Chronological Bibles
A Chronological Bible is a great way to read the Bible in one year. It provides a special insight to the order of the events of scripture and can help with the understanding. There are several chronology charts shown here:
This document compares the "One Year Chronological Bible" to the "Daily
Bible". These are two of the most popular chronological Bibles
available, but, as you will see in the chart below, they have a very
different idea of the chronology of the Bible and the approach that
should be used. Both books are designed to be read in one year. A
Chronological Bible intends to help the reader get a sense of when
things really occurred which can be confusing in a regular Bible. Either
of these Bibles will accomplish this task but the details are different.
I recommend a Chronological Bible as a reading Bible to get a real feel
for the Bible Story.
Bible Approach
Both reviewed Bibles feature the New International Version of the
Bible, published by Zondervan
Bible. Both Bibles have a scripture index in the back so that you
can find a particular verse if you want to look it up.
One Year Chronological Bible
The One Year Bible
features minimal commentary and notes. When a verse or group of verses
appear in more that one book it (they) will be repeated. All of the verses
are independently identified. Major sections include a title to show
what the section is about. The picture on the left is the current
cover for this Bible but my cover looks more like the New Living
Translation version shown on the right which is also available. I
believe the chronological arrangement on these two versions are similar
but I have not checked them personally. One user reported that the NIV and NLT versions place Job in a different area of Genesis. As I find out about these kinds of differences I will update the notes in table.
Many books have a short introduction identifying the period of the
book. The front of the Bible contains a time line and other
chronological help. The Table of Contents identifies each daily
reading to the exact books and verses to be covered.
The New Testament begins September 28. There are a total of 1640 pages
in the main Bible.
The One Year Chronological Bible NIV version is published by
Tyndale House copyright 1995.
The Daily Bible
The
Daily Bible features a full devotional commentary before each section.
In a few cases a daily reading will consist of no Bible verses or very
little Bible text. When a verse or group of verses appear in more than
one book it will only be shown once and merged into one paragraph. In
some cases a single verse or partial verse will be inserted in the
text of another book. When this is done there are clear notifications
in the text as to which book is being used. Many times only a group of
verses are indicated without showing where each individual verse
starts. Each paragraph includes a short title to identify the content
of the paragraph. The image at the left shows the current cover for
this Bible but mine is different. The content is exactly the same
however. They also publish a compact edition.
Locations and dates are often shown in the margin next to the
verses. The commentary also attempts to identify time and
context. There is a chronological outline at the front of the Bible.
The New Testament begins October 18. There are a total of 1688 pages
in the main Bible.
The Daily Bible is published by Harvest House. The
commentary is by F. LaGard Smith copyright 1984. F. LaGard Smith also has
another version called "The Narrated Bible".
Comments on the two versions
One Year Bible
I find the OYB to be generally accurate in its timeline, once it
gets started, except as noted below and in the table but the repeating
of nearly identical text does tend to interrupt the reading flow. More
research is needed to resolve some time line differences between the
two Bibles. Keeping whole verses together and repeating the verses makes
creating a version for a different translation easier.
This Bible keeps the first 6 books of the Bible in verse order, except
that it inserts Job, genealogy data from 1 Chronicles, and the Psalm of
Moses. This makes the early going a bit more difficult for the user.
Daily Bible
I really like the reading flow of the DB with its precision merging of
the various parts of the Bible into a continuous paragraph format. For
quick reference each paragraph has information about its content and
often the location and time frame are shown which helps the reading and
keeps you aware of when and where things happened.
Genesis is kept in verse order even though some events in family
discussions between the chosen line and the rejected line are likely
parallel chronologically. This does keep the flow easier to follow. I
sometimes disagreed with the chronological order chosen by this version.
However, the Gospel section was much closer to my own research.
Sometimes the commentary dominates the daily reading too much. I
would prefer reading more scripture on these days. In particular the
inter-testament discussion would be better if it were moved to the end
with just a simple reference between the testaments. There are too
many days in a row without scripture.
The topical approach to parts of the Bible where there is no need
for Chronology is unique to this Bible and really helps put things
together. There are more comments below.
Full Bible Overview
Chart Decode:
- C - Complete Book without interruption but may not be in
original order.
- O - Book is in verse and chapter order but might
be interrupted.
I intend to make many of the books clickable with more description of
the chronology and how the other books are merged in this one.
Generally, in the chart below, a book will be shown when it first
appears. It may appear many more times in other books but this is not
shown. In particular this is true of 1 Chronicles Genealogy and the entire book of Psalms. I have indicated the Psalms entry a couple of times in the list to try and makes its presence as a particular place clearer.
| One Year |
C |
O |
Daily Bible |
C |
O |
Comments |
| Genesis |
|
x |
Genesis |
x |
x |
The Daily Bible shows Genesis without
interruption. A note says they have shown Job at the time it was written
down rather than the time it occurred. |
| 1 Chronicles |
|
|
|
|
|
Genealogy from 1 Chronicles shown with
Genesis Genealogy |
| Job |
x |
x |
|
|
|
The OYB NIV version places Job just before Abraham while the OYB NLT places Job after Abraham. |
| Exodus |
|
x |
Exodus |
|
|
One Year Bible chose to leave the
4 books from Moses in the same order as a regular Bible. Genealogy
from 1 Chronicles is mixed in. |
| Leviticus |
x |
x |
Leviticus |
|
|
Daily Bible keeps the chronology of
these 4 books |
| Numbers |
|
x |
Numbers |
|
|
|
| Deuteronomy |
|
x |
Deuteronomy |
|
|
Daily Bible removes all of the law sections
from the books of Moses and rearranges them in topical order at the end.
|
| Psalm |
|
|
|
|
|
Psalm of Moses inserted here |
| Joshua |
|
x |
Joshua |
|
|
ca. 1406 BC - There
is a detailed comparison from Joshua to David available. |
| Judges |
|
|
Judges |
|
|
Daily Bible leaves verses with unknown chronology at the end. This confuses the flow of Judges to Samuel. |
| Ruth |
x |
x |
Ruth |
x |
x |
|
| 1 Samuel |
|
a |
1 Samuel |
|
|
One Year Bible starts Samuel back in
Judges |
| 1 Chronicles |
|
|
1 Chronicles |
|
|
Sections beyond genealogy |
| Psalm |
|
|
Psalm |
|
|
see Psalms Chronology for a more detailed treatment of Psalms |
| 2 Samuel |
|
|
2 Samuel |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Psalms |
|
|
Daily Bible presents 112 of David's Psalms arranged by Topic |
| 1 Kings |
|
|
1 Kings |
|
|
|
| 2 Chronicles |
|
|
2 Chronicles |
|
|
|
| Song of Songs |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Proverbs |
x |
x |
Proverbs |
x |
|
Daily Bible arranged topically |
| |
|
|
Song of Songs |
x |
x |
|
| Ecclesiastes |
x |
x |
Ecclesiastes |
x |
|
Daily Bible arranged topically |
| 2 Kings |
|
|
2 Kings |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Obadiah |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Joel |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Jonah |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Hosea |
x |
x |
|
| Amos |
x |
x |
Amos |
x |
x |
|
| Hosea |
|
x |
|
|
|
|
| Jonah |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Isaiah |
|
|
Isaiah |
|
|
|
| Micah |
|
x |
Micah |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Nahum |
x |
x |
|
| Zephaniah |
x |
x |
Zephaniah |
x |
x |
630 BC |
| Jeremiah |
|
|
Jeremiah |
|
|
|
| Nahum |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Habakkuk |
x |
x |
Habakkuk |
x |
x |
|
| Daniel |
|
|
Daniel |
|
|
|
| Obadiah |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Ezekiel |
|
|
Ezekiel |
|
|
|
| Lamentations |
x |
x |
Lamentations |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Job |
x |
x |
Daily Bible says Job was written down
during the exile. |
| Ezra |
|
|
Ezra |
|
|
|
| Haggai |
x |
x |
Haggai |
x |
x |
|
| Zechariah |
|
x |
Zechariah |
|
x |
|
| Esther |
x |
x |
Esther |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Malachi |
x |
x |
|
| Nehemiah |
|
x |
Nehemiah |
|
|
|
| Joel |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Malachi |
x |
x |
|
|
|
Daily Bible ends with the Genealogy data from 1 Chronicles |
| The New Testament |
Daily Bible inserts commentary describing
the inter-testament period. 3 days of reading |
| One Year |
C |
O |
Daily Bible |
C |
O |
Comments |
| |
|
|
Mark |
|
|
Only the first verse is shown here. It seems to be used as a Title |
| |
|
|
John |
|
|
John should be first in my opinion. |
| Luke |
|
|
Luke |
|
|
A full breakdown of the chronology of the Gospels is available. |
| Matthew |
|
|
Matthew |
|
|
|
| Mark |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| John |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Acts |
|
x |
Acts |
|
a |
Both versions interrupt the flow of Acts to insert other books. |
| James |
x |
x |
|
|
|
This is where it should be but Daily Bible
groups all non-Pauline scriptures later |
| Galatians |
x |
x |
Galatians |
x |
x |
|
| 1 Thessalonians |
x |
x |
1 Thessalonians |
x |
x |
|
| 2 Thessalonians |
x |
x |
2 Thessalonians |
x |
x |
|
| 1 Corinthians |
x |
x |
1 Corinthians |
x |
x |
|
| 2 Corinthians |
x |
x |
2 Corinthians |
x |
x |
|
| Romans |
x |
x |
Romans |
x |
x |
Book of Acts ends here |
| Ephesians |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Colossians |
x |
x |
Colossians |
x |
x |
|
| Philemon |
x |
x |
Philemon |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
Ephesians |
x |
x |
|
| Philippians |
x |
x |
Philippians |
x |
x |
|
| 1 Timothy |
x |
x |
1 Timothy |
x |
x |
|
| Titus |
x |
x |
Titus |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
2 Timothy |
x |
x |
Daily Bible keeps all Pauline scripture together |
| |
|
|
James |
x |
x |
|
| 1 Peter |
x |
x |
|
|
|
|
| Jude |
x |
x |
Jude |
x |
x |
|
| |
|
|
1 Peter |
x |
x |
|
| 2 Peter |
x |
x |
2 Peter |
x |
x |
|
| 2 Timothy |
x |
x |
|
|
|
last Pauline letter |
| Hebrews |
x |
x |
Hebrews |
x |
x |
|
| 1 2 3 John |
x |
x |
1 2 3 John |
x |
x |
|
| Revelation |
x |
x |
Revelation |
x |
x |
|
Original post 12/20/2006
Last Updated on 4/23/2009
By Dale DePriest, all rights reserved.