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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