The books of the prophets make up one of the largest sections of the Bible, yet many readers are unsure which books they are, what order they come in, and who wrote them. This guide walks through the prophetic books one group at a time, explains the difference between the Major and Minor Prophets, and looks at how many prophets the Bible actually names.
Who Were the Prophets in the Bible?
Prophets were people God called to deliver His message to His people. They called nations and individuals back to faithfulness, warned about the consequences of sin, comforted the suffering, and pointed forward to hope. Amos 3:7 describes their role this way: God “reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” While prophets sometimes spoke about the future, most of what they wrote addressed the people of their own day, which is why their words about justice, mercy, repentance, and trust in God still speak so clearly to readers now.
The Major Prophets
In most Christian Old Testaments, the prophetic books are gathered at the end of the Old Testament in two groups. The first group is known as the Major Prophets, five books in this order:
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
“Major” refers to the length of these books, not their importance. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are among the longest books in the Bible. Lamentations is short, but it sits in this group because it has traditionally been connected with the prophet Jeremiah, whose grief over the fall of Jerusalem it expresses.
The Twelve Minor Prophets in Order
The second group is the twelve Minor Prophets, again named for their shorter length rather than lesser importance:
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
In the Hebrew Bible these twelve books are counted together as a single book, often called “The Twelve.” Despite their brevity, they contain some of the most quoted passages in Scripture, from Jonah’s rescue to Micah’s timeless call to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
How Many Prophets Are in the Bible?
The Bible names far more prophets than there are prophetic books. The seventeen books above are connected with sixteen prophets, since Lamentations does not add a new name. But Scripture also describes many prophets who never wrote a book of their own. Moses is called a prophet without equal in Deuteronomy 34:10. Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha ministered as prophets whose stories are told in the historical books. The Bible also names prophetesses, including Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, and in the New Testament, Anna. Because the Bible does not provide one master list, sincere readers arrive at different totals depending on how they count.
It is also worth knowing that different traditions arrange these books differently. The Hebrew Bible groups Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings as the “Former Prophets,” places Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Twelve together as the “Latter Prophets,” and locates Daniel and Lamentations in a separate section called the Writings. Christian Old Testaments group Isaiah through Malachi together at the end. The arrangement differs, but the content of the books themselves is the same.
Key Bible Verses
Hebrews 1:1-2
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
Amos 3:7
“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
2 Peter 1:21
“for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How many prophetic books are in the Bible?
Most Christian Old Testaments contain seventeen prophetic books: the five Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel) and the twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea through Malachi).
Who was the last prophet of the Old Testament?
Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament in Christian Bibles, and roughly four centuries pass between Malachi and the events of the New Testament. The New Testament then presents John the Baptist as a prophet sent to prepare the way for Jesus.
Related Bible Topics
- What Are the Epistles in the Bible?
- What Is the New Covenant in the Bible?
- Questions to Ask When Reading and Studying the Bible
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