Classification of the Prophetic Books in the Hebrew Bible

The Prophets (Hebrew: נְבִיאִים, Nəḇî’îm) are the second of the three main divisions of the Hebrew Bible, positioned between the Law and the Writings. (The first division is the Torah, or the Pentateuch; the third is the Ketuvim, or “Writings.”) Prophets were special figures in Israelite history, chosen by God to deliver His messages.

In the Hebrew Bible, according to Jewish tradition, the prophetic books are divided into two parts: the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets. This classification differs from the Christian Old Testament, where the Former Prophets are categorized as historical books and only the Latter Prophets are referred to as the prophetic books. Below is a breakdown of how the prophetic books are classified in the Hebrew Bible according to Jewish tradition:

In the coming days, we will study the Old Testament prophetic books according to this traditional Hebrew classification.