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What Are Deuterocanonical Books? - Understanding the Biblical Canon and the Septuagint

 

What Are Deuterocanonical Books? - Understanding the Biblical Canon and the Septuagint 

Many Bible readers come across terms like Deuterocanonical, Apocryphal, or Septuagint, and wonder what they really mean. These are key to understanding why different Bibles contain different books and how the biblical canon was formed over time.

 

Let’s explore this journey step by step.

 

What Does Deuterocanonical Mean?

The word Deuterocanonical comes from Greek:

Deutero = "second"

Canon = "rule" or "measuring rod"

These are books included in the Old Testament canon by Catholics and Orthodox Christians but not by Protestants or Jews.

They are considered "second in order" (not second in importance) because they were added later to the canon, mostly from the Greek Septuagint.

 

What Are Apocryphal Books?

Apocrypha means “hidden” in Greek.

Protestants refer to the Deuterocanonical books as Apocrypha and exclude them from their Old Testament.

These books are still considered useful for reading but not authoritative for doctrine in Protestant circles.

 

What Is the Septuagint (LXX)?

The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, produced between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC.

It was created by Jewish scholars for the large Greek-speaking Jewish community in Egypt.

The name Septuagint (“seventy”) refers to the tradition that 70 or 72 scholars translated it.

The Septuagint included more books than the Hebrew Bible — these became the Deuterocanonical books.

Early Christians used the Septuagint and quoted it frequently in the New Testament.

 

Books Unique to the Septuagint

Books in Catholic Bibles (Deuterocanonicals)

Tobit

Judith

Wisdom of Solomon

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)

Baruch (including Letter of Jeremiah)

1 Maccabees

2 Maccabees

Additions to Daniel (Prayer of Azariah, Song of the Three, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon)

Additions to Esther

 

Books Found in Eastern Orthodox Bibles (Beyond Catholic Canon)

1 Esdras

3 Maccabees

4 Maccabees (in some traditions)

Psalm 151

Prayer of Manasseh

2 Esdras (sometimes)

 

How Septuagint Verses Differ from Hebrew Versions

The Septuagint often differs from the Hebrew Masoretic Text in important ways. Here are a few examples:

1. Isaiah 7:14

LXX: “A virgin shall conceive...”

 

MT: “A young woman shall conceive...”

Used in Matthew 1:23 to support the virgin birth.

 

2. Deuteronomy 32:43

LXX: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

MT: Line is absent.

Quoted in Hebrews 1:6 about Jesus’ divinity.

 

3. Psalm 40:6

LXX: “A body You have prepared for me.”

MT: “You have opened my ears.”

Quoted in Hebrews 10:5 to show Christ’s sacrificial body.

 

4. Habakkuk 2:4

LXX: “The righteous shall live by my faith.”

MT: “...by his faithfulness.”

Used in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 for justification by faith.

 

Messianic Worship in the Septuagint

The Septuagint includes verses that show the Messiah being worshiped, helping early Christians understand Jesus as divine.

Examples:

Deuteronomy 32:43 – “Let all the angels of God worship Him” (Hebrews 1:6)

Psalm 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever...” (Hebrews 1:8)

Daniel 7:14 – “All nations shall serve Him”, often interpreted as worship.

These verses are not always as clear in the Hebrew Bible, making the Septuagint especially important in New Testament theology.

 

How Was the Canon Formed?

The biblical canon refers to the official list of books recognized as inspired Scripture.

 

Old Testament Canon

Jewish canon: Finalized around 90 AD (Council of Jamnia), excludes the Deuterocanonicals.

 

Christian Old Testament:

Catholics and Orthodox: Follow the Septuagint.

Protestants: Follow the Hebrew canon only.

 

New Testament Canon

Formed gradually from the 1st–4th centuries.

Key figure: Athanasius (367 AD) – listed all 27 NT books we use today.

Finalized in the Council of Carthage (397 AD).

 

Key Canon-Confirming Councils

Council of Rome (382 AD) – First official list including Deuterocanonicals.

Council of Hippo (393 AD) – Affirmed same list.

Council of Carthage (397 & 419 AD) – Finalized Catholic canon.

Council of Trent (1546 AD) – Reaffirmed canon after the Reformation.

 

Canon Comparison by Tradition

 

Jewish Bible

24 books (corresponds to Protestant OT)

No NT, no Deuterocanonicals

 

Protestant Bible

66 books (39 OT + 27 NT)

Rejects Deuterocanonicals (calls them Apocrypha)

 

Catholic Bible

73 books (46 OT + 27 NT)

Includes Deuterocanonical books

 

Eastern Orthodox Bible

76–79 books (includes additional OT books from Septuagint)

27 NT books (same as all Christian traditions)

 

Final Thoughts

Understanding the Deuterocanonical books, the Septuagint, and the formation of the biblical canon helps us appreciate:

Why different Bibles have different content

How the early Church viewed Scripture

How New Testament theology connects deeply with the Greek Old Testament

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