The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic Church
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The Catholic Church accepts as inspired Word of God several Old Testament books specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants. The books that only the Catholic Church accepts as definitively inspired by God are starred * in the following list. Also, there are parts of Esther and Daniel that are only accepted by Catholics.

The Catholic center of the Old Testament might be the Psalms: ''Prayed and fulfilled in Christ, the Psalms are an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church. They are suitable for men of every condition and time.'' [CCC 2597]

In any event, it is helpful to think of the Psalms as the centerpiece of the Old Testament - the Psalms are in fact fairly close to the middle of the Old Testament as Catholics arrange it. The Psalms are like a hinge near the middle:

               Psalms
Genesis                     Proverbs
Exodus                      Ecclesiastes
Leviticus                   Song of Songs
Numbers                     Wisdom*
Deuteronomy                 Sirach*

Joshua                      Isaiah
Judges                      Jeremiah
Ruth                        Lamentations
1 Samuel                    Baruch*
2 Samuel                    Ezekiel
1 Kings                     Daniel
2 Kings
                            Hosea
1 Chronicles                Joel
2 Chronicles                Amos
Ezra                        Obadiah
Nehemiah                    Jonah
                            Micah
Tobit*                      Nahum
Judith*                     Habakkuk
Esther                      Zephaniah
1 Maccabees*                Haggai
2 Maccabees*                Zechariah
Job                         Malachi


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The Psalms occur in what place in the Old Testament? Near the...

a.   beginning.
b.   middle.
c.   end.


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Note: Do NOT restate the incorrect answers to this question. Only the correct answer has meaningful content.

The first five books of the Old Testament have always been thought of as a unit in both Jewish and Catholic tradition. For Jews their name is Torah (The Law) or the Books of Moses. For Catholics, too, these five books are the Books of Moses, but these days are more commonly called the Pentateuch [''Penta-took''] - Greek for ''five books.'' In English, the first letter of the name of each book in the Pentateuch, in order, make up the nonsense word:

a.   GEDNL
b.   GELND
c.   GENLD


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The books

Joshua
Judges
(Ruth)
First and Second Samuel
First and Second Kings

are grouped together in the Catholic Old Testament. (The story of Ruth is included probably because it begins, ''In the days when the judges ruled...''). In relation to the Psalms, this unit of the Old Testament occurs

a.   before the Psalms.
b.   after the Psalms.


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The books

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

cover the period from Creation up to

a.   the entry into the Promised Land.
b.   the giving of the Promise.
c.   the rise of King David.


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The books

Joshua
Judges
(Ruth)
First and Second Samuel
First and Second Kings

have traditionally been thought of as a unit because

a.   they carefully record the over six hundred laws that establish the Covenant.
b.   they give the history of the people of Israel after Moses's death until the Exile.
c.   they give the history of the people of Israel from Abraham to Moses's death.


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Just for your information, most modern scholars link:

Deuteronomy
::
Joshua
Judges
(but not Ruth)
First and Second Samuel
First and Second Kings

They find a common theological perspective and a common editorial hand in these books. They also find that the final editor has woven together many different fragments from many different traditions kept and preserved from Israel's past into a single history.

If this is all true, is it interesting? Yes. We can reflect on how the final editor found a way to preserve and hand on the faithful witness of so many people from so many centuries. So, both the faith of one person at a particular time, and the faith of many people over hundreds of years, made a huge difference and helped God to speak his Word to men. And yet the names of them all, both the one and the many, are now unknown to us.

We don't even know the names of people who gave us so much - yet their names, all of them, every one, are surely known so well and with such great love by God, who we pray gives each one of them eternal life in heaven with him. Since we know that the Church has always honored certain Old Testament figures as saints [CCC 61], surely God preserves the lives of the faithful ones who helped him to give us his Word.

If these books came into existence in some other way than the way most scholars now think, does it affect your union with Christ? Nope. <<


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The books

First and Second Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah

are often thought of as a unit because

a.   they give the history of the people of Israel after Moses's death until the Exile.
b.   they give the history of the people of Israel from Abraham to Moses's death.
c.   they trace Israel's history from King David until the rebuilding of the Temple.


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The books

First and Second Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah

occur before or after the Psalms?

a.   before
b.   after


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The books

Tobit
Judith
Esther
First and Second Maccabees
Job

occur just before or just after the Psalms?

a.   Just before.
b.   Just after.


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The books

Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Wisdom
Sirach

occur just before or just after the Psalms?

a.   Just before.
b.   Just after.


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The books

Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Baruch
Ezekiel
Daniel

occur before or after the Psalms?

a.   Before.
b.   After.


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The ''minor prophets'' are twelve short prophetic books (many are just a few chapters long) that are grouped together in the Old Testament. They are:

Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

Within the Old Testament, the ''minor prophets'' are grouped together right at the

a.   beginning.
b.   middle.
c.   end.


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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job

>> Psalms <<

Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The Old Testament books with a star * are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120], but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.


The word ''psalm'' comes from the Greek word meaning

a.   giving glory, honor, and praise to God.
b.   plucking a musical instrument with the fingers.
c.   praying intimately by oneself or together.


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Note: Do NOT restate the incorrect answers to this question. Only the correct answer has meaningful content.

How many psalms ended up being collected together in the Old Testament?

a.   100
b.   150
c.   200


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''Psalter'' means ''the Praises'' and is what exactly?

a.   A separate collection of psalms from other biblical sources.
b.   The books of psalms as they are collected in the Old Testament.
c.   The golden vessel in which precious salt was carried in ceremonies.


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Note: Do NOT restate the incorrect answers to this question. Only the correct answer has meaningful content.

The Psalter is divided into ''books'' (sections). How many?

a.   5
b.   8
c.   11


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Why are the Psalms so important to the Catholic Church? In part, because they are [CCC 2585]:

a.   ''an unmatchable example of God's activity of creation.''
b.   ''the consummate record of the covenant and the law.''
c.   ''the masterwork of prayer in the Old Testament.''


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The Psalms have been prayed for at least 2500 years, perhaps much longer for certain psalms. The composers of the Psalms were holy, and artists, too. David has traditionally been known as the originator of the psalms and the master psalmist. Whatever their original origins, many if not all psalms eventually came to belong to the public prayer of Israel, and were probably set to music (thus the name ''psalm'').

The Responsorial Psalm sung or said between the readings at every Mass is from one of the 150 psalms. Catholics who pray the Liturgy of the Hours with the Church (priests and religious do this as a matter of obligation) will sing or recite all 150 psalms over a period of weeks, either in community or by themselves. Modern scholars generally agree that many (but not all) psalms can be seen as belonging to one of three different genres, each with its own particular structure.

Lament

A lament usually includes a) a direct cry to the LORD, b) a statement of the difficulty, c) an expression of trust, and d) prayer for help. Read Psalm 22, prayed by Jesus on the Cross. Community laments usually begin with a retelling of God's Creation or the creation of his people in the Exodus. Read Psalm 90.

Thanksgiving

These psalms usually describe a terrible difficulty, just like laments, but state that God has won the victory and rescued the psalmist or the people. Read Psalm 30.

Hymn

Read Psalm 150.

By subject matter

Modern scholars classify other psalms according to their subject matter. Read Psalm 23. This most beloved psalm is a ''psalm of trust.'' Psalm 1 is classified as a ''wisdom psalm.'' Read it. Psalm 2 is a ''royal psalm,'' which affirms the LORD in its affirming of the Israelite king. Read it. There are also psalms that are clearly part of particular ceremonies. Psalm 15 was probably sung as the people were admitted to the Temple (the Temple replaced the Tent of Meeting or ''Tabernacle'' of desert times). Entry to God's ''tent'' demanded a man's holiness. Read Psalm 15.

There is no particular need to remember these details or to figure out which psalm fits into which type. Scholars, not the Bible, made up these types. However, the Psalms pretty plainly do have definite shapes to them. These well-known forms provide solid, stable foundations for the very intense and intimate prayer of the Psalms. Read CCC 2585-2589 now.


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Genesis Exodus Leviticus >> Numbers << Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job

Psalms

Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The Old Testament books with a star * are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120], but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.


The fourth book of the Pentateuch, the book of Numbers, got its name because it

a.   contains two censuses of the people of Israel.
b.   develops many mathematical theorems.
c.   has many lists of mystical numbers.


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