Deuterocanonical Books

Deuterocanonical Books

Deuterocanonical books are those Old Testament books and additions received by the Catholic Church (and also by the Orthodox Churches, with minor differences) as inspired Scripture, but which are not found in the later Jewish Masoretic canon and are therefore not received by most Protestant communities. The term deuterocanonical (from Greek deutero = “second” and kanōn = “rule, standard”) does **not** mean “second-class Scripture,” but rather that these books were recognized in a later, confirmatory way in the life of the Church.

They were long read in the Church’s liturgy, included in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), cited by Fathers, and finally reaffirmed dogmatically by the Council of Trent in 1546.

1. List of Deuterocanonical Books

The Catholic Church receives the following as deuterocanonical:

• Tobit
• Judith
• Wisdom (of Solomon)
• Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
• Baruch (including the Letter of Jeremiah)
• 1 Maccabees
• 2 Maccabees

In addition, the Catholic canon includes deuterocanonical additions to books already present in the Hebrew canon:

• Additions to Esther
• Additions to Daniel (Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon)

These texts appear in Catholic Bibles within the Old Testament, not in a separate section.

2. Historical Background

Most of these writings were composed between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C. Several were preserved primarily in Greek and circulated widely in the Jewish diaspora, especially in Alexandria. They were included in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that became the ordinary Old Testament for Greek-speaking Jews and for the earliest Christians.

By contrast, the later rabbinic tradition, reflected in the Masoretic Text, did not include these books—likely because of language, place of origin, and developing Jewish-Christian distinctions after the time of Christ. The early Church, however, continued to use the broader Septuagint collection.

3. Reception in the Church

Local councils in the West, such as:

• the Council of Rome (382) under Pope Damasus I,
• the Council of Hippo (393),
• and the Councils of Carthage (397, 419),

listed these books among the canonical Scriptures read in the Church.

Later, in the 16th century, when some Reformers rejected these books, the Council of Trent (Session IV, 8 April 1546) solemnly reaffirmed the canon that had been in consistent Catholic use, declaring these books to be sacred and canonical along with the others. Trent’s decree was not an “addition” but a confirmation against contemporary doubts.

4. Use by the Early Church

The deuterocanonical books were known and used by many Fathers:

• St. Irenaeus cites Wisdom and the Maccabees.
• Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Cyprian quote them as Scripture.
• St. Augustine explicitly defends their inclusion (De Doctrina Christiana II).

The New Testament also shows familiarity with them. For example:

• Hebrews 11:35 reflects the martyrdom account in 2 Maccabees 7.
• The theme of almsgiving “atoning for sins” in Tobit 12:9 harmonizes with New Testament charity.
• Wisdom 2 has striking parallels with the Passion of Christ.

This liturgical and patristic usage is a key reason the Catholic Church kept them.

5. Catholic vs. Protestant Canon

In the 16th century, Reformers generally followed the shorter Jewish Masoretic canon and placed these books in an “Apocrypha” section or omitted them. The Catholic Church, appealing to the constant use of the Septuagint and to conciliar decisions from late antiquity, maintained the broader canon.

Aspect	Catholic Position	Typical Protestant Position
Old Testament Source	Septuagint tradition + Latin tradition	Masoretic Text
OT Book Count	46	39
Status of Deuterocanon	Inspired, canonical, read in liturgy	Useful for reading, but not for doctrine (in many traditions)
Dogmatic Definition	Council of Trent, 1546	16th c. confessional/canonical lists

6. Theological and Apologetic Significance

The deuterocanonical books support or illuminate several Catholic doctrines and practices:

• Prayer for the dead and purification after death: 2 Maccabees 12:43–46.
• Intercession of the righteous: 2 Maccabees 15:14.
• Merit of almsgiving and good works: Tobit 4:10; 12:9; Sirach 3:30.
• Personified Wisdom (Wisdom 7–9), which influenced later Christian reflection on Christ the Word.

Because some of these themes are less explicit in the protocanonical books, removing the deuterocanon weakens the biblical basis for certain Catholic teachings. The Catholic answer is that the Church received the whole canon from apostolic times and is not at liberty to reduce it.

7. Common Objections and Catholic Responses

“The Jews didn’t accept these books.”

The Jewish canon was not universally fixed in the time of Christ. The early Church used the Septuagint, which did include them. The Church followed the Bible actually in use among the first Christians.

“They were written in Greek, not Hebrew.”

Some deuterocanonical books or parts of them have been found in Hebrew/Aramaic (e.g. Sirach, Tobit at Qumran). In any case, language is not the criterion of inspiration—the New Testament itself is Greek.

“The Church added them at Trent.”

Trent confirmed the traditional Catholic canon in response to 16th-century challenges; it did not invent a new canon.

8. Terminology: ‘Deuterocanonical’ vs ‘Apocrypha’

The word “deuterocanonical” is a Catholic term indicating books whose canonicity was affirmed in a later, definitive way. The word “apocrypha” in many Protestant Bibles refers to the same books but implies a lesser or non-canonical status. In Catholic usage, “apocrypha” is reserved for writings never received by the Church as Scripture (e.g. Gospel of Thomas).

9. See Also

• References to the Deuterocanonical books in the New Testament
• Biblical canon
• Septuagint
• Council of Trent
• Vulgate
• Apocrypha
• Deposit of Faith

10. References

• Catechism of the Catholic Church, 120–123.
• Council of Trent, Session IV (8 April 1546), Decretum de Canonicis Scripturis.
• St. Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, II.
• New Advent: Canon of the Old Testament.
• J. Ratzinger / Benedict XVI, writings on Scripture and tradition.