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What's in Your Bible?

Vincent Setterholm

Jews and Christians throughout the centuries have produced bibles that vary in content and organization. This chart is a sampling of the different bibles used today.

Protestant Reformers like Martin Luther doubted the canonicity* Canon: (kanōn; κανών) comes from the Greek word for “reed” or “rod,” used as a straight edge or ruler for measurement. In biblical studies, when we talk about a canon, we mean that list of books that a community considers both authoritative and inspired. Canonical books form the standard against which other writings, doctrines and practices are measured. of the Apocrypha*Apocrypha: Jerome, the translator of the early Latin Bible, maintained a distinction between those books he considered canonical and the non-canonical books that should be read for the edification of the church. With some modification, this list of edifying books is sometimes called the “Apocrypha.” Other theologians, such as the influential Augustine, did not maintain this distinction, and were more inclusive in their canon lists. , but when Luther prepared his translation of the Bible into German, he did not remove the Apocrypha; he simply moved those books to an appendix. This tradition continues in many European bibles.

The English were the first group of people to remove the Apocrypha altogether. In 1599, an edition of the Geneva Bible was published without the Apocrypha. In 1615, during the reign of King James the First, George Abbot, the Archbishop of Canterbury, declared the penalty for printing a Bible without the Apocrypha to be a year in prison! But over the next three centuries the growing influence of Puritans and Presbyterians over the populace, the government, and the British and Foreign Bible Society led to a strong tradition of printing bibles containing only 66 books.

The situation today reflects this bifurcation. The bibles used by many European Protestants, as well as the Anglican Church, still include the Apocrypha. Most other English-speaking Protestant churches have bibles without the Apocrypha.



Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua	+ + Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 11. The Samaritans have their own version of the Book of Joshua, but they do not consider it canonical. Historically, the Sadducees also only accepted the Torah as canonical.
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
1 Esdras			++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.	±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material.		++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 22. The Anglican and other protestant traditions make no distinction between the portions of the Apocrypha included in the Roman Catholic canon and those considered non-canonical plus material.
2 Esdras		33. Included in the Slavonic Orthodox traditions, but not in the Greek, since it was never part of the Greek translation of the Old Testament.	++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.	±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material. 44. The Syriac tradition only contains chapters 3–14, sometimes called 4 Ezra.	55. The Ethiopian canon contains chapters 3–14 of the Latin text, called the Ezra Apocalypse in the Ethiopic tradition.	+ + Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 22. The Anglican and other protestant traditions make no distinction between the portions of the Apocrypha included in the Roman Catholic canon and those considered non-canonical plus material.
Ezra		66. Ezra and Nehemiah form one book in the Greek Bible titled Esdras B.
Nehemiah		66. Ezra and Nehemiah form one book in the Greek Bible titled Esdras B.
Esther		** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.	* * Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.		** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.
Judith				±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material.		++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Tobit				±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material.		++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
1 Maccabees					77. The Ethiopian text is different from the Greek and Latin text bearing this title.	++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
2 Maccabees					77. The Ethiopian text is different from the Greek and Latin text bearing this title.	++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
3 Maccabees					77. The Ethiopian text is different from the Greek and Latin text bearing this title.
4 Maccabees		++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Psalms		** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.	** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books. 88. Many Catholic bibles contain the 151st Psalm, but it is not part of the Catholic canon.	** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books. 99. The Syriac canon may have at various times included 150, 151, or 155 psalms.	** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.
Odes		++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.		±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material.
Prayer of Manasseh		1010. Often included as one of the Odes.	++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.	±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material.	1111. Included at the end of 2 Chronicles.	++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 22. The Anglican and other protestant traditions make no distinction between the portions of the Apocrypha included in the Roman Catholic canon and those considered non-canonical plus material.
Proverbs					1212. In the Ethiopian canon, Proverbs 1–24 makes up one book, called Messale, and Proverbs 25–31 are split into a second book called Täagsas.
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Job
Wisdom of Solomon						++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Wisdom of Sirach						++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Psalms of Solomon		++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.		±± Indicates a higher degree of uncertainty about whether a book should be categorized as canonical or plus material.
Hosea ¹³13. In many traditions, the 12 minor prophets (Hosea through Malachi) formed a single work.
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zepheniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Baruch						++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Epistle of Baruch
Apocalypse of Baruch				++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
4 Baruch					1414. Included along with Lamentations in what is called the Säqoqawä Eremyas.
Lamentations					** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books. 1515. Included along with 4 Baruch and other material in what is called the Säqoqawä Eremyas. The Ethiopic text includes 11 chapters of Lamentations instead of the usual 5.
Epistle of Jeremiah			1616. Included in Baruch.		1616. Included in Baruch.	++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Ezekiel
Susanna			1717. Often included as the thirteenth chapter of Daniel.			++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Daniel		** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.	** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.	** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.	** Indicates the inclusion of additional material not found in the Hebrew versions of these books.
Bel and the Dragon			1818. Often included as the fourteenth chapter of Daniel.			++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Enoch
Jubilees
Pseudo-Josephus					B B. The Ethiopian Church has a Broad Canon and a Narrow Canon. Books marked “B” are only found in the Broad Canon.
Josephus’ Jewish War, VI				++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter				++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 1919. The early Peshitta translation did not include these books, but a later Syriac translation is supplied in modern Syriac bibles. However, many Syrian churches, which follow the Peshitta, do not use these books in their liturgy or for establishing doctrine.
1 John
2 John				+ + Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 1919. The early Peshitta translation did not include these books, but a later Syriac translation is supplied in modern Syriac bibles. However, many Syrian churches, which follow the Peshitta, do not use these books in their liturgy or for establishing doctrine.
3 John				+ + Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 1919. The early Peshitta translation did not include these books, but a later Syriac translation is supplied in modern Syriac bibles. However, many Syrian churches, which follow the Peshitta, do not use these books in their liturgy or for establishing doctrine.
Jude				+ + Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 1919. The early Peshitta translation did not include these books, but a later Syriac translation is supplied in modern Syriac bibles. However, many Syrian churches, which follow the Peshitta, do not use these books in their liturgy or for establishing doctrine.
Revelation				++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 1919. The early Peshitta translation did not include these books, but a later Syriac translation is supplied in modern Syriac bibles. However, many Syrian churches, which follow the Peshitta, do not use these books in their liturgy or for establishing doctrine.
Epistle to the Laodiceans			++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Acts of Paul and Thecla				++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
3 Corinthians				+ + Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition. 2020. This was considered canonical by the very early Syrian churches, and later by the Armenian Church, but now neither church considers this canonical.
Sinodos ²¹21. Only the first 4 Synods are attributed to the apostles, and thus considered canonical.					BB. The Ethiopian Church has a Broad Canon and a Narrow Canon. Books marked “B” are only found in the Broad Canon.
Clement ²²22. Not the same as the writings of Clement of Rome or Clement of Alexandria, but rather purported to be letters from Peter to Clement.					BB. The Ethiopian Church has a Broad Canon and a Narrow Canon. Books marked “B” are only found in the Broad Canon.
The Book of the Covenant					BB. The Ethiopian Church has a Broad Canon and a Narrow Canon. Books marked “B” are only found in the Broad Canon.
The Ethiopian Didascalia					BB. The Ethiopian Church has a Broad Canon and a Narrow Canon. Books marked “B” are only found in the Broad Canon.
Shepherd of Hermas					++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
Ascension of Isaiah					++ Plus material, generally not considered canonical, but often found in bibles of a given tradition.
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