Abbreviations of biblical books are short-form descriptions of their titles. For example, “Genesis” is abbreviated as “Gen.” They are often used in formal writing, such as term papers, books, and magazine articles. Some online publications also use abbreviations of biblical books.
There are many different ways to abbreviate biblical books. Some authors even make up their own abbreviations. The lists below show the abbreviations that writers today conventionally use and that book and magazine publications commonly accept.
Abbreviations of Old Testament Books
| Genesis | Gen. |
| Exodus | Ex. |
| Leviticus | Lev. |
| Numbers | Num. |
| Deuteronomy | Deut. |
| Joshua | Josh. |
| Judges | Judg. |
| Ruth | Ruth |
| 1 Samuel | 1 Sam. |
| 2 Samuel | 2 Sam. |
| 1 Kings | 1 Kings |
| 2 Kings | 2 Kings |
| 1 Chronicles | 1 Chron. |
| 2 Chronicles | 2 Chron. |
| Ezra | Ezra |
| Nehemiah | Neh. |
| Esther | Est |
| Job | Job |
| Psalms | Ps. |
| Proverbs | Prov. |
| Ecclesiastes | Eccles. |
| Song of Solomon | Song |
| 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. |
Also see Bible verses on the joy of Jesus
Abbreviations of New Testament Books
| Matthew | Matt. |
| Mark | Mark |
| Luke | Luke |
| John | John |
| Acts | Acts |
| Romans | Rom. |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 Cor. |
| 2 Corinthians | 2 Cor. |
| Galatians | Gal. |
| Ephesians | Eph. |
| Philippians | Phil. |
| Colossians | Col. |
| 1 Thessalonians | 1 Thess. |
| 2 Thessalonians | 2 Thess. |
| 1 Timothy | 1 Tim. |
| 2 Timothy | 2 Tim. |
| Titus | Titus |
| Philemon | Philem. |
| Hebrews | Heb. |
| James | James |
| 1 Peter | 1 Pet. |
| 2 Peter | 2 Pet. |
| 1 John | 1 John |
| 2 John | 2 John |
| 3 John | 3 John |
| Jude | Jude |
| Revelation | Rev. |
Also see Best Revelation Bible commentaries
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