[MA-luh-kahy] {ma3-la1-ji1-shu1}Old Testament – Minor Prophets The Hebrew Bible used by most Jewish people is essentially identical in content to the Old Testament of Protestant Christianity. They are the same Books but in different orders and arrangements. Case in point, we already talked about how Hebrew Scripture concludes with the Book of Chronicles, not Malachi. However, the historical record of Chronicles ended with…
Category: Books
The Prophet Across Ages
Prophet Isaiah 以賽亞 {yi3-sai4-ya3} truly stood out among the prophets of the Old Testament, and so did his Book among other Books. He prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah through the reigns of 4 kings, most notably that of King Hezekiah. Since he started his prophetic duty sometime during Uzziah’s reign, then the entirety of Jotham (16 yrs), Ahaz (16 yrs), and…
Who Is to Judge
Judges 士師記 {shi4-shi1-ji4}Old Testament – Historical Books Egyptians had pharaohs, Babylonians had kings, the United States has presidents, and Canada its prime ministers. For a period of turmoil in Israel’s history, the people had none of those. Instead, Judges ruled their lands. It’s natural to wonder why they were called Judges in the first place, why Judges led…
Haggai
哈該書 {ha1-gai1-shu1}Old Testament – Minor Prophets Trust your instinct on how to pronounce his name: [HA-gahy]. Haggai is a very short Book (2 chapters only) with a laser-focused purpose: directing the Israelites to resume the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple. Remember when King Cyrus of Persia sent the Israelite exiles back to rebuild the temple, then King Artaxerxes stopped…
1/2 Corinthians
哥林多前/後書New Testament – Epistles 1 and 2 Corinthians [kuh-RIN-thee-uhnz] were Paul’s two letters addressed to the church in the city of Corinth [KO-rinth]. Apostle Paul first visited Corinth on his way to preach the Gospel to Macedonia. During his visit, God advised him to lengthen his stay in Corinth, so Paul spent a year and a half…
1, 2, 3
The Bible’s volume management is rarely a serious consideration for most Christians. We flip from page to page and take the Book titles word-for-word without any second thought. Hey, there’s no problem with that. It’s the content that matters most, right? On the other hand, in the world of interpretation where we are burdened with the task of…
Song of Songs
or Song of Solomon雅歌 {ya3-ge1}Old Testament – Wisdom Books The name of this Book comes from its very first verse:Solomon’s Song of Songs.所羅門的歌，是歌中的雅歌。 This Book is remarkable. It not only has two names, (3 if you count Canticles), but is also highly distinguished in its style, message, and purpose compared to all other Books, so distinguished in fact, that…
Apocalypse
啟示錄 {qi3-shi4-lu4}New Testament – Apocalypse(No zombies need apply) The Book of Revelation (Not Revelations) is arguably the most debated and revered Book in the Bible. Its literary style and fantastical content challenge people’s conventional understanding of time, causality, and God’s will regardless of their cultures and eras. Perhaps that’s because it truly is a book from heaven….
Lamentations
耶利米哀歌 {ye1-li4-mi3-ai1-ge1}Old Testament – Major Prophets Lamentations’ pronunciation isn’t tricky at all because… it’s English. The keen eyes among you may have noticed that its Chinese name suggests that the author is Jeremiah 耶利米. Traditionally, this Book was indeed attributed to Jeremiah, hence placed right after the Book of Jeremiah; however, certain evidence suggested otherwise. IMO, authorship bears no impact…
Leviticus
利未記 {li4-wei4-ji4}Old Testament – Penteteuch Pronunciation isn’t particularly hard for this one. It helps to slow down at first:[li-VI-ti-kuhs] As its name suggests, Leviticus addresses the priestly duties within the tribe of Levi. A contemporary reader may find it difficult to relate to the regulations of an ancient but newly minted nation, but Leviticus was a…