Navigating sixty-six distinct books across two testaments requires a reliable shorthand. Whether you're writing a theological paper, reading an academic commentary, or organizing personal study notes, standard abbreviations prevent confusion and keep citations concise. Different style guides—such as the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) handbook or Chicago Manual of Style—rely on universally recognized shortcuts to streamline references.
Standardization matters because ambiguous shortcuts waste time in software searches and research papers. If you write "Num" it's clearly Numbers, but ambiguous or improvised tags disrupt digital indexing. Let's break down the accepted abbreviations for every book of the Old and New Testaments, along with practical rules for clean citation.
Old Testament Abbreviations
The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament span the Law, history, poetry, and prophetic literature. Below are the standard academic abbreviations accepted across major reference works.
The Pentateuch (Law)
- Genesis -- Gen. (or Gn.)
- Exodus -- Exod. (or Ex.)
- Leviticus -- Lev.
- Numbers -- Num.
- Deuteronomy -- Deut. (or Dt.)
Historical Books
- Joshua -- Josh. (or Jos.)
- Judges -- Judg. (or Jg.)
- Ruth -- Ruth
- 1 Samuel -- 1 Sam. (or 1 Sm.)
- 2 Samuel -- 2 Sam. (or 2 Sm.)
- 1 Kings -- 1 Kgs. (or 1 Ki.)
- 2 Kings -- 2 Kgs. (or 2 Ki.)
- 1 Chronicles -- 1 Chron. (or 1 Chr.)
- 2 Chronicles -- 2 Chron. (or 2 Chr.)
- Ezra -- Ezra
- Nehemiah -- Neh.
- Esther -- Esth. (or Est.)
Poetry and Wisdom
- Job -- Job
- Psalms -- Ps. (plural: Pss.)
- Proverbs -- Prov. (or Pr.)
- Ecclesiastes -- Eccles. (or Eccl.)
- Song of Solomon -- Song (or Cant.)
Prophets
- Isaiah -- Isa.
- Jeremiah -- Jer.
- Lamentations -- Lam.
- Ezekiel -- Ezek.
- Daniel -- Dan.
- Hosea -- Hos.
- Joel -- Joel
- Amos -- Amos
- Obadiah -- Obad.
- Jonah -- Jonah
- Micah -- Mic.
- Nahum -- Nah.
- Habakkuk -- Hab.
- Zephaniah -- Zeph.
- Haggai -- Hag.
- Zechariah -- Zech.
- Malachi -- Mal.
New Testament Abbreviations
The twenty-seven books of the New Testament record the life of Christ, early church history, apostolic letters, and prophecy.
The Gospels and Church History
- Matthew -- Matt. (or Mt.)
- Mark -- Mark (or Mk.)
- Luke -- Luke (or Lk.)
- John -- John (or Jn.)
- Acts -- Acts
Pauline Epistles
- Romans -- Rom. (or Ro.)
- 1 Corinthians -- 1 Cor.
- 2 Corinthians -- 2 Cor.
- Galatians -- Gal.
- Ephesians -- Eph.
- Philippians -- Phil. (or Php.)
- Colossians -- Col.
- 1 Thessalonians -- 1 Thess. (or 1 Th.)
- 2 Thessalonians -- 2 Thess. (or 2 Th.)
- 1 Timothy -- 1 Tim.
- 2 Timothy -- 2 Tim.
- Titus -- Titus
- Philemon -- Philem. (or Phm.)
General Epistles and Revelation
- Hebrews -- Heb.
- James -- Jas. (or Jm.)
- 1 Peter -- 1 Pet. (or 1 Pt.)
- 2 Peter -- 2 Pet. (or 2 Pt.)
- 1 John -- 1 John
- 2 John -- 2 John
- 3 John -- 3 John
- Jude -- Jude
- Revelation -- Rev. (or Re.)
Formatting Rules for Scriptural Citations
Knowing the abbreviation is only half the battle. How you format chapter and verse numbers determines whether your writing looks professional or amateurish.
Separate the book name from the chapter with a space. Use a colon between the chapter and the verse. When citing a continuous range of verses, use an en dash rather than a hyphen. For example, write Rom. 8:28-39, not Rom. 8:28-39 with a standard hyphen if your word processor allows it, though standard hyphens are widely accepted in casual notes.
When citing multiple verses within the same chapter, use a comma to separate non-sequential verses (John 3:16, 18). Use a semicolon to separate entirely different book citations in a single footnote (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1).
Academic bodies like the Society of Biblical Literature publish explicit style guides that outline these exact conventions. Keeping a style reference close ensures consistency across extensive writing projects.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even seasoned writers slip up when handling shorthand book references. Watch out for these frequent errors:
- Inventing unique shortcuts like "Galts" for Galatians or "Eze" for Ezekiel. Stick to recognized SBL or Chicago forms.
- Forgetting that books starting with numbers (like 1 Samuel or 2 Corinthians) require the numeral and a space.
- Confusing similar abbreviations, such as mixing up 1 Kgs (1 Kings) with 2 Chr (2 Chronicles) during dense historical cross-references.
- Leaving out periods where formal academic style requires them, or conversely, cluttering modern liturgical bulletins with unnecessary punctuation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to use periods after every abbreviation?
It depends on your style guide. Academic publishing (such as SBL) requires periods after most abbreviations (e.g., Gen., Matt.). Modern media and some church publications drop the periods for cleanliness (e.g., Gen, Matt). Pick one style and stick with it throughout your document.
How do I cite an entire book instead of a specific verse?
If you're referencing an entire book in running text, spell it out entirely: "The book of Deuteronomy emphasizes covenant obedience." If you must abbreviate it in a parenthetical note, simply list the book name without chapters or verses, like (Rom.).
What about the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books?
Traditions that include the Apocrypha use standard short forms for those texts as well. For instance, Tobit becomes Tob., Judith becomes Jth., and 1 Maccabees is abbreviated as 1 Macc.
Which style guide is best for theological research?
The SBL Handbook of Style is the gold standard for biblical studies, academic essays, and seminary papers. For general humanities writing, the Chicago Manual of Style provides robust rules for scriptural references. You can check broader referencing conventions directly through The Chicago Manual of Style Online.
