Skip to content

Course 23 · Lesson 4.3

Biblical citation conventions: books, abbreviations, versions and numbering

11 minute read

Lessons in this course

Course 23 outline

Module 1: How Research Works

  1. What research is and what a scholarly paper is for
  2. From topic to question: writing a research question that can be answered
  3. The working thesis and how it changes as research develops
  4. Taking notes, recording sources and organizing a project
  5. Academic integrity: quotation, paraphrase and plagiarism

Module 2: Primary and Secondary Sources

  1. Primary and secondary sources in theology and church history
  2. Source criticism: author, date, audience, purpose and transmission
  3. Translations, editions and the problem of reading ancient texts in English
  4. Judging the reliability of a source, including websites and popular books

Module 3: Finding and Reading Scholarship

  1. How peer review works and what it does not guarantee
  2. Finding articles, books and reference works with free and library tools
  3. Reading a scholarly work efficiently and critically
  4. Writing a literature review: summarizing a debate

Module 4: Citation

  1. Chicago notes and bibliography: books, articles and chapters
  2. Citing the Fathers, councils, creeds and online sources
  3. Biblical citation conventions: books, abbreviations, versions and numbering
  4. Managing a bibliography and checking citations

Module 5: Evaluating Arguments and Bias

  1. The anatomy of an argument: claim, evidence, assumption and conclusion
  2. Common fallacies and weak arguments in theological writing
  3. Identifying bias in sources: confessional, ideological and commercial
  4. Confirmation bias in your own work, and ways to reduce it

Module 6: Constructing Arguments and Writing

  1. Building a theological argument from Scripture, tradition and reason
  2. Outlining and drafting a research paper
  3. Clear analytical prose: paragraphs, transitions and plain language
  4. Revising, editing and checking quotations and facts

All courses

Program / Course 23: Research Methodology / Lesson 4.3

What you will learn

  • Cite a biblical passage by book, chapter and verse and name the version used.
  • Use standard abbreviations and recognize when to write book names in full.
  • Explain why chapter, verse and Psalm numbers differ between Bibles and how to flag the difference.
  • Decide when a biblical citation belongs in the text and when it belongs in a note or bibliography.

The big idea

A biblical citation names the book, chapter and verse, and tells the reader which version was used. Chicago style places such references in the text or a note, and normally leaves the Bible out of the bibliography. Abbreviations follow standard lists. A careful writer also knows that the Hebrew Bible, the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate number some Psalms and verses differently, so that a reference such as Psalm 51 may need a note saying which numbering is meant.

Key terms

Book, chapter, verse
The three parts of a standard biblical reference, as in Romans 8:28, where 8 is the chapter and 28 the verse.
Version
A particular translation of the Bible, such as the King James Version (KJV) or the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
Abbreviation
A short form of a book name, such as Rom. for Romans, used in notes and parentheses.
Masoretic Text
The traditional Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the basis of most Protestant and Jewish translations.
Septuagint (LXX)
An ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, used by many early Christians and by the Orthodox Church today.
Vulgate
The Latin Bible translated largely by Jerome in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, long the standard Bible of the Western church.
Deuterocanonical books
Books such as Tobit, Wisdom and Sirach, accepted as Scripture by Catholics and Orthodox, and placed apart or omitted by most Protestants.
Versification
The way a text is divided into chapters and verses. It differs in some places between Bibles.

Background

The division of the Bible into chapters and verses is not original. Chapter divisions in the form now used are generally traced to the thirteenth century, and verse numbers in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament were added later, with the printed verse numbering of the New Testament associated with the sixteenth century printer Robert Estienne. The divisions are conventional, but they are so widely shared that they are the standard way of pointing to a passage.

A reference tells the reader where to look. A reference without a version does not tell the reader what words to expect. The wording of Romans 8:28 differs among translations, and a student who quotes a phrase must say which translation it comes from. The usual practice is to name the version at the first citation, with its abbreviation, and then to use it throughout unless another is indicated. This program quotes the King James Version when it quotes at all, and so names it.

Different Bibles number some passages differently. Many Psalms are numbered differently in the Hebrew and Greek traditions, and Catholic and Orthodox Bibles that follow the Greek and Latin numbering will often give a Psalm a number one lower than a Protestant Bible does. Some verse boundaries also differ, as in the Psalm titles and in a few places in the prophets. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles contain books not found in most Protestant Bibles, and some books, such as Esther and Daniel, have additional sections. A careful writer notes which numbering is used when it matters.

Step-by-step explanation

Step 1: Write the reference correctly

Give the book, a space, the chapter, a colon and the verse: Romans 8:28. For a range of verses within a chapter, use a hyphen: Romans 8:28-30. For verses in different chapters, separate the references with a semicolon: Romans 8:28; 9:1. Chicago style uses a colon between chapter and verse.

Books with numbers keep the number before the name: 1 Corinthians, 2 Kings. Use Arabic numerals unless your style requires Roman.

Step 2: Choose full names or abbreviations

In running text, write book names in full. In parentheses and notes, standard abbreviations may be used, such as Gen., Exod., Ps., Matt., Rom. and 1 Cor. The Chicago Manual of Style gives lists of abbreviations, and some publishers use shorter forms without periods. Use one system throughout.

A book name alone, or a chapter alone, can stand without verse numbers when you refer to the whole: ‘the book of Romans’ or ‘Romans 8’.

Step 3: Name the version

At the first biblical quotation or citation, state the version, either in the text (‘in the King James Version’) or in the note, with its abbreviation, such as KJV. Afterward, you may omit it if all quotations come from the same version. If you change versions, say so each time.

If you translate the Greek or Hebrew yourself, say ‘my translation’ in the note. If you quote the Septuagint or Vulgate, name the edition and translator.

Step 4: Mind the numbering

Check whether a Psalm or a verse you cite has different numbering in other Bibles. If so, say which numbering you follow, and give the other in parentheses when readers from other traditions might otherwise be confused: Psalm 51 (50 in the Greek and Latin numbering).

When a book is found only in some Bibles, say so the first time you cite it, for instance, ‘Sirach, a book accepted as Scripture by Catholics and Orthodox Christians.’

Step 5: Decide where the citation goes

For short references, Chicago style allows putting the citation in parentheses in the text: (Rom. 8:28). Use notes when you need to say more, such as naming the version or discussing the translation. Biblical works are normally not listed in the bibliography, though some publishers differ, and a study Bible or commentary you used should be listed.

Do not use the Bible as a decoration. A citation should point to the passage you actually discuss, and the discussion should deal with the passage in its context, not only with a phrase.

  1. Have I given book, chapter and verse correctly?
  2. Have I named the version, and used it consistently?
  3. Do I write book names in full in the text and abbreviate only in notes?
  4. Does this Psalm or verse number differ in other Bibles?
  5. Is this book accepted as Scripture by all my readers’ traditions?
  6. Does my reference point to the passage I actually discuss?

Examples

A basic reference

In the text: ‘Paul writes that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 KJV).’ In a note: 1. Rom. 8:28 (KJV). Both forms give the book, chapter, verse and version.

A range and a series

‘Romans 8:28-30’ is a range within one chapter. ‘Romans 8:28; 9:1’ joins two references. ‘John 3:16; 1 John 4:9’ lists two different books.

Psalm numbering

The Psalm known in many Protestant Bibles as Psalm 51 appears as Psalm 50 in the Greek and Latin numbering used by Orthodox and many older Catholic sources. A writer citing a Father who used the Septuagint should note this, for instance: Psalm 51 (LXX 50).

A disputed book

A student quoting Sirach for a Catholic or Orthodox reader can cite it without comment, while for a reader whose tradition does not treat it as Scripture a brief note may help. The note informs the reader without arguing the matter. (A constructed example of tact in citation.)

Different perspectives

Catholic

Catholic Bibles include the deuterocanonical books, and the Psalms in many older Catholic translations follow the Vulgate numbering, which is the same as the Greek. Modern Catholic Bibles often give both numberings. A Catholic writer citing older sources should note which numbering applies.

Orthodox

The Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint for the Old Testament, with its books and numbering, and the Greek text of the New Testament. Orthodox English Bibles follow Septuagint numbering of the Psalms. Citing from a Greek Father or from the liturgy, a writer should note the numbering.

Protestant

Most Protestant Bibles follow the Hebrew text and its numbering for the Old Testament, and many omit the deuterocanonical books or print them in a separate section. Protestant readers may therefore be unfamiliar with Septuagint numbering and the additional books, and a note can help them.

Jewish and academic scholarship

Jewish Bibles number a few verses differently from Christian ones, since some Psalm titles count as verse 1, and the order of books differs. Academic writers on the Bible usually follow the Society of Biblical Literature style, which is closely related to Chicago, and which gives abbreviations and conventions for ancient sources.

Why it matters

A biblical reference is the most common citation in theology, and also one of the easiest to get slightly wrong. Naming the version, giving the reference exactly and noting differences in numbering keep readers from different traditions on the same page. It also protects the writer from quoting words that the stated version does not contain.

Common misunderstandings

Misunderstanding: Every Bible has the same chapters, verses and books.

Correction: Most of the numbering is shared, but there are differences in the Psalms, some verses, the books included and some added sections. Note them when they matter.

Misunderstanding: The version does not matter if the meaning is the same.

Correction: Wording differs, and an argument may turn on a word. State the version, and quote it exactly.

Misunderstanding: Chapters and verses were written by the original authors.

Correction: They were added later as a reference system. They are useful but sometimes break a passage in awkward places, so read the surrounding text.

Misunderstanding: The Bible goes in the bibliography like any other book.

Correction: In Chicago style, the Bible is normally cited in the text or notes and not listed in the bibliography. A study Bible or edition you rely on for notes may be listed.

Knowledge check

How do you write a reference to a range of verses, and to verses in two chapters?

A range within a chapter uses a hyphen, as in Romans 8:28-30. References in different chapters are separated by a semicolon, as in Romans 8:28; 9:1. In Chicago style, a colon separates the chapter and the verse. The book name is written in full in running text and may be abbreviated in notes and parentheses.

Why should you name the version of the Bible?

Translations differ in wording, and an argument or quotation may depend on a particular word. Naming the version, at least at first citation, tells the reader which words to expect and allows checking. If you use several versions, or your own translation, say so each time.

Why do Psalm numbers sometimes differ?

The Hebrew text and the Greek and Latin traditions divide some Psalms differently, so that many Psalms carry a number one lower in the Greek and Latin numbering than in the Hebrew. Orthodox and older Catholic sources follow the Greek and Latin numbering. A careful writer states which numbering is used and may give the other in parentheses.

Where do biblical citations go in a paper in Chicago style?

They go in the text in parentheses for short references, or in notes when more explanation is needed, such as naming the version. The Bible is normally not listed in the bibliography, though a study Bible or commentary used for its notes should be. The same pattern should be used throughout the paper.

Think it through

  1. Which Bible do you use most, and how might it shape what you expect a passage to say?
  2. How could you cite a Father’s quotation from the Psalms so that both a Protestant and an Orthodox reader can find it?
  3. Why might a note about a book’s status be useful, and how can it be written without taking sides?
  4. What passages have you quoted from memory that you should check?

Independent assignment

A page of biblical citations

In your own notebook, write about 300 words that quote or refer to at least six biblical passages from the Scripture list of this course. Use correct references, name the KJV at the first citation, use abbreviations in parentheses and full names in the text, and add a note on any numbering difference you find for a Psalm. Check each quotation against a KJV text. Do not send this to anyone.

Further study