1. Portrait of Jesus. Jesus is the true Messiah, Immanuel (God incarnate with his people), Son of God, King of […]

Creation day Psalm 104 verses Day 1 2a: light Day 2 2b–4: the “expanse” divides the waters Day 3 […]

Day Event Matthew Mark Luke John Friday/Saturday Jesus arrives in Bethany 12:1 Mary anoints Jesus 12:2–8 Crowd comes […]

Parable Matthew Mark Luke The Purpose of the Parables 13:10–17 4:10–12 8:9–10 The Sower 13:1–9, 18–23 4:1–9, 13–20 […]

Matthew 10:2–4 Mark 3:16–19 Luke 6:14–16 John (various verses) Acts 1:13 1. Simon, who is called Peter 1. […]

The authoritative message of the Messiah (Sermon on the Mount) chs. 5–7 The authoritative mission of the Messiah’s […]

5 b.c.* Jesus is born in Bethlehem. 4 b.c. Jesus’ family flees to Egypt to escape from Herod’s plan to […]

The OT prophets, writing from the vantage point of their present age (the time of promise), spoke of […]

Middle Platonists Expanded and dogmatized upon Plato’s concept of the realm of ideas/forms as more substantial than their […]

Augustus 31 b.c.–a.d. 14 Tiberius a.d. 14–37 Gaius Caligula a.d. 37–41 Claudius a.d. 41–54 Nero a.d. 54–68

This simplified version of the Herodian family tree focuses on those most relevant to NT study. Dates indicate […]

334–330b.c. Alexander the Great (356–323 b.c.) sweeps through Asia Minor and conquers the Persian Empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia […]

Date Roman Emperors Roman Prefects/Procurators of Judea and Samaria Roman Prefects/ Procurators of All Israel Herodian Dynasty (37b.c.–a.d.93) […]

Second Temple Judaism developed as political authority changed hands from the Persians to the Greeks, to the Jewish […]

The word “covenant” (Hb. berit) in the OT entails four essential components: (1) a relationship (2) with a nonrelative […]

Why does the title “Lord of hosts” appear more frequently in Malachi than in any other OT book, and […]

Disputation Reference Summary Focus Disputation 1 1:2–5 Malachi begins by defending the reality of God’s elective love for […]

Vision Passage Content Summary Zechariah’s Question(s) to the Messenger Promise/Outcome 1 1:7–17 Vision of horsemen who “patrol the […]

Reference Date 1:1 eighth month of the second year of Darius October/November 520b.c. 1:7 24th day of the […]

Zechariah Text Content Summary NT Passages 9:9 the king comes to Zion humble and riding a donkey Matt. […]

Oracle Reference Date First 1:1 1st day of 6th month (Aug. 29) Second 1:15 24th day of 6th […]

The Neo-Assyrian period (935–609 b.c.) brought renewed threats from the Assyrians. God used the Assyrians to chasten wayward Israel. […]

1:2 The Lord confronts Jonah with the evil of the city Nineveh. 1:7 The sailors decide to cast lots to […]

If chapter 1 … then chapter 2 … 1. describes an actual locust infestation … presents a heightened description of the same invasion. […]

Babylonian Empire (625–539 b.c.) Medo–Persian Empire(539–331b.c.) Greek Empire (331–63 b.c.) Roman Empire(63b.c.–a.d.476) Future Events Vision of Statue(ch. 2) head of gold (vv. […]

Babylon Nebuchadnezzar’s 1st year 605 b.c. ch. 1 Nebuchadnezzar’s 2nd year 604 ch. 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s reign 605–562 chs. 3–4 […]

Babylon Nebuchadnezzar 605–562 b.c. Nabonidus 556–539 Co-regent Belshazzar 550–539 Persia Cyrus 539–530 Darius I 522–486

Reference Year/month/day following exile of Jehoiachin Modern equivalent*/yearb.c. Situation 1:2 5th year / 4th month / 5th day […]

Jeremiah Lamentations I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26) The Lord has scorned … his sanctuary […]

Jeremiah 52 Parallels in 2 Kings 24–25 Parallels in Jeremiah 39 vv. 1–11 24:18–25:7 vv. 4–11 vv. 1–7 vv. 12–27 […]

Date Event 628/627 b.c. Josiah’s cleansing of the temple (12th year of Josiah’s reign) 627 Jeremiah’s call (13th year […]

Dates Passage Under Josiah (627–609 b.c.) 1:1–19 3:6–6:30 Under Jehoahaz (609) and Jehoiakim (609–597) 7:1–34 25:1–38 26:1–24 35:1–19 36:1–32 […]

Isaiah 1–39 Isaiah 40–55 Isaiah 56–66 Date and Setting The eighth century b.c.(700s); the Assyrian threat Prophecies about the […]

Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Nahum Zephaniah Zechariah* Ammon […]

Uzziah’s death; Isaiah’s call ch. 6 740 b.c. Days of Ahaz ch. 7 c. 735 Assyrian invasion chs. 36–38 […]

Isaiah prophesied “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (1:1). Kings of Judah […]

Timeline King of Judah // Event Prophet to Judah Prophet to Israel King of Israel // Event 780 b.c. […]

Ps. 22:18 They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. And when they […]

Book 1 Psalms 1–41 Psalms 1–2 have no titles that attribute authorship (but see Acts 4:25 for Psalm 2); they provide an […]

Term Explanation Example Image A word or phrase that names a concrete action or thing; by extension, a […]

Psalm Incident References 3 David flees from and battles Absalom 2 Samuel 15–17 7 The words of Cush, […]

Category Hebrew Term Meaning general shir song tehillah prayer, song of praise zamir/zimrah song qinah lament, dirge, with […]

The events of Esther unfold over a period of 10 years. Reference Event Month Day Year of Ahasuerus’s […]

Event Month/Day Year Reference Hanani brings Nehemiah a report from Jerusalem (20th year of Artaxerxes I) 445–444 b.c. 1:1 […]

Ezra 7:6 The king granted Ezra all that he asked for the hand of the Lord his God […]

Cyrus 539–530 b.c. Darius I 522–486 Xerxes (Ahasuerus) 485–464 Artaxerxes I 464–423

Ezra 4:5 The people of the land hired counselors to work against the Israelites from the reigns of […]

Event Year Reference Cyrus king of Persia captures Babylon 539 b.c. Dan. 5:30–31 First year of King Cyrus; issues […]

Ezra 1–6 537–515 b.c. Ezra 7–Nehemiah 13 458–433 b.c.

Relationship of Ezra–Nehemiah to 1–2 Chronicles 1–2 Chronicles Ezra–Nehemiah Chronicles ends with the Cyrus Edict. Ezra begins with […]

In contrast to 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings, the Chronicler focuses overwhelmingly on the religious significance of the […]

1 Chronicles 2 Samuel Genealogies 1:1–9:44 Death of Saul and sons 10:1–14 1 Sam. 31:1–2 Sam. 1:16 Lament […]

Events Dates Passages Foundation of the Davidic monarchy c. 1010–931b.c. 1 Chronicles 10–2 Chronicles 9 History of Judah […]

King Years of Reign Total Years Accession Year* Possible Co-Reigns References in 1–2 Kings** Notes Jeroboam I 931/930–911/910 […]

King Years of Reign Total Years Accession Year* Possible Co-Reigns References in 1–2 Kings** Notes Rehoboam 931/930–915/914 17 […]

Good Bad Mixture of good and bad Kings of Israel Kings of Judah Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25–33) Rehoboam (1 Kings […]

Positives Negatives David’s chosen heir (ch. 1) Gained power in bloody coup (ch. 2) Nathan’s early support (ch. […]

David’s Rise (1 Samuel 16–2 Samuel 10) David’s Failures (2 Samuel 11–20) Eager holy warrior Remains in palace […]

Saul David Holy Spirit removed; evil spirit given (16:14–23) Anointed with Holy Spirit (16:1–13) Jealous and treacherous (ch. […]

1 Sam. 3:3 The Lord calls to Samuel who is sleeping in the tent of meeting, “where the […]

Decline of Eli’s Sons Rise of Samuel Wickedness of Eli’s sons (1 Sam. 2:12–17) Samuel approved by Eli […]

1 Samuel Incident Psalm 19:11 David’s house surrounded 59 21:10–11 David seized by Achish 56 21:12–22:1 David escapes […]

Micah and the Danite Migration (chs. 17–18) Gibeah’s Deed and Their Punishment (chs. 19–21) Religious Deterioration Moral Deterioration […]

Part 1: Three mentions of the “Spirit of the Lord” 1. The killing of the lion 14:5–9 “The Spirit […]

1. The Canaanites had superior arms and fortifications 1:19 2. Israel was disposed to make alliances with the […]

Pattern Outline Othniel Ehud Deborah Gideon Jephthah Samson Apostasy 2:11–13 3:7 3:12a 4:1 6:1a 10:6 13:1a Servitude 2:14–15 […]

God’s sending of judges to Israel repeatedly followed a fourfold cycle: apostasy: the Israelites do what is evil […]

Judge Reference Tribe Oppressor Period of Oppression Period of Rest Total Length of Time* Othniel 3:7–11 Judah Mesopotamians […]

Element Function Verses preamble introduces the suzerain (i.e., the sovereign) v. 2 historical prologue recounts the suzerain’s past […]

4:20 Gilgal a reminder of God’s faithfulness in bringing Israel safely across the Jordan into the Promised Land […]

Positive: Jericho (chs. 2–6) Negative: Ai (7:1–8:29) An assurance of victory (6:2) No assurance of victory (until 8:1) Ritual […]

Transjordan tribes assent to Joshua with same response as to Moses at Sinai. 1:12–18 “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today […]

“Table of Contents” Item: Corresponds To: “arise, go over this Jordan … into the land that I am giving … […]

1406 [or 1220] b.c. Moses’ death; Israel’s entry into Canaan under Joshua [See The Date of the Exodus] 1375 [or […]

Ancient Treaty Structure Deuteronomy Preamble 1:1–5 Historical Prologue 1:6–4:49 General Stipulations 5:1–11:32 Specific Stipulations 12:1–26:19 Blessings and Curses […]

Day Chief Tribe 1 Nahshon Judah 2 Nethanel Issachar 3 Eliab Zebulun 4 Elizur Reuben 5 Shelumiel Simeon […]

Occasion Bulls Rams Lambs Goats Every day (28:3–8) 2 Sabbath (28:9–10) 2 1st day of month (28:11–15) 2 […]

Reference Event Date* Event Reference Ex. 40:2 Tabernacle set up 1.1.2 Tabernacle set up Num. 7:1 Lev. 1:1 […]

Ex. 18:1 Advice from Moses’ father-in-law Advice from Moses’ father-in-law Num. 10:29 Ex. 15:22 Three-day journey to Sinai […]

The Sabbath principle permeates each of these feasts, which are intended to express the divine-human relationship. Each feast […]

Tolerated Punishable/Sinful Discharges (Leviticus 12; 16) Forgotten cleansing (Numbers 5–6; 19) Skin diseases (Leviticus 13–14) Idolatry, homicide, illicit […]

Holy Unclean Life Death Priests Physically impaired priests Clean non-priests Unclean non-priests Human corpses Sacrificial animals Blemished sacrificial […]

Name of Sacrifice Types of Animal Hand-laying Use of Blood Priestly Portions Lay Portions Burnt Cattle, sheep, goats, […]

Name Emphasis Focus is on the general procedure or reasons for the offerings Focus is on the proper […]

Exodus records the instructions and events of the plagues for the purpose of showing how the Lord revealed […]

Declarations Hardenings I [Yahweh] will harden Pharaoh’s heart. Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. […]

Moses’ Questions and Concerns Yahweh’s Responses and Signs Who am I that I should go? (3:11). I will […]

Location Age Reference Egypt 0–40 Ex. 2:11; Acts 7:23 Midian 41–80 Ex. 2:15; 7:7; Acts 7:29–30 The wilderness 81–120 Deut. […]

Adam (5:3–5) 130/930 Seth (5:6–8) 105/912 Enosh (5:9–11) 90/905 Kenan (5:12–14) 70/910 Mahalalel (5:15–17) 65/895 Jared (5:18–20) 162/962 […]

Action Purpose Desire They built a city .… … in order not to be dispersed over the face of […]

Event Age of Joseph Genesis Joseph’s father Jacob moves family from Haran to Canaan 6 31:17–21 Joseph sold […]

Event Age of Jacob Genesis Jacob’s grandfather Abraham dies 15 25:7 Jacob sent to Laban in Haran 77 […]

Event Age of Isaac Genesis Isaac’s mother Sarah dies 37 23:1 Isaac marries Rebekah 40 25:20 Isaac fathers […]

Offspring Explanation Examples Natural, physical offspring Physical descendants of Abraham Ishmael, Isaac, the sons of Keturah (and by […]

Event Age of Abraham Genesis Abram departs from Haran, enters Canaan 75 12:4–5 Abram fathers Ishmael with Hagar […]

Dates are in the form of month, day, and Noah’s year, as given in the text. Hence, 2/10/600 […]

Location Inhabitants 1. Light and dark 4. Lights of day and night 2. Sea and sky 5. Fish […]

Primeval History (1:1–11:26) Introduction General heading Specific heading Section introduced 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens […]

The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon […]

The following dates (all b.c.) are close approximations based on correlating dates between the Bible and other ancient Near […]