts of the East. The prophet uses the locusts as a symbol of the impending invasion of the Assyrians, and calls a great fast, promising the mercy of God upon national repentance. Uz- ziah's reign was one of prosperity and increasing Vvdckedness. Prophecies. — These were directly in warning against the Assyrians; but Joel's visions range far bc3^ond his own generation, and include the com- ing and kingdom of Christ. Tjre, Sidon, Egypt, and Edom "shall be a desolation," but "Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from genera- tion to generation." Peter, on the day of Pente- cost, quotes and applies the prophecy of Joel. 6 82 The Bible and Its Booths. AMOS. Subject: Kingdom of la rael. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Amos. Chronology: 787 to 760 B.C. Prophecies: Captivity of Israel, Fate of Hos- tile Nations. Subject. — Amos's prophecy included both north- ern and southern kingdoms. His prophetic mes- sage, addressed chiefly to Israel and Samaria, is aimed also at Judah. Both kingdoms had lapsed into idolatry. The golden calves were set up at Bethel and Dan, and Gilgal and Beersheba were centers of idol worship. The prophet was sent to Jeroboam II. to denounce the licentiousness of his court and kingdom. His prophecies begin with warnings against Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and close with the promise of res- toration of the tabernacle of David and the estab- lishment of the kingdom. Writer. — Amos was a contemporary, in part, of IlO'Sea and Isaiah. He was a shepherd and dresser of sycamore-trees by occupation, and was un- taught in the schools of the prophets. His pro- phetic career was of short duration. Though rude and unlearned, as he modestly speaks of himself, a great writer declares that in "loftiness of senti- ment, elegance of diction, and force of speech he is not one whit behind the foremost of the Hebrew prophets." The Lesser Prophets. 83 Chronology. — Amos received his commission "two years before the earthquake," he tells us, which, Josephus says, was a mark of divine dis- pleasure upon Uzziah for his usurpation of the priestly office. This would place the beginning of his prophecies about 787 B.C. Proyhecies. — These are in four groups: the de- nunciation of neighboring nations w^hich had aided the enemies of God's people; the warnings against Israel's worship of the golden calves, and God's in- tended judgment; the denunciation of the sins of Judah ; the vision of the restoration. OBADIAH. Subject: Edom. Class: Prophecy. Writer: Obadiah. Chronology: 587 B.C. Prophecies: Ruin of Edom, Restoration of Judah Subject. — This briefest of the prophecies is clear and specific in its theme, which is the denuncia- tion of Edom, the inveterate enemy of the chosen nation. The Edomites were the powerful and warlike descendants of Esau. They were kinsmen and neighbors of the "house of Jacob;" yet, with unrelenting enmity, had again and again made fierce assault upon God's people, or had joined themselves to foreign conquerors. Finally their cup of wrath was filled to the brim by their cruel