Did you know that the Bible is more like a library than a book? It’s a collection of 66 writings and letters that people have used for generations to introduce others to Jesus.
Not only is the Bible comprised of works about Jesus, but it is a magnificent piece of history and literature. Think about reading a work of history, a novel, or a letter from a friend – that's essentially what the original manuscripts were like! However, around the 1500s, some Bible translators wanted to Bible to be easier to navigate. So, they added some chapter and verse markers that would help readers explore the Bible:
- Titles, referred to as “books.” Books of the Bible are most often named after the author, the genre of writing, or the original recipient of the writing. Sometimes there are multiple parts to the same book, which are indicated by a number before the name of the book” 1 Corinthians, 2 Peter, etc.
- Numbered sections in each book called “chapters.”
- Verses in each chapter that organize sentences and phrases by number and make them easy to find and reference.
That is why you have names and numbers in scripture references like, John 3:16, Hosea 6:3, and Ephesians 2:8-10.
Because of the way the references are broken down, there are some fun facts about the Bible, and we’ll look a few today based off the New Living Translation of the Bible.
What is the Longest Book in the Bible?
If just looking at the number of verses in the book, the Book of Psalms is the longest with 2,527 verses.
However, if we counted only the number of words from the original language, Jeremiah wins! This is because the Hebrew language can say things with fewer words than our English translations. This is called counting a writing’s “Graphic Units,” and Jeremiah has 22,285 compared to the Psalms’ 19,662.
What is the Shortest Book in the Bible?
2 John
John writes a letter to “the chosen lady,” which is most likely his way of addressing the whole church as “the bride of Christ.” He is simply encouraging them to be careful not to buy into false teaching, mainly those who are denying the incarnation of Jesus (that is, that he was real and came in a physical body).
Shorter books like 2 and 3 John, Philemon, and Jude were the typical length for letters in the first century when the Bible was written (years 0-99). Being able to read and write was not common and the materials to write were expensive, so writers often had to use their resources sparingly and efficiently! Knowing this also made other long letters like Romans, and 1-2 Corinthians very uncommon. Those letters would have been staggering to a church!
What is the Shortest Chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117
This short chapter, only 2 verses, is a simple refrain and would be sung to close out an ancient worship gathering. It was their way of reminding themselves that God is in fact unfailing in love and enduring in faithfulness.
The Apostle Paul included Psalm 117 in his letter to the Romans (Romans 15:11) to show that the Psalm was about Christ, who came so that all people could glorify God and experience his eternal love and faithfulness.
What is the Longest Chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119
By long, we mean long, coming in at whopping 176 verses! Many Bible Reading Plans split this guy up just to be nice.
This Psalm is one of three acrostic Psalms in the Bible – each verse starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119 is different than the other two acrostics (111 and 112), however, because instead of each verse starting with the same letter, a whole section of verses starts with the same letter. So, split up into 8 verses each, each verse starts with the same Hebrew letter. We don’t know for sure who wrote Psalm 119, but some speculate that King David used it to teach Solomon how to write the alphabet!
Ultimately, Psalm 19 focuses on delighting in and living out the word of God in our lives each day. Although there is no specific reason for the number of verses in each section, the Psalm essentially shows us the ‘A to Z’ for loving the word of God.
What is the Shortest Verse in the Bible?
John 11:35 is the shortest with only two words total!
What is the Longest Verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9 – coming at a staggering 43 words!
We don’t really know what determines the length of Bible verses – why some are so long and why others, like this one, are so short. Some are based off musical structure (like in Psalms), while others incorporate full lists or statements.
Extra Credit: The word most often used in the Bible is “the.”
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There are all kinds of fun and interesting facts about the Bible, but the most important thing to know is that it is God’s word for us today. When we read the Bible, God breathes new life into us so that we can live the way he intended for us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Keep reading and studying for both fun facts and daily wisdom so God can continually change your life!
Check out these aditional resources below:
Where to Start Reading the Bible
What is the Best Order to Read the Bible for the First Time?
Or dive into the Bible with one of our Bible Reading Plans!
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