Five Biblical Portraits is a sequel to Elie Weisel's Messengers of God; in this work Wiesel enhances his well-known skill in bringing ancient religious figures to literary life with his stories of: Joshua, Elijah, Saul, Jeremiah, and Jonah.

Wiesel illuminates Joshua, Saul, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Jonah through sensitive readings of the scriptures as well as the Talmudic and Hasidic sources. As a sequel to his book, Messengers of God, this work brings ancient religious figures to literary life and emphasizes the personal struggles within the awesome missions of these men.