The Book of the Bible Abbreviations
The Bible is an important part of Christianity, and it’s also much more than just a book. The Bible is a collection of books, written over hundreds of years by many different authors. It contains 66 individual works, but there are also many different versions of the Bible available. This means that there are a lot of abbreviations for the books in the Bible!
There are three different types of abbreviations that you’ll see frequently when reading or studying the Bible: chapter abbreviations, verse abbreviations, and word abbreviations. Each has its own set of rules for how they’re written out; however, the most common format is to put the number first followed by periods between each number if there are more than one letter (e.g., “Genesis”). Some people prefer to write out all four letters before starting with numbers (e.g., “Genesis 1”). Either way is fine as long as it’s consistent throughout your writing or study materials!
Book Of The Bible Abbreviations
There are many abbreviations used in the Bible. Abbreviations are a way to shorten a word or phrase, making it more convenient to use. In many cases, we can understand the meaning of an abbreviation because we know what it stands for, but in some cases we need to look up the definition. For example, when we see a reference like “Exod.” (Exodus) or “1 Cor.” (First Corinthians), we know that these refer to books of the Bible. We don’t need to look up what those abbreviations stand for because we already know them by name.
However, there are other abbreviations that aren’t so easy to understand. For example, what does “Dan” mean? It’s not clear from reading the text itself because Dan is not a name of a person or place in this particular book. It turns out that as an abbreviation it means “the judge” (see Judges 17:6).
Another example is when someone refers to Numbers 21:4 as “Num.” This might seem strange since Numbers 21:4 doesn’t appear anywhere in the book named Numbers! The explanation here is that Num is another word for Numbers and is used as an abbreviation
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Have you ever noticed the abbreviations used for the books of the Bible? These abbreviations may seem puzzling at first, but they actually have a purpose. Each abbreviation represents a specific book of the Bible, encapsulating its essence in a few letters. Let’s explore some of these abbreviations and the biblical stories that they represent.
Abbreviations and Their Meanings
- GEN: Genesis – The beginning of all creation, where God creates the heavens and the earth.
- EXO: Exodus – The Israelites’ journey out of Egypt, led by Moses.
- LEV: Leviticus – Details regulations concerning worship, sacrifices, and the priesthood.
- NUM: Numbers – The census of the Israelites in the wilderness and their journey to the Promised Land.
- DEU: Deuteronomy – Moses’ farewell speech to Israel, emphasizing obedience and covenant renewal.
- ROM: Romans – Paul’s letter to the Romans, discussing salvation by faith and not works.
- PHI: Philippians – Paul’s letter to the Philippians, emphasizing joy and unity in Christ.
- REV: Revelation – John’s apocalyptic vision of the end times and the victory of Christ.
Relevant Bible Verses
- GEN 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
- EXO 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
- LEV 20:7: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.”
- NUM 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
- DEU 30:19: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
- ROM 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
- PHI 4:13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
- REV 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Books Of The Bible Abbreviations KJV
Genesis – Gn, Ge, Gen
The first book of the Bible, Genesis tells the story of Creation. The name is derived from the Greek word for beginning. Genesis also talks about Adam and Eve, the first people in a world that was “very good.” The Hebrew name for this book is Bereshith (bereshit), meaning “in the beginning.”
Exodus – Exod
Exodus, the second book in the Bible, is one of its most famous. It’s written by Moses and contains the stories of his life and God’s interactions with him. From it we learn about how Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt after they’d spent 400 years as slaves there. We also meet figures like Pharaoh and Aaron, who also play significant roles in Exodus.
Leviticus – Lev, Le
Leviticus, or Levitikus, can be abbreviated as Lev or Le. The book is the third book of the Torah and of the Old Testament. It is also the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and is part of what Jews call the Torah (or Pentateuch) and Christians call the Old Testament (the first five books of the Christian Bible).
Numbers – Num, Nu, Nm
It is a book of regulations for the Israelites regarding how to live in the land given them by God, and how to prepare for entering that land. Laws governing acceptable sacrifice and offerings are detailed, as well as how to cleanse things made unclean by contact with dead bodies or bodily fluids.
After years of wandering in the desert, the Israelite community finally nears their long-awaited destination: the Promised Land. Moses outlines a plan for the conquest of Canaan, and tells the people about a group of scouts who will enter Canaan to investigate its inhabitants, topography and other conditions. The people are commanded not to fear; they must trust God’s plan even though they may feel outnumbered. Moses promises that if they follow God’s instructions in every detail, they will occupy Canaan successfully. However, if they disobey any portion of God’s instructions—even one commandment—they will fail miserably.
Deuteronomy – Deut, Dt
- Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch.
- It consists of three sermons delivered to the Israelites by Moses on the plains of Moab, shortly before they enter the Promised Land.
- The title comes from the Greek Septuagint, where it is written as “second law” (Deuteronomion).
- In Judaism it is known as Mishneh Torah (Hebrew for “Repetition of Torah”).
Joshua – Jos, Jsh
Joshua (Josh) is a book of the bible that details the story of Joshua as he succeeded Moses in leading the Israelites after their 40 years wandering in the deserts. The book also covers God’s instructions to Moses and Joshua, and how they were carried out.
The book gets its name from Joshua, one of the 12 spies sent by Moses to scout out the land of Canaan (the Promised Land). Of the 12 men sent out, only two—Joshua and Caleb—came back with a report that it was possible for Israel to take possession of Canaan. The other 10 men scared the people into thinking that it would be impossible for any sort of success against their enemies because they were so powerful.
This resulted in punishment from God who told them they had to remain in the desert wilderness until all those 20 years or older had died off before he would lead them into Canaan.
While this wasn’t necessarily true, everyone who did go into Canaan with Joshua did so on God’s command since no one else could have led them at this point.
Judges – Judg, Jdg, Jg, Jdgs
This is the book of Judges, although others also refer to it as Judg, Jdg, Jg, or Jdgs. The abbreviation for this book is apparently up for grabs.
Ruth – Ru, Rth
The book of Ruth, written by the Prophet Samuel, contains the story of Naomi and her family’s sojourn in Moab. It takes place following a time of famine in Israel, which led to Naomi’s husband Elimelech moving his family to Moab. While there Naomi lost both her husband and two sons; after a long period of mourning she decided to return home to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth.
Ruth is from Moab, but follows Naomi back home. Along the way Ruth meets Boaz and it is this chance encounter that leads them to their marriage and eventual lineage leading up to King David and then Jesus Christ.
It is also worth noting that Ruth can be seen as an allegory for God and Israel’s relationship: he goes where he is not wanted, but offers salvation anyway (1:16).
1 Samuel- 1 Sam, 1 S, I Sa, 1 Sm, I Sam, 1Sa, I Sam
1 Samuel is the first book of the Bible that tells the story of Samuel. He was a prophet and judge as well as an inspiration to many people for his leadership and integrity.
Samuel was born to Hannah and Elkanah, who were both very religious people. Hannah had difficulty conceiving, so she prayed to God for help. When she finally gave birth to Samuel, she dedicated him into service at the temple in gratitude for God’s blessing on their family. She sang a beautiful song about how much love there is between parents and children when they are united by faith in God’s plan for their lives together (1 Sam 2:1-11).
2 Samuel- 2 Sam, II Sam ,2 S ,II Sa ,2 Sm ,II Sam ,2Sa ,II Sam
The book of 2 Samuel is also known as: II Sam, 2 S, II Sa, 2 Sm, II Sam, 2Sa and II Sam.
1 Kings- 1 Kgs ,1 Ki ,I Kgs ,1K ,IKi ,1Ki ,IKgs ,1Kgs
One of the major sections of the Bible, the Pentateuch (1 Kings – 1 Kgs ,1 Ki ,I Kgs ,1K ,IKi ,1Ki ,IKgs ,1Kgs) is a collection of five books. More specifically, the Pentateuch refers to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The first book of the Bible is Genesis (Gen). However, Genesis can also be referred to as “the book of beginnings.” While Exodus means “going out” in Latin and details Moses’s escape from Egypt in Hebrew. Additionally, Leviticus refers to a kohathite descendant named Levi. In addition to this information about specific books within the Pentateuch, it can also be referred too as Torah or Law.
2 Kings- 2 Kgs ,2 Ki ,II Kgs ,2K ,IIKi
2 Kings is the 12th book of the Old Testament. It is a historical narrative that spans nearly 270 years. The book continues from where 1 Kings left off, telling us about the last kings of Israel and Judah. There are many famous stories in this book including: The widow who gave Elijah the last food she had (17:7-24), Elijah’s ascension into heaven (2 Kgs 2:1-18), Elisha healing Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kgs 5:1-27) and Jehu destroying Baal worship (2 Kgs 10).
1 Chronicles- 1 Chron
1 Chronicles- 1 Chron
1 Corinthians- 1 Cor
1 John- 1 Jn
1 Kings- 1 Kgs
1 Peter- 1 Pet
1 Samuel- 1 Sam
1 Thessalonians- 1 Thess
2 Chronicles- 2 Chron
2 Chronicles- 2 Chron
2 Chronicles is one of the books in the Old Testament of the Bible. It follows 1 Chronicles and leads into Ezra. Here are some ways to abbreviate it:
- 2 Chron
- 2Chron
- 2Ch
- 2Chr
- 2Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- 2nd Chronicles
It’s important to know these abbreviations so you can have a handy reference when you’re reading and mentioning this book of the Bible. If you need to talk about it and don’t have time to write out full words, these abbreviations will come in handy!
Ezra- Ezr
- Ezra: Ezr
- The book of Ezra is a book in the Old Testament. Named after the priest Ezra, this book contains more than 100 chapters that describe how the Israelites were given permission to return to Jerusalem. This book also talks about how the people got persuaded by their enemies to stop rebuilding Jerusalem. After that, it tells of how those who had been exiled were brought back to their homeland and how they got resettled again.
Nehemiah- Neh
Nehemiah is such an important book as it shows how a man of God should be, how he should act and why he should do what he does. Nehemiah shows us that even though there were challenges in his life, his purpose was bigger than those challenges. He was a bold and courageous leader who had the best interest of his people at heart. He knew that God had called him to deliver this message of hope to the people. In Nehemiah, we find hope because our problems are not bigger than us – God is with us and He always has our back.
Nehemiah was a governor in Jerusalem after being exiled in Babylon for years due to their idolatry against God’s law (Deuteronomy 6:14). His goal was simple: rebuild the city’s walls. This would require immense faith, courage and perseverance under pressure from many enemies around them who wanted nothing more than for Israelites’ downfall—namely Sanballat who mocked Israelites’ efforts at rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall (Neh 4).
Esther- Esth
The Book of Esther is a story in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) that takes place during the rule of King Ahasuerus of Persia in the fifth century B.C.E., and it’s most often associated today with the Jewish holiday Purim, which commemorates a major event in the book: Queen Esther, who is secretly a Jew, foils an attempt by one of her husband’s advisers to destroy her people.
The biblical text consists mainly of two different narratives: first, Mordecai (another Jew and Esther’s cousin), overhears conspirators plotting against King Ahasuerus. He tells his niece about this plot and she relays it to her husband; in return for this service, he promotes Mordecai over all his other advisers. The second half of the book follows Haman—a high-ranking official under Ahasuerus—who becomes jealous of Mordecai after he refuses to bow down to him in court. Haman then devises a plan to destroy all Jews living within the Persian Empire and persuades King Ahasuerus that this is necessary for maintaining order. Queen Esther—who has not told anyone she is Jewish out of fear they will know her secret—learns about Haman’s plans, arranges for him to be executed instead of her people, and celebrates with their eventual salvation by creating Purim with Mordecai when everything turns out OK.
This list gives abbreviations for the books of the bible.
List of Bible Books and Abbreviations
- Genesis Gen, Gn, Ge
- Exodus Exo, Ex
- Leviticus Lev, Le, Lv
- Numbers Num, Nu, Nm
- Deuteronomy Deu, Dt
- Joshua Jos, Jsh