What is the difference between the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament?

# What is the difference between the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament?

Quick summary

The Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament refer to overlapping collections of ancient Israelite and Jewish writings, but they are named, ordered, counted, and interpreted differently in Jewish and Christian traditions.

Different names signal different contexts

“Hebrew Bible” is often used in academic and interreligious contexts because it does not assume a Christian framework. “Tanakh” is the Jewish acronym for Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. “Old Testament” is a Christian term that places these writings in relation to the New Testament.

Order and counting

The same writings may be counted differently. For example, the Twelve Minor Prophets can be treated as one book in Jewish ordering but as twelve in many Christian Bibles. The final sequence also differs: the Tanakh ends with Chronicles, while many Christian Old Testaments end with the Prophets.

Different interpretive settings

Jewish interpretation reads these texts within Jewish liturgy, law, commentary, and tradition. Christian interpretation often reads them in relation to Jesus, the church, and the New Testament. The difference is not only a matter of book order; it is also a matter of community and use.

A useful rule

When speaking with precision, use Tanakh or Hebrew Bible for the Jewish collection and Old Testament for the Christian section of the Bible. This avoids making one tradition the default for all readers.

Read also

• What is the Tanakh?
• What is the Old Testament?
• What is the biblical canon?
• What is the difference between Torah, Pentateuch, and Law of Moses?

Sources and recommended reading

• Jewish Virtual Library Tanakh
• Sefaria
• Britannica Old Testament
• Britannica Biblical Literature

Editorial note: this article is written in an informational, non-confessional tone. Where traditions disagree, the page should describe differences of reception, use, and canon without presenting one tradition as the universal default.