How Many Books Are in the Bible? 66 in All

The Bible contains 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. That is the count in Protestant Bibles, and it has been the standard answer since the Reformation. The 39 Old Testament books run from Genesis through Malachi; the 27 New Testament books run from Matthew through Revelation. Catholic Bibles include 73 books, and Orthodox Bibles sometimes more, because they also carry books Protestants place in a separate section called the Apocrypha. So the honest short answer is 66 for Protestant Bibles, 73 for Catholic Bibles, with the difference coming down to which books are treated as Scripture. The rest of this article gives you the full list, the chapter counts, and why the two numbers exist.

How do the 66 books break down?

The Old Testament has 39 books, grouped by type:

Law (5): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History (12): Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Wisdom and poetry (5): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Major prophets (5): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor prophets (12): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The New Testament has 27 books:

Gospels (4): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
History (1): Acts
Paul’s letters (13): Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
General letters (8): Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude
Prophecy (1): Revelation

Some counts put Hebrews with Paul’s letters, making 14; the number of books does not change either way.

The word “Bible” itself comes from the Greek biblia, meaning “books.” It is a library of 66 books written by many authors across roughly 1,600 years, in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and yet it tells one story: God’s redemption of his people.

How many chapters and verses are in the Bible?

Protestant Bibles contain 1,189 chapters: 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New. The Psalms is the longest book by chapter count at 150, and Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John and Jude are one chapter each.

Verse totals differ slightly between translations because of how they handle a few passages, but the usual figure is about 31,100 verses. The longest chapter is Psalm 119; the shortest is Psalm 117.

None of this numbering is inspired. Chapters were added in the thirteenth century and New Testament verses in the sixteenth, purely to help readers find their place. The text itself is what carries authority.

Why do Catholic and Orthodox Bibles have more books?

This is the one place where good answers differ, so it is worth stating plainly.

Protestant Christians hold that the Old Testament canon is the same 39 books recognized by the Jewish community and confirmed by Jesus and the apostles. They point to passages such as:

Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” — Luke 24:44 (BSB)

They also note that the New Testament writers quote the Old Testament constantly but never quote the Apocrypha as Scripture, and that those books were written in Greek during the centuries between Malachi and Christ, when prophetic revelation had ceased.

Catholic Christians hold that these same books (called deuterocanonical, not apocryphal, in Catholic usage) are genuinely Scripture. They point to the Greek Septuagint, the translation many early Greek-speaking churches used, and to the Latin Vulgate, and to the fact that the church was reading these books in worship long before any list was formally settled. The Council of Trent in the sixteenth century confirmed 73 books for the Catholic Church. Orthodox churches generally include those books plus a few more, such as 3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151, though the exact list varies by tradition.

This site follows the historic Protestant reading of 66 books, while recognizing that Catholic and Orthodox believers read the same evidence differently and hold their position in good faith. The disagreement is about the boundaries of the canon, not about whether Scripture is God’s Word.

What about the Apocrypha and other ancient books?

The Apocrypha is a collection of about fourteen books, including 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch and additions to Esther and Daniel. Protestants read them as helpful historical and devotional writings, not as inspired Scripture. Catholic and Orthodox readers receive most of them as Scripture.

Beyond that, there are books mentioned in the Bible itself that we do not possess, such as the Book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14) and the Book of Jasher. Their mention does not mean they belonged in the canon; it only means the biblical writers sometimes cited sources.

Why does the number matter?

It matters because the Bible is not merely a religious classic. It is God’s Word written. As the New Testament puts it:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, — 2 Timothy 3:16 (BSB)

And again:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. — Hebrews 4:12 (BSB)

Counting the books is a starting point, not the goal. The goal is to read them. If you are new to this, begin with the Gospel of John, then Acts, then Romans. Read a little each day, ask God to teach you, and bring your questions to a pastor or a mature believer who can walk through them with you in person. A local church is the place where the Bible is read, taught and lived out among people who know you.

Common questions

How many books are in the Old Testament and New Testament?

Protestant Bibles have 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books, for 66 total. Catholic Bibles have 46 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books, for 73 total.

Is the Apocrypha part of the Bible?

Protestants treat the Apocrypha as useful historical and devotional writings but not inspired Scripture, so it is not counted among the 66 books. Catholic and Orthodox Christians receive most of these books as Scripture, which is why their Bibles are longer.

Who divided the Bible into chapters and verses?

Chapters were added in the thirteenth century and New Testament verses in the sixteenth, by people rather than by the biblical authors. The divisions are a reading aid, not part of the inspired text.

How many chapters are in the Bible?

Protestant Bibles contain 1,189 chapters, with 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter and Psalm 117 the shortest.