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3. Common Texts, Different Scriptures

INFORMATION SHEET

The Different Canons of Scripture

Roman Catholic Protestant Jewish Tanakh
  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy
  6. Joshua
  7. Judges
  8. Ruth
  9. 1 Samuel
  10. 2 Samuel
  11. 1 Kings
  12. 2 Kings
  13. 1 Chronicles
  14. 2 Chronicles
  15. Ezra
  16. Nehemiah
  17. Tobit
  18. Judith
  19. Esther (+ additions)
  20. 1 Maccabees
  21. 2 Maccabees
  22. Job
  23. Psalms
  24. Proverbs
  25. Ecclesiastes
  26. Song of Songs
  27. Wisdom of Solomon
  28. Sirach
  29. Isaiah
  30. Jeremiah
  31. Lamentations 
  32. Baruch
  33. Ezekiel
  34. Daniel (+ additions)
  35. Hosea
  36. Joel
  37. Amos
  38. Obadiah
  39. Jonah
  40. Micah
  41. Nahum
  42. Habakkuk
  43. Zephaniah
  44. Haggai
  45. Zechariah
  46. Malachi

 
  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy
  6. Joshua
  7. Judges
  8. Ruth
  9. 1 Samuel
  10. 2 Samuel
  11. 1 Kings
  12. 2 Kings
  13. 1 Chronicles
  14. 2 Chronicles
  15. Ezra
  16. Nehemiah
  17. Esther 
  18. Job
  19. Psalms
  20. Proverbs
  21. Ecclesiastes
  22. Song of Songs
  23. Isaiah
  24. Jeremiah
  25. Lamentations
  26. Ezekiel
  27. Daniel 
  28. Hosea
  29. Joel
  30. Amos
  31. Obadiah
  32. Jonah
  33. Micah
  34. Nahum
  35. Habakkuk
  36. Zephaniah
  37. Haggai
  38. Zechariah
  39. Malachi

Apocrypha:

  1. Tobit

  2. Judith
  3. additions to Esther
  4. Wisdom of Solomon
  5. Sirach
  6. Baruch
  7. additions to Daniel
  8. 1 Maccabees
  9. 2 Maccabees
  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy
  6. Joshua
  7. Judges
  8. 1 & 2 Samuel
  9. 1 & 2 Kings
  10. Isaiah
  11. Jeremiah
  12. Ezekiel
  13. The Twelve
  • Hosea
  • Joel
  • Amos
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Micah
  • Nahum
  • Habakkuk
  • Zephaniah
  • Haggai
  • Zechariah
  • Malachi
  1. Psalms
  2. Job
  3. Proverbs
  4. Ruth
  5. Song of Songs
  6. Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth)
  7. Lamentations
  8. Esther
  9. Daniel
  10. Ezra-Nehemiah
  11. 1 & 2 Chronicles

 
Final "Old Testament" words in the Christian Bible: 

"Lo, I will send you, Elijah, the prophet / Before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day / To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children / and the hearts of the children to their fathers / Lest I come and strike the land with doom" (Malachi 3:23-24).

 Final words in the Tanakh: 

"Thus said King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and has charged me with building Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any one of you of all His people, the Lord his God be with him and let him go up" (2 Chr 36:23).

The "New Testament"

  1. Gospel of Matthew
  2. Gospel of Mark
  3. Gospel of Luke
  4. Gospel of John
  5. Acts of Apostles
  6. Romans
  7. 1 Corinthians
  8. 2 Corinthians
  9. Galatians
  10. Ephesians
  11. Philippians
  12. Colossians
  13. 1 Thessalonians
  14. 2 Thessalonians
  15. 1 Timothy
  16. 2 Timothy
  17. Titus
  18. Philemon
  19. Hebrews
  20. James
  21. 1 Peter
  22. 2 Peter
  23. 1 John
  24. 2 John
  25. 3 John 
  26. Jude
  27. Revelation
 Rabbinic Writings

[Although not canonically scriptural, the Oral Law expressed in the Mishnah and expounded upon in the Talmud is considered by Jews to be equally authoritative with the Tanakh.]

 

The Interpretation of the Bible in the [Roman Catholic] Church 

(excerpts from a 1993 statement of the Pontifical Biblical Commission)

 

The Catholic Church sees biblical interpretation as comprised of two complementary activities: 1. exegesis (the study of a biblical text to draw out its meaning on its own terms); and 2. actualization (the process of bringing the text to bear on the life of the church today).  The excerpts presented below comment on these two facets of Catholic biblical interpretation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CATHOLIC INTERPRETATION

[III] Catholic exegesis [biblical study] freely makes use of the scientific methods and approaches which allow a better grasp of the meaning of texts in their linguistic, literary, socio-cultural, religious and historical contexts, while explaining them as well through studying their sources and attending to the personality of each author. Catholic exegesis actively contributes to the development of new methods and to the progress of research.

[III,A3] Granted that the expression of faith, such as it is found in the sacred Scripture acknowledge by all, has had to renew itself continually in order to meet new situations, which explains the "rereadings" of many of the biblical texts, the interpretation of the bible should likewise involve an aspect of creativity; it also ought to confront new questions so as to respond to them out of the Bible.

Granted that tensions can exist in the relationship between various texts of sacred Scripture, interpretation must necessarily show a certain pluralism. No single interpretation can exhaust the meaning of the whole, which is a symphony of many voices. Thus the interpreter of one particular text has to avoid seeking to dominate at the expense of others.

Sacred Scripture is in dialogue with communities of believers: It has come from their traditions of faith. . . . Dialogue with Scripture in its entirety, which means dialogue with the understanding of the faith prevailing in earlier times, must be matched by a dialogue with the generation of today. Such dialogue will mean establishing a relationship of continuity. It will also involve acknowledging differences. Hence the interpretation of Scripture involves a work of sifting and setting aside; it stands in continuity with earlier exegetical traditions, many elements of which it preserves and makes its own; but in other matters it will go its own way, seeking to make further progress.

INTERPRETATION IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

[IV,A] [W]ithin the Bible itself . . . one can point to instances of actualization: very early texts have been reread in the light of new circumstances and applied to the contemporary situation of the people of God. The same basic conviction stimulates believing communities of today to continue the process of actualization.

[IV,A,1] Actualization cannot mean manipulation of the text. It is not a matter of projecting novel opinions or ideologies upon biblical writings, but of sincerely seeking to discover what the text has to say at the present time.

[IV,A,2] Actualization presupposes a correct exegesis of the text, part of which is the determining of its literal sense. Persons engaged in the work of actualization who do not themselves have training in exegetical procedures should have recourse to good introductions to Scripture; this will ensure that their interpretation proceeds in the right direction.

[IV,A,3] Clearly to be rejected also is every attempt at actualization set in a direction contrary to evangelical justice and charity, such as, for example, the use of the bible to justify racial segregation, anti-Semitism, or sexism whether on the part of men or women. Particular attention is necessary, according to the spirit of the Second Vatican Council (Nostra Aetate, 4), to avoid absolutely any actualization of certain texts of the New Testament which could provoke or reinforce unfavorable attitudes toward the Jewish people. The tragic events of the past must, on the contrary, impel all to keep unceasing in mind that, according to the New Testament, the Jews remain "beloved" of God, "since the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:28-29).

Catholic Weekly First Readings (Cycle A)

These are the first readings heard at Catholic Sunday Masses for one year of a three-year cycle. Many other Christian churches that use such readings or "lections" distributed over the course of a year use a very similar selection. For most of the year they come from the "Old Testament." 

Sunday First Reading
1st Sunday of Advent  Isa 2:1-5
2nd Sunday of Advent Isa 11:1-10
3rd Sunday of Advent  Isa 35:1-6a, 10
4th Sunday of Advent  Isa 7:10-14
Christmas: Vigil Mass Isa 62:1-5
Christmas: Mass at Midnight Isa 9:1-6
Christmas: Mass at Dawn  Isa 62:11-12
Christmas: Mass during the Day Isa 52:7-10
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas: 
The Holy Family		 Sir 3:3-7, 14-17a 
Second Sunday after Christmas Sir 24:1-4, 12-16 
Jan. 6: The Epiphany of the Lord – ABC Isa 60:1-6
The Baptism of the Lord
[1st Sunday in Ordinary Time] 		 Isa 42:1-4, 6-7
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 49: 3, 5-6
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 8:23b—9:3
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Zeph 2:3, 3:12-13
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 58:7-10
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Sir 15:16-21
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Lev 19:1-2, 17-18
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 49:14-15
1st Sunday of Lent Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7
2nd Sunday of Lent Gen 12:1-4a 
3rd Sunday of Lent  Exod 17:3-7
4th Sunday of Lent  1 Sam 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
5th Sunday of Lent  Ezek 37:12-14
Palm Sunday: At the Mass Isa 50:4-7
The Easter Vigil Use at least three readings, always including #3:

1) Gen 1:1-2:2 or 1, 26-31a

2) Gen 22:1-18 or 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

3) Exod 14:15—15:1

4) Isa 54:5-14

5) Isa 55:1-11

6) Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4

7) Ezek 36:16-17a, 18-28 
Easter Sunday Acts 10:34a, 37-43
2nd Sunday of Easter Acts 2:42-47
3rd Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14, 22-33 
4th Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a, 36-41
5th Sunday of Easter Acts 6:1-7
6th Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
7th Sunday of Easter Acts 1:12-14
Pentecost Sunday: Vigil Mass Gen 11:1-9 or Exod 19:3-8a, 16-20b
or Ezek 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5
Pentecost Sunday: Mass During the Day Acts 2:1-11
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time Deut 11:18, 26-28, 32 
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Hos 6:3-6
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Exod 19:2-6a
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 20:10-13
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Zech 9:9-10
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 55:10-11
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 12:13, 16-19
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 55:1-3
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 56:1, 6-7
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 22:19-23 
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 20:7-9
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  Ezek 33:7-9
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Sir 27:30-28:7
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 55:6-9
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Ezek 18:25-28
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 5:1-7
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 25:6-10a
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Isa 45:1, 4-6
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time  Exod 22:20-26
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Mal 1:14b—2:2b, 8-10
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 6:12-16
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  Prov 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
34th or Last Sunday in Ordinary Time: 
Christ the King 		 Ezek 34:11-12, 15-17

Jewish Weekly Bible Readings 

Below is a list of the weekly Sabbath readings from the Torah, which are organized on an annual cycle. The haftarah is a reading from the Nevi'im (the Prophets) that relates in some way to the Torah portion of the week. On special occasions, readings from the Ketuvim (the Writings) are added. 

GENESIS - Bereshit ("In the beginning")
Name Parsha Haftarah reading (eastern European)

Bereshit

Genesis 1:1 -6:8

 Isaiah 42.5-43.10

Noah

Genesis 6:9 - 11:32

 Isaiah 54.1-55.5 

Lekh Lekha

Genesis  12:1 - 17:27

 Isaiah 40.27-41.16

VaYera

Genesis18:1 - 22:24

 II Kings 4.1-37 

Chayay Sarah

Genesis 23:1 - 25:18

 I Kings 1.1-31

Toledot

Genesis 25:19 - 28:9

 Malachi 1.1-2.7

VaYetze

Genesis 28:10 - 32:3

 Hosea 12.13-14.10 (or + Micah 7.18)  

VaYishlach

Genesis 32:4 - 36:43

 Obadiah 1.1-21 (or Hosea 11.7-12.12)

VaYeshev

Genesis 37:1 - 40:23

 Amos 2.6-3.8

Miketz

Genesis 41:1 - 44:17

 I Kings 3.15-4.1

VaYigash

Genesis 44:18 - 47:27

 Ezekiel 37.15-28

VaYechi

Genesis 47:28 - 50:26

 I Kings 2.1-12

EXODUS - Shemot ("The names")

Shemoth

Exodus 1:1 - 6:1

 Isaiah 27.6-28.13, 29.22-23 

VaEra

Exodus 6:2 - 9:35

 Ezekiel 28.25-29.21

Bo

Exodus 10:1 - 13:16

 Jeremiah 46.13-28

BeShalach

Exodus 13:17 - 17:16

 Judges 4.4-5.31 

Yithro

Exodus 18:1 - 20:23

 Isaiah 6.1-7.6, 9.5-6 

Mishpatim

Exodus 21:1 - 24:18

 Jeremiah 34.8-22, 33.25-26

Terumah

Exodus 25:1 - 27:19

 I Kings 5.26-6.13

Tetzaveh

Exodus 27:20 - 30:10

 Ezekiel 43.10-27

Ki Thisa

Exodus 30:11 - 34:35

 I Kings 18.1-39 

VaYakhel

Exodus 35:1 - 38:20

 I Kings 7.40-50 

Pekudey

Exodus 38:21 - 40:38

 I Kings 7.51-8.21 

LEVITICUS - Va"Yakra ("And he called ...")

VaYikra

Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26

 Isaiah 43.21-44.23

Tzav

Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

 Jeremiah 7.21-8.3, 9.22-23

Shemini

Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47

 II Samuel 6.1-7.17

Tazria

Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59

 II Kings 4.42-5.19

Metzorah

Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33

 II Kings 7.3-20

Acharey Moth

Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30

 Ezekiel 22.1-19 

Kedoshim

Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27

 Amos 9.7-15 

Emor

Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23

 Ezekiel 44.15-31

BeHar

Leviticus 25:1 - 26:2

 Jeremiah 32.6-27

BeChuko-Thai

Leviticus 26:3 - 27:24

 Jeremiah 16.19-17.14

NUMBERS - BeMidbar ("In the wilderness...")

BeMidbar

Numbers 1:1 - 4:20

 Hosea 2.1-22

Naso

Numbers 4:21 - 7:89

 Judges 13.2-25

BeHa'alothekha

 Numbers 8:1 - 12:16 Zechariah 2.14-4.7

Sh'lach

Numbers 13:1 - 15:41

 Joshua 2.1-24

Korach

Numbers 16:1 - 18:32

 I Samuel 11.14-12.22

Chukath

Numbers 19:1 - 22:1

 Judges 11.1-33

Balak

Numbers 22:2 - 25:9

 Micah 5.6-6.8

Pinchas

Numbers 25:10 - 30:1

 I Kings 18.46-19.21

Mattoth

Numbers 30:2 - 32:42

 Jeremiah 1.1-2.3

Massey

Numbers 33:1 - 36:13

 Jeremiah 2.4-28, 3.4, 4.1-2 

DEUTERONOMY - Devarim ("Words")

Devarim

Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22

 Isaiah 1.1-27

VeEtChanan

Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11

 Isaiah 40.1-26

Ekev

Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25

 Isaiah 49.14-51.3

Re'eh

Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17

 Isaiah 54.11-55.5

Shoftim

Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9

 Isaiah 51.12-52.12

Ki Titze

Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:18

 Isaiah 54.1-10

Ki Tavo

Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8

 Isaiah 60.1-22

Netzavim

Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20

 Isaiah 61.10-63.9

Vayelech

Deuteronomy 31:1 - 31:30

 Isaiah 55.6-56.8

HaAzinu

Deuteronomy 32:1 - 32:52

 II Samuel 22.1-51

VeZot HaBerakhah

Deuteronomy 33:1 - 34:12

 Joshua 1.1-18