Learn
Books of the Bible: Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most about the books of the Bible. For the full list with a guide to every section, see the 66 books of the Bible in order.
How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible has 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. That is the canon used by Protestant Bibles and taught by every Bible Brain Game. Catholic Bibles add 7 deuterocanonical books (73 in total) and Orthodox Bibles add a few more.
How many books are in the Old Testament?
39, from Genesis to Malachi. They fall into the Law (5), History (12), Poetry and Wisdom (5), Major Prophets (5) and Minor Prophets (12). See the Old Testament books in order.
How many books are in the New Testament?
27, from Matthew to Revelation: four Gospels, Acts, 13 letters bearing Paul's name, Hebrews, 7 General Letters, and Revelation. See the New Testament books in order.
What is the first book of the Bible? What is the last?
The first book is Genesis and the last is Revelation. The Old Testament ends with Malachi and the New Testament begins with Matthew.
What are the books of the Bible in order?
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 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; then Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude, Revelation. The full list with sections has a guide to each group.
How many chapters are in the Bible?
1,189 chapters in the standard English chapter divisions: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. Psalms has the most (150); Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John and Jude have one each.
What is the longest book of the Bible? The shortest?
By chapters, Psalms is the longest with 150. By word count, Jeremiah is the longest in the original Hebrew. The shortest by word count is 3 John; the shortest in the Old Testament is Obadiah.
What order are the Gospels in?
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because they share much of the same material. Acts follows John and was written by Luke as a sequel.
What are the five books of Moses?
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, also called the Pentateuch (Greek for “five scrolls”) or the Torah. See The Law.
What are the Major and Minor Prophets?
The Major Prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel. The twelve Minor Prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. “Major” and “minor” refer to length, not importance.
Is the Book of Enoch in the Bible?
No. Enoch is not in the 66-book canon or the Catholic canon (it is accepted only by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church), although Jude quotes it. Other well-known books outside the 66 include Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon and the Gospel of Thomas. Practise telling real books from impostors in Canon or Not.
What does “canon” mean?
The canon (from a Greek word for a measuring rod) is the list of books recognised as Scripture. The 39 Old Testament books match the Hebrew Bible; the 27 New Testament books were recognised across the early church by the fourth century.
Who wrote the most books of the Bible?
Thirteen New Testament letters bear Paul's name, more than any other author. Moses is traditionally credited with the five books of the Law, and John with a Gospel, three letters and Revelation. By volume, Luke's two books (Luke and Acts) make him the largest single contributor to the New Testament.
What is the best way to memorise the books of the Bible?
One section at a time, out loud, in order, then test yourself until recall is automatic. Order the Books walks through the Bible section by section, Book Hunt drills finding each book on the shelf, and Book Number Blitz drills each book's number. There is also a printable checklist to tick off as you go.