This discussion of what is commonly called the Canon of the Old Testament may well be prefaced by a brief reference to the precise meaning of the word "Canon" as used in this connection. The term derives from the Greek "kanon," which meant literally "a ruler or measuring stick," and so, metaphorically, "a rule, standard, or norm." The books of the Bible are spoken of as canonical, or as belonging to the canon, since they are accepted as standard and authoritative, and because they present a rule of life.
The growth of the Canon of the Old Testament extended over many centuries. It may well be said to have begun with the acceptance of certain books or parts of books, as possessing peculiar importance or sanctity, and evidence of such acceptance can be traced within the pages of the Old Testament itself. We find a reference to Moses' preserving the "Book of the Law" in the ark of the covenant (Deut. 31:26), and it is evidently the same book which the prophet Isaiah advises his readers to study (Isa. 34:16).
The book of Deuteronomy, the volume found in the temple as recorded in II Kings 22:8, may be described as the earliest complete book of the Old Testament regarded as canonical. All the people swore to obey its message, and a drastic reformation was carried out (cf. II Kings 23).
