The Bible, sometimes known as the Holy Bible, is a collection of Jewish and Christian holy scriptures that includes both the Old and New Testaments. The Protestant Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible are both religious texts.
They are, however, followed by various people and contain different subject matter. As a result, they are not to be mistaken for one another.
Key Takeaways
- The Hebrew Bible consists of 24 books, while the Protestant Old Testament has 39.
- The Hebrew Bible is in the original Hebrew and Aramaic languages, whereas the Protestant Old Testament is commonly available in translations, such as English.
- Jews primarily use the Hebrew Bible, while Protestant Christians use the Protestant Old Testament.
Hebrew Bible vs Protestant Old Testament
The difference between Hebrew Bible and Protestant Old Testament is that the former is a collection of works that were originally produced and maintained as the Jewish people’s holy texts. The latter, on the other hand, is a Christian Bible. These have been translated or revised by Protestants. The former contains a total of 24 volumes, but the latter contains 39 Old Testament books.
The Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, is a comprehensive compilation of Holy scriptures, including the Torah. The passages are in Biblical Hebrew nearly fully, with a couple of Bible Aramaic portions thrown in.
Many biblical experts argue that the name Hebrew Bible (or Hebrew Scriptures) should be used instead of less neutral terminology with Jewish or Christian implications (e.g., Tanakh or Old Testament). Protestant Bibles are basically Christian Bibles.
39 books represent the Old Testament in these Bibles. Some Protestants do not agree with the difference between protocanonical and deuterocanonical writings because they believe that works are canonical or not, considering books contained in the deuterocanon as part of the Apocrypha, along with the other books.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Hebrew Bible | Protestant Old Testament |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, is a complete collection of the Holy Scriptures, including the Torah. | All bibles are Christian bibles. All of those are religious texts. Protestants have translated or altered them. |
| Followed by | This bible is followed by the Hebrews. | This bible is followed by the Protestants, which is a form of Christianity. |
| Number of books | It contains a total of 24 volumes. | It has 39 texts from the old testament. |
| Number of sections | There are three main sections in this bible. | There are four main sections in this bible. |
| Prophets | It has twelve minor prophets. But all these are condensed into a single book. | There are books for each of the twelve minor prophets. |
What is Hebrew Bible?
The official forum of the manuscript for rabbinic Judaism is Masoretical literature (MT), which consists of 24 works. The latter is classed and classified using perek and pasuk (Chapters and verses of the Bible).
Additional content from Septuagint and other sources are available. They are in the forms of Catholic Bibles and Eastern/Greek Orthodox.
There is another form as well: the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible. (The given texts are translated into Koine Greek).
Many biblical scholars think that the name Hebrew Bible should be used. The word ” Hebrew” in a literal sense refers to the native language of the books.
However, it can also be written and produced in the Aramaic square script. It was chosen as the Hebrew alphabet following the Babylonian exile.
Moreover, the following passes on the Masorite text in the current fragments of the Hebrew Bible. It is primarily observed primarily in the books of Daniel and Ezra.
In its broadest meaning, Hebrew Bible tells of God’s relationship with the Jews. They, as his chosen people, were collectively referred to as Israel.
In accordance with the commencement of the founding works of God and the emergence of the human being, the first six Libres relate to God’s covenant with Abraham. In the book, we see that it was them whom God promised, that they would be the progenitor of a great nation, about Israel from their colonization and settlement of the Promised Land.
What is Protestant Old Testament?
Some Protestants disagree with the distinction between protocanonical and deuterocanonical texts by claiming that work is canonical or otherwise simply and considering writings in the deuterocanon as part of the Apocrypha, including other books. Although the Protestant leaders linked Jerome in the 16th century, the Greek Bible remains the order of most Protestant Bibles.
The majority of them today have been written solely in the Hebrew Bible. Rome formally adopted the canon of Trent just after the Councils of Augustine or of Rome (3 Esdras and 3 and 4 Maccabees are excluded), following the English Civil conflict, the Canon of Trent (3 Esdras and 3 and 4 Maccabees are excluded) and adopted a position of compromise, preserving the 39 Article and maintaining the previously missing books.
Although protestant faiths seldom have Apocrypha bibles, the Apocrypha English Bibles are increasingly widespread than they formerly had been and can be reissued as intertestamental publications. Evangelicals differ in their behaviour towards and participation in the Apocrypha.
Some view the New Testament as a useful theological and historical background, while others either do not or are opposed to it. However, it’s not canonical. Everyone agrees.
Main Differences Between Hebrew Bible and Protestant Old Testament
- The Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, is a complete collection of the Holy Scriptures, including the Torah. In essence, Protestant Bibles are Christian Bibles.
- The Hebrew Bible is followed by the Hebrews, while the Protestant Old Testament is followed by the Protestants, which is a form of Christianity.
- The number of books in the Hebrew Bible and the Pontifical Old Testament is likewise different. The former has a total of 24 books, whereas the latter includes 39 books of the Old Testament.
- There are 3 main sections in the Hebrew Bible, but there are 4 main sections in the old Protestant testament.
- It has twelve minor prophets. But all these are condensed into a single book. On the other hand, there are books for each of the twelve minor prophets in the old Protestant testament.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=w4NIsg8KtM0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Hebrew+Bible+and+Protestant+Old+Testament&ots=JtNIb5cFiA&sig=qUjg8OT_VA5aP6P8TEjS7R4SDoE
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VfoGAAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Hebrew+Bible+and+Protestant+Old+Testament&ots=e7atb0XorJ&sig=nlTdOejaZN25xrhLlbi1eB9zXAI
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
The description of the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Old Testament is comprehensive and well-researched. It’s evident that a lot of effort went into this explanation.
I find it interesting that the Hebrew Bible has 24 books, while the Protestant Old Testament has 39. This post provides valuable information about these texts.
I’m not sure why some Protestants view the deuterocanonical writings as part of the Apocrypha, but this post has provided detailed insights into these religious texts.
The comparison table is an excellent way to distinguish between the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Old Testament. It’s helpful to have all the differences laid out clearly.
I appreciate the in-depth analysis of the main differences between the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Old Testament. It’s a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in religious literature.
The historical background provided for the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Old Testament adds depth to the understanding of these religious texts.
This explanation of the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Old Testament is very enlightening. It’s crucial to understand the differences between these two religious texts.
The information about the Hebrew Bible and the Protestant Old Testament is presented in a clear and unbiased manner. It’s an excellent resource for anyone interested in these texts.