Some Totals
Total number of books in the Old Testament – 39
Total number of chapters in the Old Testament – 929
Total number of books in the New Testament – 27
Total number of chapters in the New Testament – 260
Total number of verses in the Old Testament – 23,145
Total number of verses in the New Testament – 7,959
The shortest book in the Old Testament is Obadiah.
The shortest chapter in the Old Testament is Esther 10.
Some Firsts
The first mention of believing in the Old Testament is in Genesis 15:6.
The first historical notice of idolatry is in Joshua 24:2.
The first person in Scripture termed a “Hebrew” is Abram (Gen. 14:13).
The first altar spoken of is Noah’s (Gen. 8:20).
The first polygamist was Lamech (Gen. 4:19).
The first worker for salvation was Cain (Gen. 4).
The first city builder and murderer was Cain (Gen. 4).
The first conqueror and hunter was Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-11).
The first recorded instance of a son dying before his father is noted in Genesis 11:28.
The first recorded instance of a daughter being born is noted in Genesis 4.
The first general confederacy amongst men is recorded in Genesis 11:1-6.
For the first time the Hebrews are termed Jews; see 2 Kings 16:6.
The first mention of Assyria after the days of Nimrod, is noted in 2 Kings 15:19.
The first, second, and third kings of all Israel each reigned the probationary period of 40 years.
The first notice of the Rainbow — token of Divine goodness — is in Genesis 9.
Some Titles
Abimelech was a common title of a race of Philistine kings.
Pharaoh was the royal designation of the Egyptian monarchs.
Antiochus was the royal title borne by the kings of the North, or of Syria.
Ptolemy was the royal title of the kings of the South, or of Egypt.
Caesar was the title borne by the first Roman emperors.
Guide Books
The priests’ guide book was Leviticus.
The Levites’ guide book was Numbers.
The peoples’ guide book was Deuteronomy.
Life Spans
Human life has been shortened by about a half, several times; thus the longest lived person after the flood — Heber — lived 464 years, a little less than half Methuselah’s age, 969 years, the longest lived person before or since the flood; the longest lived person after the dispersion at Babel — Reu lived 239 years, a little more than half Heber’s age. In the wilderness, life was again shortened to about half of the age of Abram (Psa. 90:10): the blessed Lord was cut off in “midst” or half of His days, as a man (Psa. 102:24).
Contemporary Lives
Seth, third son of Adam, in whom the line of grace was continued, was contemporary with all the antediluvian fathers, except Noah.
Methuselah was contemporary with Adam for more than 200 years, and with Noah for about 600 years.
Enoch, who walked with God, was contemporary with Adam for about 300 years, and with Noah for some time, and thus the truth and revelation of God then revealed, was handed down for 1656 years.
Called to be Perfect
Patriarchs were called upon to walk before God and be perfect (Gen. 17:1)
Israel was to be perfect with the Lord thy God (Deut. 18:13)
Christians are to be perfect, as their Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48).
Miscellaneous Notes
The moral condition of Israel to the first coming of the Lord in grace is given in the book of Malachi.
Old Testament history is comprised in sixteen books — from Genesis till Nehemiah — the first and last historical books of the Old Testament.
The following prophets prophesied after the restoration from the captivity: — Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
The following prophets prophesied during the captivity: — Daniel in the royal court of the conquerors; Ezekiel amongst the captives at the river of Chebar; and Jeremiah amongst the poor of the people left in the land.
There were ten fathers before the flood, and ten fathers after the flood, till Abram.
Christ suffered at man’s hands as a martyr for righteousness; hence judgment is the result (Psa. 69).
Christ suffered at God’s hands as a victim for sin; hence grace to man is the blessed fruit (Psa. 22).
The last five verses of Psalm 40 — the prayer of the suffering Messiah — forms Psalm 70, the prayer of the future remnant of Judah.
“There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked,” is the concluding words of Jehovah’s expostulation with His people, because of their idolatry (Isa. 40-48). “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked,” is the concluding words of God’s expostulation with the people, because of their rejection of the Messiah (Isa. 49-57).
Scripture furnishes no account of the birth or death of any of Cain’s posterity, but simply records their doings (Gen. 4).
Four cities originally constituted the strength of the Babylonian kingdom (Gen. 10:10), and four cities the strength of the Assyrian kingdom (Gen. 10:11-12).
The first four chapters of Lamentations, Proverbs 31:10-31, and Psalms 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145, are acrostics founded on the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Raguel, Reuel, Jethro, are various names given to Moses’ father-in-law.
The sovereignty of God in election cannot be questioned, for the Word of God is full of it from Genesis to Revelation. Jacob instead of Esau, Isaac instead of Ishmael, Shem instead of Japheth, Seth instead of Cain, Arphaxad instead of Elam, Ephraim instead of Manasseh, Joseph instead of Reuben, royalty in the fourth son of Jacob, and priesthood in the third, are all witnesses of the sovereign elective purposes of God.
The subject of Isaiah chapter 53 commences with verse 13 of chapter 52.
The Jews have been successively ruled over by the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Syrians, and the Romans.
Both Phinehas and Aaron were set in the priesthood, the latter by the choice of Jehovah (Lev. 8), the former by earning his title to it (Num. 25).
We have no mention of rain during the first sixteen and a half centuries of the world’s history (Gen. 7:4); the ground was watered by a mist which went up from the earth (Gen. 2:6).
The first recorded instance of Egypt invading Judah is in the reign of Rehoboam. The temple and palace were plundered of their wealth; but Jerusalem itself and the country were spared for a time (1 Kings 14; 2 Chron. 12).