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Abbreviations For The Books Of The Bible

In the Bible, there are different books that tell the story of God’s people. There are also different ways of referring to these books. Sometimes they are referred to by their first words, like “Genesis” or “Revelation.” Sometimes they are referred to by their first word and chapter number, like “Matthew 1” or “John 3:16.” The abbreviations for these books can be a little confusing, so we’ve put together a cheat sheet for you!

Genesis: Gn

Exodus: Ex

Leviticus: Lv

Numbers: Nm

Deuteronomy: Dt

Joshua: Jos

Judges: Jgs

Ruth: Rut

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Abbreviations-of-the-Books-of-Catholic Bible - A CATHOLIC MOMENT

Abbreviations For The Books Of The Bible

The books of the Bible are divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament includes books written before Jesus Christ’s birth, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 3 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The New Testament includes books written after Jesus Christ’s birth and resurrection. These include Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation

The Bible is comprised of 66 books. It is often cited by scholars, pastors and people in general. An accurate way to cite the book and chapter you are referencing allows others to find the reference that you are making. Although there are several styles for citing the Bible, this article will focus on one specific style: The Chicago Manual of Style. Within this style, locating a passage in the Bible can be accomplished through what is known as an “abbreviated Bible citation.”

Genesis (Gen)

– Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Exodus (Exod)

– Exodus 3:14 – “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.'”

Leviticus (Lev)

– Leviticus 19:18 – “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”

Numbers (Num)

– Numbers 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.”

Deuteronomy (Deut)

– Deuteronomy 6:5 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Joshua (Josh)

– Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Judges (Judg)

– Judges 6:12 – “When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.'”

Ruth (Ruth)

– Ruth 1:16 – “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'”

1 Samuel (1 Sam)

– 1 Samuel 16:7 – “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'”

2 Samuel (2 Sam)

– 2 Samuel 22:31 – “As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

1 Kings (1 Kings)

– 1 Kings 3:9 – “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

2 Kings (2 Kings)

– 2 Kings 6:16 – “Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'”

1 Chronicles (1 Chron)

– 1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

2 Chronicles (2 Chron)

– 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Ezra (Ezra)

– Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

Nehemiah (Neh)

– Nehemiah 8:10 – “Nehemiah said, Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Esther (Esther)

– Esther 4:14 – “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” References: 1. Holy Bible, New International Version.

All 66 Books of the Bible

News flash: the Bible is huge: about 611,000 words long, all divvied up across 66 smaller documents called the “books” of the Bible.

That’s because the Bible is a collection of writings from different authors writing at different times. In some ways, that makes it easier to approach the Bible: we can read it in “chunks” rather than needing to read the whole Bible at once.

But it also makes it a bit confusing. The Bible itself is a book. In fact, the word “bible” comes from the Latin and Greek words for “book” (biblia and biblos, respectively). But it’s a book of books. That means if you want to know the Bible better, you’ll need to get acquainted with the 66 documents it comprises.

Here’s a snapshot of every book of the Bible

Old Testament books of the Bible

The Old Testament includes 39 books which were written long before Jesus was born.

The first five books of the Bible are called the Torah, or the Law of Moses.

1. Genesis 

Genesis answers two big questions: “How did God’s relationship with the world begin?” and “Where did the nation of Israel come from?”

Author: Traditionally Moses, but the stories are much older.

Fun fact: Most of the famous Bible stories you’ve heard about are probably found in the book of Genesis. This is where the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Ark, the Tower of Babel, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob’s ladder, and Joseph’s coat of many colors are recorded.

2. Exodus

God saves Israel from slavery in Egypt, and then enters into a special relationship with them.

Author: Traditionally Moses

3. Leviticus

God gives Israel instructions for how to worship Him.

Author: traditionally Moses

4. Numbers

Israel fails to trust and obey God, and wanders in the wilderness for 40 years.

Author: Traditionally Moses

5. Deuteronomy

Moses gives Israel instructions (in some ways, a recap of the laws in Exodus–Numbers) for how to love and obey God in the Promised Land.

Author: Traditionally Moses

6. Joshua

Joshua (Israel’s new leader) leads Israel to conquer the Promised land, then parcels out territories to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Author: Nobody knows

Fun fact: You’ve probably heard of a few fantastic stories from this book (the Battle of Jericho and the day the sun stood still), but most of the action happens in the first half of this book. The last half is pretty much all about divvying up the real estate.

7. Judges

Israel enters a cycle of turning from God, falling captive to oppressive nations, calling out to God, and being rescued by leaders God sends their way (called “judges”).

Author: Nobody knows

8. Ruth

Two widows lose everything, and find hope in Israel—which leads to the birth of the future King David.

Author: Nobody knows

9. 1 Samuel

Israel demands a king, who turns out to be quite a disappointment.

Author: Nobody knows

10. 2 Samuel

David, a man after God’s own heart, becomes king of Israel.

Author: Nobody knows

11. 1 Kings

The kingdom of Israel has a time of peace and prosperity under King Solomon, but afterward splits, and the two lines of kings turn away from God.

Author: Nobody knows

12. 2 Kings

Both kingdoms ignore God and his prophets, until they both fall captive to other world empires.

Author: Nobody knows

13. 1 Chronicles

This is a brief history of Israel from Adam to David, culminating with David commissioning the temple of God in Jerusalem.

Author: Traditionally Ezra

14. 2 Chronicles

David’s son Solomon builds the temple, but after centuries of rejecting God, the Babylonians take the southern Israelites captive and destroy the temple.

Author: Traditionally Ezra

15. Ezra

The Israelites rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and a scribe named Ezra teaches the people to once again obey God’s laws.

Author: Ezra

16. Nehemiah

The city of Jerusalem is in bad shape, so Nehemiah rebuilds the wall around the city.

Author: Nehemiah

17. Esther

Someone hatches a genocidal plot to bring about Israel’s extinction, and Esther must face the emperor to ask for help.

Author: Nobody knows

Books of Poetry in the Old Testament

18. Job

Satan attacks a righteous man named Job, and Job and his friends argue about why terrible things are happening to him.

Author: Nobody knows

19. Psalms

A collection of 150 songs that Israel sang to God (and to each other)—kind of like a hymnal for the ancient Israelites.

Author: So many authors

20. Proverbs

A collection of sayings written to help people make wise decisions that bring about justice.

Author: Solomon and other wise men

21. Ecclesiastes

A philosophical exploration of the meaning of life—with a surprisingly nihilistic tone for the Bible.

Author: Traditionally Solomon

22. Song of Solomon (Song of Songs)

A love song (or collection of love songs) celebrating love, desire, and marriage.

Author: Traditionally Solomon (but it could have been written about Solomon, or in the style of Solomon)

Books of prophecy in the Old Testament

23. Isaiah

God sends the prophet Isaiah to warn Israel of future judgment—but also to tell them about a coming king and servant who will “bear the sins of many.”

Author: Isaiah (and maybe some of his followers)

24. Jeremiah

God sends a prophet to warn Israel about the coming Babylonian captivity, but the people don’t take the news very well.

Author: Jeremiah

25. Lamentations 

A collection of dirges lamenting the fall of Jerusalem after the Babylonian attacks.

Author: Traditionally Jeremiah

26. Ezekiel

God chooses a man to speak for Him to Israel, to tell them the error of their ways and teach them justice: Ezekiel.

Author: Ezekiel

27. Daniel

Daniel becomes a high-ranking wise man in the Babylonian and Persian empires, and has prophetic visions concerning Israel’s future.

Author: Daniel (with other contributors)

28. Hosea

Hosea is told to marry a prostitute who leaves him, and he must bring her back: a picture of God’s relationship with Israel.

Author: Hosea

29. Joel

God sends a plague of locusts to Judge Israel, but his judgment on the surrounding nations is coming, too.

Author: Joel

30. Amos

A shepherd named Amos preaches against the injustice of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Author: Amos

31. Obadiah

Obadiah warns the neighboring nation of Edom that they will be judged for plundering Jerusalem.

Author: Obadiah

32. Jonah

A disobedient prophet runs from God, is swallowed by a great fish, and then preaches God’s message to the city of Nineveh.

Author: Traditionally Jonah

33. Micah

Micah confronts the leaders of Israel and Judah regarding their injustice, and prophecies that one day the Lord himself will rule in perfect justice.

Author: Micah

34. Nahum

Nahum foretells of God’s judgment on Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.

Author: Nahum

35. Habakkuk

Habakkuk pleads with God to stop the injustice and violence in Judah, but is surprised to find that God will use the even more violent Babylonians to do so.

Author: Habakkuk

36. Zephaniah

God warns that he will judge Israel and the surrounding nations, but also that he will restore them in peace and justice.

Author: Zephaniah

37. Haggai

The people have abandoned the work of restoring God’s temple in Jerusalem, and so Haggai takes them to task.

Author: Haggai

38. Zechariah

The prophet Zechariah calls Israel to return to God, and records prophetic visions that show what’s happening behind the scenes.

39. Malachi

God has been faithful to Israel, but they continue to live disconnected from him—so God sends Malachi to call them out.

New Testament books of the Bible

40. The Gospel of Matthew

This is an account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, focusing on Jesus’ role as the true king of the Jews.

Author: Matthew

41. The Gospel of Mark

This brief account of Jesus’ earthly ministry highlights Jesus’ authority and servanthood.

Author: John Mark

42. The Gospel of Luke

Luke writes the most thorough account of Jesus’ life, pulling together eyewitness testimonies to tell the full story of Jesus.

Author: Luke

43. The Gospel of John

John lists stories of signs and miracles with the hope that readers will believe in Jesus.

Author: John

44. Acts

Jesus returns to the Father, the Holy Spirit comes to the church, and the gospel of Jesus spreads throughout the world.

Author: Luke

Paul’s epistles

45. Romans

Paul summarizes how the gospel of Jesus works in a letter to the churches at Rome, where he plans to visit.

Author: Paul

46. 1 Corinthians

Paul writes a disciplinary letter to a fractured church in Corinth, and answers some questions that they’ve had about how Christians should behave.

Author: Paul

47. 2 Corinthians

Paul writes a letter of reconciliation to the church at Corinth, and clears up some concerns that they have.

Author: Paul

48. Galatians

Paul hears that the Galatian churches have been lead to think that salvation comes from the law of Moses, and writes a (rather heated) letter telling them where the false teachers have it wrong.

Author: Paul

49. Ephesians

Paul writes to the church at Ephesus about how to walk in grace, peace, and love.

Author: Paul

50. Philippians

An encouraging letter to the church of Philippi from Paul, telling them how to have joy in Christ.

Author: Paul

51. Colossians

Paul writes the church at Colossae a letter about who they are in Christ, and how to walk in Christ.

Author: Paul

52. 1 Thessalonians

Paul has heard a good report on the church at Thessalonica, and encourages them to “excel still more” in faith, hope, and love.

Author: Paul

53. 2 Thessalonians

Paul instructs the Thessalonians on how to stand firm until the coming of Jesus.

Author: Paul

54. 1 Timothy

Paul gives his protegé Timothy instruction on how to lead a church with sound teaching and a godly example.

Author: Paul

55. 2 Timothy

Paul is nearing the end of his life, and encourages Timothy to continue preaching the word.

Author: Paul

56. Titus

Paul advises Titus on how to lead orderly, counter-cultural churches on the island of Crete.

Author: Paul

57. Philemon

Paul strongly recommends that Philemon accept his runaway slave as a brother, not a slave.

Author: Paul

The general, or Catholic, epistles

58. Hebrews

A letter encouraging Christians to cling to Christ despite persecution, because he is greater.

Author: Nobody knows

59. James

A letter telling Christians to live in ways that demonstrate their faith in action.

Author: James (likely the brother of Jesus)

60. 1 Peter

Peter writes to Christians who are being persecuted, encouraging them to testify to the truth and live accordingly.

Author: Peter

61. 2 Peter

Peter writes a letter reminding Christians about the truth of Jesus, and warning them that false teachers will come.

Author: Peter

62. 1 John

John writes a letter to Christians about keeping Jesus’ commands, loving one another, and important things they should know.

Author: John

63. 2 John

A very brief letter about walking in truth, love, and obedience.

Author: John

64. 3 John

An even shorter letter about Christian fellowship.

Author: John

65. Jude

A letter encouraging Christians to contend for the faith, even though ungodly persons have crept in unnoticed.

Author: Jude

66. Revelation

John sees visions of things that have been, things that are, and things that are yet to come.

Author: John

The books of the Bible are often abbreviated, but are often not identical to standard abbreviations for books.

The books of the Bible are often abbreviated, but are often not identical to standard abbreviations for books. The three-letter abbreviations come from Jerome’s Latin Vulgate; the two-letter abbreviations come from early Greek manuscripts. Strong’s Concordance uses different abbreviations than the NIV and RSV, which is why we use them here.

This list is of the abbreviations used for each book of the Bible in the first edition of Strong’s Concordance.

This list is of the abbreviations used for each book of the Bible in the first edition of Strong’s Concordance. These abbreviations are from a different system than what you will find on modern Bibles.

For example, if you look at your NIV or RSV Bible and see that Genesis 1-11 is labeled “Ge”, this means that it is using “Ge” as an abbreviation for “Genesis”. But if you’re looking at an older Bible like Strong’s concordance, they use a different abbreviation (Gn) for “Genesis”.

It’s important to note here that not all books have their initials spelled out as two letters; some use three letters and some even more than three!

The abbreviations used in Strong’s Concordance are different from those used in many other major English Bibles, including the NIV and the RSV.

These abbreviations are derived from the Latin Vulgate translations. They are also sometimes used by Bible publishers when space is limited. The two letter codes are derived from Greek contractions found in early manuscripts, while the three letter abbreviations are derived from the Latin Vulgate translations (as opposed to being a direct translation of Greek words).

These abbreviations are also sometimes used by Bible publishers when space is limited.

You can find abbreviations for books of the Bible in a concordance. These abbreviations are not always as you might expect, however.

For example, if you look up “1 Kings” in a concordance, it won’t be listed as 1KG but rather as 1KGS. A concordance will show you the most common ways that people have used to abbreviate words and passages throughout history.

Bible publishers sometimes use these same abbreviations when they’re publishing their Bibles or other Bible-related materials because it takes less space on each page than printing out all 26 letters of a word (like “Kings”).

The three letter abbreviations are derived from the Latin Vulgate translations.

The three-letter codes are derived from the Latin Vulgate translations. These abbreviations were originally developed by Benedictine monks in the 9th century, and they’re still used today. The Latin Vulgate was translated from Greek to Latin by St. Jerome (A.D. 340–420).

In addition to the three-letter codes, there are also two-letter codes that represent a single book of the Bible:

The two letter codes are derived from Greek contractions found in early manuscripts.

The two letter codes are derived from Greek contractions found in early manuscripts. The first letter of the book is abbreviated with a single capital letter, and the last letter of the book is abbreviated with a single lowercase letter. For example, Genesis begins with “Bereshit” and ends with “Vayechi” (or “and he died”). Therefore, it has an abbreviation of BRASH VECHI.

The two-letter codes are the same for both Old Testament books and New Testament books.

There are many different ways to refer to books of the bible

There are many different ways to refer to books of the Bible. However, most people use one or two-letter abbreviations for each book.

  • The two-letter convention is older and uses Greek contractions for each book’s title: “G” for Genesis, “P” for Psalms, etc. It was popularized by Hebrew Bible scholar Robert Lowth in 1750 (though its origins go back even further). This system is used by Roman Catholics and Protestants alike; however, certain groups have their own unique conventions based on this basic format: Lutherans use “T” instead of “P” while Anglicans use “E” instead of “P” (see below); some Lutheran churches also use “J” instead of “Josue/Joshua”. Eastern Orthodox Christians may also include an abbreviation of one or more words from each book’s title (but do not follow the standard Latin order).

Conclusion

If all this seems a little confusing, then take heart. It took decades for people to arrive at these abbreviations in the first place. But hopefully, learning them will make it easier for you to read and refer to the Bible.

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