What Are the Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible?
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The Deuterocanonical books of the Bible refer to the books written between the Old and New Testament periods. They were accepted by the Jews of that period, particularly the Pharisees. However, they saw them as valuable to Jewish history but not divinely inspired. They held this view because they were written between when the book of Malachi was finished and the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry. This period is known as the intertestamental period.
How Many Deuterocanonical Books Are There?
There are 12 deuterocanonical books: Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Sirach (or the writings of Ben Sirah), 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, Wisdom (Ecclesiasticus), Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Esdras, and 2 Esdras.
They also involve additions to three books accepted in the biblical canon.
Esther
- Adds references to the divine name (Esther is the only Old Testament book that doesn’t mention God by name)
- Major additions and explanations, which detail:
- Mordecai’s dream, which is before Esther 1:1 in the Greek text. In the dream, two dragons are ready to fight. A spring grows into a great river when the righteous nation cries to God.
- After Esther 3:13, the text of Artaxerxes’ edict.
- After Esther 4:17, The prayers of Mordecai and Esther.
- An elaboration on Esther 5:1-2 discusses how the king was angry at Esther’s intrusion and how God softened the king’s heart toward Esther.
- After Esther 8:12, Artexerxes’ edict on behalf of the Jews.
- The interpretation of Mordecai’s dream (Esther 10:4-11:1)
These sections were moved to the end of the book by Jerome in his translation of the Bible into Latin, which may indicate his lack of trust in their authenticity.
Daniel
- Adds several stories to the text
- Begins with the story of Susanna, a Jewish woman falsely accused of adultery but acquitted by Daniel.
- Includes prayers and praises said by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego while inside the furnace.
- Bel and the Dragon, two stories condemning idolatry added at the end of chapter 12.
These sections were moved to the end of the book by Jerome in his translation of the Bible into Latin, which may indicate his lack of trust in their authenticity.
- A Psalm supposedly written by David after he defeated Goliath. It is full of Biblical references. Only the Eastern Orthodox Church accepts this.
Most of the deuterocanonical books are also known as the Apocrypha, which means hidden writings because they were added to the end of most Bibles. Many of the more controversial doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church find their basis in the Apocrypha. Supporters of purgatory and indulgences often refer to the book of 2 Maccabees. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts (3 and 4 Maccabees) as well as Psalm 151, none of which appear in the Apocrypha.
What Does Deuterocanonical Mean?
Deuterocanonical means “second canon,” in the same way the book of Deuteronomy means the “second law.” The deuterocanonical books of the Bible are not viewed as divinely inspired by Jews or most Protestants.
Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians do consider them inspired. The Roman Catholic Church upheld the status of the deuterocanonical books as inspired Scripture in 1546 at the Council of Trent. However, Luther and the rest of the Protestants rejected their status as divinely inspired, citing they did not meet the specifications of 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
What Is the Intertestamental Period When the Deuterocanonical Books Were Written?
The intertestamental period began in about 400 BC when God spoke through the prophet Malachi for the final time. It lasted until the first century AD (Jesus was crucified around 33 AD, and John the Baptist a few years before). Some know it as the four hundred years of silence. It was anything but silent.
During this time, the Jewish people were conquered and reconquered by a division of Alexander the Great’s kingdom known as the Seleucids. Named for one of Alexander’s generals, the Seleucid empire stretched through most of modern-day Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
The Seleucids were not fond of Jewish religious practice. One particularly hostile king, Antiochus Epiphanes, went so far as to set up an altar to Zeus and offer a pig in the Holy of Holies. This was not received well by the Jews and resulted in what is known as the Maccabean revolt. The revolution was a success, led by Judas “The Hammer” Maccabaeus (Maccabaeus means hammer). The revolution resulted in the Jewish people having their own kingdom, known as the Hasmonean dynasty, for 100 years. Many scholars believe that the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) was compiled and agreed upon during this time.
Thanks to Alexander, Greek was the language of the day. As a result, the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek. This translation became known as the Septuagint, which means the seventy writers. This is the Hebrew Bible translation that the New Testament authors quote in their letters. That’s why the references can sometimes differ in their words compared to the original Hebrew.
The intertestamental period also saw Judaism begin to take the shape it had in Jesus’ period. For one thing, many things were written on the resurrection of the dead, much to the chagrin of the Sadducees. Understanding this period can help unlock many of the controversies going on in Jesus’ day.
How Was the Church Canon Selected?
The canon for the Old Testament (also called the Hebrew Canon) was likely compiled between 167 and 67 BC, the Hasmonean Dynasty period. The Jews distinguished between the books written before the cessation of prophecy (Malachi is the last of the minor prophetic books) and those books that followed. The apostles likely had a similar view, as evidenced by the New Testament writers rarely quoting from the Apocrypha.
Bible translator Jerome said of the deuterocanonical books, “The Church reads Judith, Tobit, and the books of Maccabees, but does not admit them among the canonical Scriptures.” He indicates they are valuable for reading to gain context about the Jewish worldview. They are not, however, divinely inspired Scriptures.
Some references in the New Testament originate from certain books of the Apocrypha. The passage about the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-20) borrows heavily from Wisdom 5:18-21. Paul clearly read the books but does not regard them as inspired. He changes the words and ideas within the passage substantially, which he never does with the inspired Word of God.
The New Testament was formed based on the early church fathers’ consensus and on which writings were most widely distributed and believed to originate from the apostles. The Gospels were nearly universally accepted by the early Church, as were the Acts of the Apostles and the writings of Paul.
Can We Learn Anything from the Deuterocanonical Books?
As mentioned earlier, the deuterocanonical books give valuable insight into the worldview of the Jewish leaders Jesus was dealing with. This is evident in 1-2 Maccabees, where the festival of Hanukkah originated. These books laid the backdrop for the zeal of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were one of the parties, along with the Sadducees, who banded together to defeat the Seleucids. However, because the Hasmonean Kings were not from David’s line, the Pharisees rejected them once they rose to power. This forced the ruling class to join forces with the Sadducees, which is why the Sadducees also occupied the role of high priest in Jesus’ time. However, the Hasmoneans and the Sadducees did not see eye to eye on many issues. Hasmoneans believed in the resurrection, whereas the Sadducees did not.
Many Protestant denominations see the deuterocanonical books as valuable but not inspired. They may read the books in church services to provide a historical framework for God’s inspired word that may not be clear to modern readers. That is why article six of the 39 Articles of the Anglican Church says, “The Other Books (as Jerome said) the Church reads for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet does it does not apply to them to establish any doctrine.”
These books may be confusing for some believers. “Why would God allow there to be a different level of book of the Bible?” Thankfully, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can prayerfully figure out what role these books can play in our own walks with God as we trust him to lead us.
Further Reading:
What Are the Lost Books of the Bible?
What Is the Assumption of Moses?
What Is the Book of Enoch and Should It Be in the Bible?
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Pierre Bamin
Ben Reichert works with college students in New Zealand. He graduated from Iowa State in 2019 with degrees in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and agronomy. He is passionate about church history, theology, and having people walk with Jesus. When not working or writing you can find him running or hiking in the beautiful New Zealand Bush.