The Bible Is One Unified Story Composed of 1,189 Chapters
The Bible is a collection of 66 individual books, written over a span of more than 1,500 years by over 40 different human authors, yet it tells one unified story of God’s love, redemption, and purpose for humanity. These books are divided into chapters and verses for easier reading, study, and reference.
So, how many chapters are in the entire Bible?
Total Number of Chapters in the Bible: 1,189 chapters
This includes:
- Old Testament: 929 chapters
- New Testament: 260 chapters
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” – 2 Timothy 3:16
The chapter divisions were not part of the original texts. They were added in the 13th century by Stephen Langton, a theologian who later became Archbishop of Canterbury. Verse numbers came later in the 16th century. These additions help us navigate and study the Bible more easily.
Breakdown by Testament
Old Testament (929 chapters, 39 books)
Some of the books with the most chapters include:
- Psalms – 150 chapters (the longest book)
- Isaiah – 66 chapters
- Genesis – 50 chapters
New Testament (260 chapters, 27 books)
Key examples:
- Matthew – 28 chapters
- Acts – 28 chapters
- Romans – 16 chapters
- Revelation – 22 chapters
The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117 (only 2 verses), and the longest chapter is Psalm 119 (176 verses).
Fun Fact: The Middle Chapter of the Bible
- The middle chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117, which is also the shortest chapter—and it speaks of God’s love and faithfulness for all nations.
“Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.” – Psalm 117:1–2
Why This Matters
While the number of chapters is interesting, the true value of the Bible lies not in its structure but in its message. Each chapter plays a role in telling the greatest story ever told—the story of God redeeming the world through Jesus Christ.
Reading the Bible chapter by chapter helps you:
- Understand the full context of God’s Word
- Grow in knowledge, wisdom, and faith
- Hear God’s voice and know His will for your life