# Poll: Five Most Important Books Of The Bible **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735 "2009-03-17T11:42:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/21 "2009-03-18T20:23:48Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Top five in the Jewish version of the Bible. > > 1. Genesis (_Bereshit_) > 2. Exodus (_Shemot_) > 3. Leviticus (_Vayikra_) > 4. Numbers (_Bamidbar_) > 5. Deuteronomy (_Devarim_) Yeah, from a Jewish POV this is pretty much a no-brainer. My second tier would be Psalms, Job, Isiaiah, Ecclesiastes, and…oh heck, let’s say Ezekiel. ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/22 "2009-03-19T15:09:29Z")
Top 5 influences on Western literature: 1. Genesis 2. Job 3. Isaiah 4. Psalms 5. Ecclesiastes ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/23 "2009-03-19T15:31:10Z")
Genesis – First in the OT Malachi – Last in the OT Matthew – First in the NT Revelation – Last in the NT Psalms – Middle of the Bible (KJV) (If you open it at the halfway point) Take these away and you’d have a whole new group. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/24 "2009-03-19T21:55:43Z")
Depends who you are. If you’re me: Genesis (only because you have to know this stuff) Job Ecclesiastes Psalms Mark (see Genesis) If you’re a Jew (any flavor) Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy (even though 3 and 4 are mostly astoundingly irrelevant). If you’re an Evangelical Christian: John Revelation Romans Genesis and an NT wildcard of your choice. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/25 "2009-03-20T08:15:43Z")
Genesis Psalms Luke Romans Galatians ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/26 "2009-03-20T10:40:19Z")
The one where Scooby Doo wears that Egyptian outfit to infiltrate the bad guys. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/27 "2009-03-20T11:29:04Z")
Clarification-by important, I mean important to you personally. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/28 "2009-03-20T13:05:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Clarification-by important, I mean important to you personally. Well, that’s a whole different kettle of fish: John James Romans 1st and 2nd Corinthians (cheating, I know) Acts ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/29 "2009-03-20T13:30:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Clarification-by important, I mean important to you personally. Oh. Then [ol][li]Matthew[_]Luke[_]Mark[_]Ecclesiastes[_]Genesis[/ol][/li] In my previous, there was a two-way tie for fifth. 😉 Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/30 "2009-03-20T13:31:30Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > The one where Scooby Doo wears that Egyptian outfit to infiltrate the bad guys. I don’t think we’ll accept The New Hanna-Barbera(Revised) edition as canon. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/31 "2009-03-20T13:34:08Z")
1. Exodus 2. Psalms 3. Ruth 4. Ecclesiastes 5. Luke ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/32 "2009-03-20T20:00:33Z")
1. Exodus- I believe it lays the entire foundation for the overarching Biblical narrative (both Hebrew Bible and New Testament) of liberation. 2. Mark- the oldest Gospel we have, and what Matthew and Luke partly based their Gospels on. 3. The Minor Prophets (really twelve books for Christians, but I believe that in the Jewish canon they’re all lumped under one book)- the recurring theme of social and economic justice is very much a cornerstone for my faith. 4. 1 Corinthians- the argument for equitable distribution of food during the Lord’s supper, the passing mentions of women as church leaders and preachers, the passage on love- this book is beautiful! 5. Genesis- just because there are a lot of familiar stories, and it’s just interesting to read. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/33 "2009-03-20T20:08:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. Exodus > 2. Psalms > 3. Ruth > 4. Ecclesiastes > 5. Luke Why does Luke rank below Ruth & Ecclesiastes? Below PSALMS, for that matter? ---
**Author:** ![12Tribes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/85f322/32.png) [@12Tribes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/12Tribes)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/34 "2011-03-14T05:19:11Z")
1. Job - The book that asks THE question; Why do bad things happen to good people. It doesn’t give a satisfying answer, but it brings the question up for discussion. 2. Exodus 3. Genesis - These two books have some of the best stories ever told. So what if they’re all fictional (or at least 95% so) That doesn’t mean that they don’t contain Truth, or that we cant’ learn from them. 4. Psalms - An all purpose prayer book 5. Matthew - Not a Christian myself, but no thinking person can argue that Jesus wasn’t important, and Matthew tells the story best to my taste. ---
**Author:** ![FireSpeaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@FireSpeaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FireSpeaks)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735/35 "2011-05-05T06:03:28Z")
I think it depends on why we are listing them. just my favorites are 1. Gospel of John 2. Romans 3: Genesis 4.Acts 5.Psalms However if you think in being a Christian I would Say 1.Gospel of John 2. Romans 3. Acts 4. 1John 5. James (the proverbs of the New Covenant) Troy “[FireSpeaks](http://firespeaks.blogspot.com)” Pearsall [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-five-most-important-books-of-the-bible/489735.md?page=1)