What Is the Difference Between the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament?

The Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament share most of the same books, but they are arranged and interpreted within different faith communities.

The Hebrew Bible

The Jewish Bible is called the Tanakh:

Torah — Law: Genesis through Deuteronomy
Nevi’im — Prophets
Ketuvim — Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Chronicles, and more

It contains 24 books in its traditional Jewish ordering.

For example, the twelve “Minor Prophets” are one book, and 1–2 Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles are each counted as single books.

The Protestant Old Testament

The Protestant Old Testament has the same basic Hebrew Scriptures, but in a different order and divided into 39 books.

It groups them as:

Law
History
Poetry/Wisdom
Major Prophets
Minor Prophets

It ends with Malachi, while the Tanakh ends with Chronicles. That different ending affects the literary movement: Christians read the Old Testament as leading forward toward Christ and the New Testament.

A deeper difference

“Old Testament” is a Christian name: it places these Scriptures in relation to God’s new covenant in Jesus (Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians 3:14–16).

That does not mean the Hebrew Scriptures are obsolete or lesser. They are God’s word, entrusted first to Israel (Romans 3:1–2), and Christians receive them as Scripture fulfilled—not discarded—in Christ (Matthew 5:17).

One important variation

Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments also include additional books or portions preserved in Greek and received as Scripture in their traditions, such as Wisdom, Sirach, and 1–2 Maccabees. Protestant Bibles usually print these as Apocrypha or omit them.