Companion to the Bible | Page 5

the Events that followed--V. _Deuteronomy_--12. Its Peculiar Character, Divisions, and Contents--13. It brings the Whole Pentateuch to a Suitable Close

CHAPTER XX.
THE HISTORICAL BOOKS. 1 and 2. Their Office to Unfold the History of God's Dealings with the Covenant People--General Remarks on the Character of this History--I. _Joshua_--3. Contents of this Book. Its Immediate Connection with the Pentateuch--Its Two Divisions with their Contents--4. Its Authorship--5. Its Authenticity and Credibility--The Miracle of the Arrest of the Sun and Moon in their Course--II. _Judges and Ruth_--6. Name of this Book--Office of the Judges whose History it records--Condition of the Hebrew Nation during the Administration of the Judges--Office of this Book in the General Plan of Redemption--7. Arrangement of its Materials--its Twofold Introduction; the Body of its History; its Two Appendixes--8. Its Date and Authorship--9. Uncertainty of its Chronology--10. The Book of Ruth. Its Place in the History of Redemption--III. _The Books of Samuel_--11. The Two Books of Samuel originally One Work--Their Name--12. Their Office in the History of Redemption--Eventful Character of the Period whose History they record--Change to the Kingly Form of Government--God's Design in this--The Kingly Office Typical of Christ--13. Contents of the Books of Samuel--Introductory Division; Second Division; Third Division--14. Authorship and Date of their Composition--IV. _The Books of Kings_--15. They Originally constituted a Single Book--Their Names and Office--Their Manner of Execution--Their Main Divisions--16. The First Period--17. The Second Period--18. The Third Period--19. Chronology of the Books of Kings. Their Date and Authorship--V. _The Books of Chronicles_--20. They originally constituted One Work--Their Various Names--They constitute an Independent Work--Their Office different from that of the Books of Kings--Peculiarities which distinguish them from these Books--Particular Attention to the Matter of Genealogy; Fullness of Detail in Respect to the Temple Service; Omission of the History of the Kingdom of Israel; other Omissions--21. Position of the Chronicles in the Hebrew Canon--Their Authorship and Date--Their Relation to the Books of Kings--22. Difficulties connected with these Books--VI. _Ezra and Nehemiah_--23. General Remarks on these Books--Change in the Relation of the Hebrews to the Gentile Nations--Gradual Withdrawal of Supernatural Manifestations--24. While the Theocracy went steadily forward to the Accomplishment of its End--The Jews reclaimed from Idolatry in Connection with the Captivity--Establishment of the Synagogue Service and its Great Influence--25. The Book of Ezra--Its Authorship--Parts written in Chaldee--Persian Monarchs mentioned by Ezra and Nehemiah--26. The Book of Nehemiah--Its Contents and Divisions--First Division; Second Division; Third Division--27. Authorship and Date of the Book--VII. _Esther_--28. Contents of this Book--Feast of Purim--29. The Ahasuerus of this Book--Remarks on its History

CHAPTER XXI.
THE POETICAL BOOKS (INCLUDING ALSO ECCLESIASTES AND CANTICLES). 1. Books reckoned as Poetical by the Hebrews--Hebrew System of Accentuation--A. _Characteristics of Hebrew Poetry_--_Its Spirit_--Harmony with the Spirit of the Theocracy; Vivid Consciousness of God's Presence; Originality; Freshness and Simplicity of Thought; Variety--Job and Isaiah. David, Solomon; Diversity of Themes; Oriental Imagery; Theocratic Imagery--_Form of Hebrew Poetry_--3. Its Rhythm that of Clauses--Antithetic Parallelism; Synonymous Parallelism; Synthetic Parallelism--Combinations of the above Forms--Freedom of Hebrew Poetry--Peculiarities of Diction--_Office of Hebrew Poetry_--4. The Celebration of God's Interpositions in Behalf of the Covenant People; Song for the Sanctuary Service; Didactic Poetry; Prophetic Poetry--B. _The Several Poetical Books_--I. _Job_--1. Survey of its Plan--6. Its Design to Show the Nature of God's Providential Government over Men--7. Age to which Job belonged--Age and Authorship of the Book--8. Its Historic Character--II. _The Book of Psalms_--9. Its Office--Authors of the Psalms--Date of their Composition--10. External Division of the Psalms into five Books--First Book; Second Book; Third Book; Fourth Book; Fifth Book--Subscription appended to the Second Book--Principle of Arrangement--Attempted Classification of the Psalms--Frequent Quotation of the Psalms in the New Testament--11. Titles of the Psalms--the Dedicatory Title; Titles relating to the Character of the Composition to the Musical Instruments, or the Mode of Musical Performance--These Titles very Ancient, but not in all Cases Original--III. _The Proverbs of Solomon_--12. Place of this Book in the System of Divine Revelation--13. Its Outward Form--First Part; Second Part; Third Part; Fourth Part--14. Arrangement of the Book in its Present Form--IV. _Ecclesiastes_--15. Authorship of this Book and its View of Life--16. Summary of its Contents--V. _The Song of Solomon_--17. Meaning of the Title. Ancient Jewish and Christian View of this Song--18. It is not a Drama, but a Series of Descripture Pictures--Its Great Theme--Caution in Respect to the Spiritual Interpretation of it

CHAPTER XXII.
The Greater Prophets. 1. General Remarks on the Prophetical Writings--2. Different Offices of the Prophets under the Theocracy--Their Office as Reprovers--3. As Expounders of the Mosaic Law in its Spirituality--4. And of its End, which was Salvation through the Future Redeemer--They wrote in the Decline of the Theocracy--Their Promises fulfilled only in Christ--I. _Isaiah_--5. He is the First in Order, but not the Earliest of the Prophets--His Private History almost wholly Unknown--Jewish Tradition Concerning him--Period of his Prophetic Activity--6. Two Great Divisions of his Prophecies--Plans for