APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Biblical Sources

Bible Dictionary

Single-Volume Commentary

Multi-Volume Bible Commentary

Book-Length Commentary in a Series

Citing the Bible 

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir, author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

Print:

Entry Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of publication).  Title of entry. In Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Last Name (Ed.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (edition if given and is not first edition, Vol. volume#, pp. first page-last page). Publisher Name.

Example:

Sarna, N. M. (2008). Exodus, book of. In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible dictionary (Vol. 2, pp. 689- 700). Yale University Press.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Sarna, 2008) 

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Sarna, 2008, p. 690)

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Online:

Entry Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Second Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name & Second Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (edition if given and is not first edition, Vol. volume#, pp. first page-last page). Publisher. DOI (if available) or URL

Example:

Browning, W. R. F. (2009). Daniel, book of. In A Dictionary of the Bible (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199543984.001.0001/acref9780199543984-e-485

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Browning, 2009) 

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year) - if the online source does not provide page numbers then omit the page number from the in-text citation

(Browning, 2009) 

A single-volume commentary is a book that contains chapters covering each of the books of the Bible.

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Print:

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of publication). In Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name & Second Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name (Eds.), Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition, pp. first page-last page). Publisher Name.

Example:

Perkins, P. (1990). The gospel according to John. In R. E. Brown, J. A. Firzmyer, & R. E. Murphy (Eds.), The new Jerome biblical commentary (pp. 942-85). Prentice-Hall.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Perkins, 1990)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Perkins, 1990, p. 955) 

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Online:

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of publication). In Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name & Second Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name (Eds.), Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. DOI (if available) or URL

Example:

Franklin, E. (2001). Luke. In J. Barton and J. Muddiman (Eds.), Oxford Bible commentary. Oxford University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uportland/reader.action?docID=10269141

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Franklin, 2001)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number) - if the online source does not provide page numbers then omit the page number from the in-text citation

(Franklin, 2001) 

A multi-volume commentary is a set of multiple books that contains chapters covering each of the books of the Bible.

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Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In Editor’s First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name (Ed.), Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition, Vol. volume#, pp. first page-last page). Publisher Name.

Example:

Perkins, P. (1994). Mark. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), The new interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 8, pp. 507-734). Abingdon Press.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Perkins, 1994) 

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Perkins, 1994, p. 601) 

A book-length commentary is a book that includes commentary on just one book of the Bible (and sometimes only part of one book of the Bible).

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Print:

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of publication). Title of book: Subtitle if given.  Title of series. Publisher Name.

Example:

Vinson, R. B. (2008). Luke. Smyth & Helwys Bible commentary. Smyth & Helwys. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Vinson, 2008) 

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Vinson, 2008, p. 302)

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Online:

Author’s Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of publication). Title of book: Subtitle if given. Title of series. Publisher Name. DOI (if available) or URL

Example:

Vinson, R. B. (2008). Luke. Smyth & Helwys Bible commentary. Smyth & Helwys. https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=942774&sit e=ehost-live&scope=site

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Vinson, 2008) 

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Vinson, 2008, p. 302)

Citing the Version of the Bible

The first time you paraphrase or quote from the Bible, identify which version of the Bible that you used. Include both the original and republished publication dates in the reference. You do not need to repeat the version name in subsequent references. Then cite the Bible in your reference list.

Print:

Version of the Bible. (Year of publication). Publisher Name.

Online:

Version of the Bible. (Year of publication). Publisher Name. URL. (Original work published Earlier year of publication)

Example:

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)

In the body of your paper, include a sentence similar to this:

The researchers consulted the Bible (King James Version, 1769/2017) to provide items for the development of their religious values assessment.

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Citing Biblical Chapters and Verses

When referring to books of the Bible within the body of your paper:

• If you're referring to the book of the Bible as a whole, or a chapter of a book of the Bible (but without specific verses), use the full name of the book of the Bible 
  • Example: Genesis, Luke 4, Revelation 1-3


• If you're referring to a specific chapter and verse(s), abbreviate the name of the book of the Bible (see a list of abbreviations for the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament)
  • Example: Exod 2:1-3; Matt 13:12

Note: it isn't necessary to add a period after the abbreviated book name. Include a space between the book name and the chapter number, and include a colon between the chapter number and the verse(s).

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Citing Introductions, Annotations, or Supplemental Content in the Bible

Bibles that have annotations, introductions, or other supplemental content should cite the editors in place of authors. If the supplemental content is written by someone other than the editors of the book, then cite the content as a chapter within a book.

Example:

Carr, D. M. (2010). Introduction to Genesis. In M. D. Coogan, M. Z. Brettler, C. Newsom, & P. Perkins (Eds.), The new Oxford annotated Bible with apocrypha: New revised standard version (pp. 7-11). Oxford University Press. 

Kaiser, W. C., Jr., & Garrett, D. (Eds.). (2006). NIV archaeological study Bible: An illustrated walk through biblical history and culture. Zondervan.

In-Text citations:

(Carr, 2010)

(Carr, 2010, p. 8)

(Kaiser & Garrett, 2006, Genesis 1:20)

(Kaiser & Garrett, 2006, footnote to Genesis 1:12, p. 4)

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See the APA "Religious Work References" page for more guidance.