The Old Testament Canon
During the Reformation, primarily for doctrinal
reasons, Protestants removed seven books from the Old Testament: 1 and
2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom, Baruch, Tobit, and Judith, and parts of two
others, Daniel and Esther. They did so even though these books had been
regarded as canonical since the beginning of Church history.
As Protestant church historian J. N. D. Kelly writes,
"It should be observed that the Old Testament thus admitted as authoritative
in the Church was somewhat bulkier and more comprehensive [than the Protestant
Bible]. . . . It always included, though with varying degrees of recognition,
the so-called apocrypha or deuterocanonical books" (Early Christian
Doctrines, 53), which are rejected by Protestants.
Below we give patristic quotations from each of
the deuterocanonical books. Notice how the Fathers quoted these books along
with the protocanonicals. The deuterocanonicals are those books of the Old Testament that were
included in the Bible even though there had been some discussion about
whether they should be.
Also included are the earliest official lists of
the canon. For the sake of brevity these are not given in full. When the
lists of the canon cited here are given in full, they include all the books
and only the books found in the modern Catholic Bible.
When examining the question of what books were
originally included in the Old Testament canon, it is important to note
that some of the books of the Bible have been known by more than one name.
Sirach is also known as Ecclesiasticus, 1 and 2 Chronicles as 1 and 2 Paralipomenon,
Ezra and Nehemiah as 1 and 2 Esdras, and 1 and 2 Samuel with 1 and 2 Kings
as 1, 2, 3, and 4 Kings—that is, 1 and 2 Samuel are named 1 and 2 Kings,
and 1 and 2 Kings are named 3 and 4 Kings. The history and use of these
designations is explained more fully in Scripture reference works.
The Didache
"You shall not waver with regard to your decisions
[Sir. 1:28]. Do not be someone who stretches out his hands to receive but
withdraws them when it comes to giving [Sir. 4:31]" (Didache 4:5
[A.D. 70]).
The Letter of Barnabas
"Since, therefore, [Christ] was about to be manifested
and to suffer in the flesh, his suffering was foreshown. For the prophet
speaks against evil, ‘Woe to their soul, because they have counseled an
evil counsel against themselves’ [Is. 3:9], saying, ‘Let us bind the righteous
man because he is displeasing to us’ [Wis. 2:12.]" (Letter of Barnabas
6:7 [A.D. 74]).
Clement of Rome
"By the word of his might [God] established all
things, and by his word he can overthrow them. ‘Who shall say to him, "What
have you done?" or who shall resist the power of his strength?’ [Wis. 12:12]"
(Letter to the Corinthians 27:5 [ca. A.D. 80]).
Polycarp of Smyrna
"Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow
the example of the Lord, being firm and unchangeable in the faith, loving
the brotherhood [1 Pet. 2:17].
. . . When you can do good, defer it not, because
‘alms delivers from death’ [Tob. 4:10, 12:9]. Be all of you subject to
one another [1 Pet. 5:5], having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles
[1 Pet. 2:12], and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe
to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed [Is. 52:5]!" (Letter
to the Philadelphians 10 [A.D. 135]).
Irenaeus
"Those . . . who are believed to be presbyters
by many, but serve their own lusts and do not place the fear of God supreme
in their hearts, but conduct themselves with contempt toward others and
are puffed up with the pride of holding the chief seat [Matt. 23:6] and
work evil deeds in secret, saying ‘No man sees us,’ shall be convicted
by the Word, who does not judge after outward appearance, nor looks upon
the countenance, but the heart; and they shall hear those words to be found
in Daniel the prophet: ‘O you seed of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has
deceived you and lust perverted your heart’ [Dan. 13:56]. You that have
grown old in wicked days, now your sins which you have committed before
have come to light, for you have pronounced false judgments and have been
accustomed to condemn the innocent and to let the guilty go free, although
the Lord says, ‘You shall not slay the innocent and the righteous’ [Dan.
13:52, citing Ex. 23:7]" (Against Heresies 4:26:3 [A.D. 189]; Daniel
13 is not in the Protestant Bible).
"Jeremiah the prophet has pointed out that as many
believers as God has prepared for this purpose, to multiply those left
on the earth, should both be under the rule of the saints and to minister
to this [new] Jerusalem and that [his] kingdom shall be in it, saying,
‘Look around Jerusalem toward the east and behold the joy which comes to
you from God himself. Behold, your sons whom you have sent forth shall
come: They shall come in a band from the east to the west. . . . God shall
go before with you in the light of his splendor, with the mercy and righteousness
which proceed from him’ [Bar. 4:36—5:9]" (ibid., 5:35:1; Baruch was often
considered part of Jeremiah, as it is here).
Hippolytus
"What is narrated here [in the story of Susannah]
happened at a later time, although it is placed at the front of the book
[of Daniel], for it was a custom with the writers to narrate many things
in an inverted order in their writings. . . . [W]e ought to give heed,
beloved, fearing lest anyone be overtaken in any transgression and risk
the loss of his soul, knowing as we do that God is the judge of all and
the Word himself is the eye which nothing that is done in the world escapes.
Therefore, always watchful in heart and pure in life, let us imitate Susannah"
(Commentary on Daniel [A.D. 204]; the story of Susannah [Dan. 13]
is not in the Protestant Bible).
Cyprian of Carthage
"In Genesis [it says], ‘And God tested Abraham
and said to him, "Take your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the
high land and offer him there as a burnt offering . . ."’ [Gen. 22:1–2].
. . . Of this same thing in the Wisdom of Solomon [it says], ‘Although
in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality
. . .’ [Wis. 3:4]. Of this same thing in the Maccabees [it says], ‘Was
not Abraham found faithful when tested, and it was reckoned to him for
righteousness’ [1 Macc. 2:52; see Jas. 2:21–23]" (Treatises 7:3:15
[A.D. 248]).
"So Daniel, too, when he was required to worship
the idol Bel, which the people and the king then worshipped, in asserting
the honor of his God, broke forth with full faith and freedom, saying,
‘I worship nothing but the Lord my God, who created the heaven and the
earth’ [Dan. 14:5]" (Letters 55:5 [A.D. 253]; Daniel 14 is not in
the Protestant Bible).
Council of Rome
"Now indeed we must treat of the divine scriptures,
what the universal Catholic Church accepts and what she ought to shun.
The order of the Old Testament begins here: Genesis, one book; Exodus,
one book; Leviticus, one book; Numbers, one book; Deuteronomy, one book;
Joshua [Son of] Nave, one book; Judges, one book; Ruth, one book; Kings,
four books [that is, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings]; Paralipomenon [Chronicles],
two books; Psalms, one book; Solomon, three books: Proverbs, one book,
Ecclesiastes, one book, [and] Canticle of Canticles [Song of Songs], one
book; likewise Wisdom, one book; Ecclesiasticus [Sirach], one book . .
. . Likewise the order of the historical [books]: Job, one book; Tobit,
one book; Esdras, two books [Ezra and Nehemiah]; Esther, one book; Judith,
one book; Maccabees, two books" (Decree of Pope Damasus [A.D. 382]).
Council of Hippo
"[It has been decided] that besides the canonical
scriptures nothing be read in church under the name of divine Scripture.
But the canonical scriptures are
as follows: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy, Joshua the Son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, the Kings, four books,
the Chronicles, two books, Job, the Psalter, the five books of Solomon
[Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, and a portion of the Psalms],
the twelve books of the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Tobit,
Judith, Esther, Ezra, two books, Maccabees, two books . . ." (Canon 36
[A.D. 393]).
Council of Carthage III
"[It has been decided] that nothing except the
canonical scriptures should be read in the Church under the name of the
divine scriptures. But the canonical scriptures are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, four books of Kings, Paralipomenon,
two books, Job, the Psalter of David, five books of Solomon, twelve books
of the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Tobit, Judith, Esther,
two books of Esdras, two books of the Maccabees . . ." (Canon 47 [A.D.
397]).
Augustine
"The whole canon of the scriptures, however, in
which we say that consideration is to be applied, is contained in these
books: the five of Moses . . . and one book of Joshua [Son of] Nave, one
of Judges; one little book which is called Ruth . . . then the four of
Kingdoms, and the two of Paralipomenon . . . . [T]here are also others
too, of a different order . . . such as Job and Tobit and Esther and Judith
and the two books of Maccabees, and the two of Esdras . . . . Then there
are the prophets, in which there is one book of the Psalms of David, and
three of Solomon. . . . But as to those two books, one of which is entitled
Wisdom and the other of which is entitled Ecclesiasticus and which are
called ‘of Solomon’ because of a certain similarity to his books, it is
held most certainly that they were written by Jesus Sirach. They must,
however, be accounted among the prophetic books, because of the authority
which is deservedly accredited to them" (Christian Instruction 2:8:13
[A.D. 397]).
"We read in the books of the Maccabees [2 Macc.
12:43] that sacrifice was offered for the dead. But even if it were found
nowhere in the Old Testament writings, the authority of the Catholic Church
which is clear on this point is of no small weight, where in the prayers
of the priest poured forth to the Lord God at his altar the commendation
of the dead has its place" (The Care to be Had for the Dead 1:3
[A.D. 421]).
The Apostolic Constitutions
"Now women also prophesied. Of old, Miriam the
sister of Moses and Aaron [Ex. 15:20], and after her, Deborah [Judges.
4:4], and after these Huldah [2 Kgs. 22:14] and Judith [Judith 8], the
former under Josiah and the latter under Darius" (Apostolic Constitutions
8:2 [A.D. 400]).
Jerome
"What sin have I committed if I follow the judgment
of the churches? But he who brings charges against me for relating [in
my preface to the book of Daniel] the objections that the Hebrews are wont
to raise against the story of Susannah [Dan. 13], the Song of the Three
Children [Dan. 3:29–68, RSV-CE], and the story of Bel and the Dragon [Dan.
14], which are not found in the Hebrew volume, proves that he is just a
foolish sycophant. I was not relating my own personal views, but rather
the remarks that they are wont to make against us. If I did not reply to
their views in my preface, in the interest of brevity, lest it seem that
I was composing not a preface, but a book, I believe I added promptly the
remark, for I said, ‘This is not the time to discuss such matters’" (Against
Rufinius 11:33 [A.D. 401]).
Pope Innocent I
"A brief addition shows what books really are received
in the canon. These are the things of which you desired to be informed
verbally: of Moses, five books, that is, of Genesis, of Exodus, of Leviticus,
of Numbers, of Deuteronomy, and Joshua, of Judges, one book, of Kings,
four books, and also Ruth, of the prophets, sixteen books, of Solomon,
five books, the Psalms. Likewise of the histories, Job, one book, of Tobit,
one book, Esther, one, Judith, one, of the Maccabees, two, of Esdras, two,
Paralipomenon, two books . . ." (Letters 7 [A.D. 408]).
NIHIL OBSTAT:
I have concluded that the materials
presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.
Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004
IMPRIMATUR:
In accord with 1983 CIC 827
permission to publish this work is hereby granted.
+Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004
Interested in reading more about the Bible?
Check out these wonderful titles from the Bible and Theology section of our online Catalogue
(links open in a new window):
Bible
The Ignatius Bible, Hardcover format
The Ignatius Bible, Paperback
Vatican Publications
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pocket Edition
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition
Bible Interpretation
A Guide to the Bible, Antonio Fuentes
Theology for Beginners, Frank J. Sheed
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Dr. Ludwig Ott
Inside The Bible, Kenneth Baker, S.J.
Making Senses Out Of Scripture, Mark Shea
Where Is That In The Bible?, Patrick Madrid
Where We Got the Bible, Bishop Henry G. Graham
St. John's Gospel: A Bible Study Guide And Commentary, Stephen K. Ray
|
