Chicago Style (18th Edition) Citation Guide

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).

For book-length commentaries in a series, the book title is italicized, and is followed by the series title, which is not italicized.

Print:

Bibliography:

Witherington, Ben. Matthew. Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, 2006.

Footnote:

1. Ben Witherington, Matthew, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Smyth & Helwys, 2006), 60.

Online:

Bibliography:

Biddle, Mark E. Deuteronomy. Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, 2003. https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1440542&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Footnote:

1. Mark E. Biddle, Deuteronomy, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Smyth & Helwys, 2003), 101, https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1440542&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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

Bibliography:

Coote, Robert B. “The Book of Joshua.” In The New Interpreter’s Bible, edited by Leander E. Keck, vol. 2. Abingdon Press, 1994.

Footnote:

1. Robert B. Coote, “The Book of Joshua,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, ed. Leander E. Keck (Abingdon Press, 1994), 2:602.

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

Print:

Bibliography:

Perkins, Pheme. “The Gospel According to John.” In The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy. Prentice-Hall, 1990.

Footnote:

1. Pheme Perkins, “The Gospel According to John,” in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, eds. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy (Prentice-Hall, 1990), 945.

Online:

Bibliography:

Franklin, Eric. “Luke.” In Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Barton and John Muddiman, Oxford University Press, 2001. http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/book/obso-9780198755005/obso-9780198755005-chapterFrontMatter-52.

Footnote:

1. Eric Franklin, “Luke,” in Oxford Bible Commentary, eds. John Barton and John Muddiman (Oxford University Press, 2001), http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/book/obso-9780198755005/obso-9780198755005-chapterFrontMatter-52.

Ancient Christian Commentary includes excerpts that were previously published in other sources; your footnote needs to reference both the original source as well as the Ancient Christian Commentary book that you used. In your bibliography, cite only the Ancient Christian Commentary book that you consulted.

Bibliography:

Lienhard, Joseph T., editor. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Ancient Christian Commentary. InterVarsity Press, 2001.

Footnote:

1. Augustine, “Tractate on the Gospel of John 20.2,” in Fathers of the Church: A New Translation (Catholic University of America Press, 1947), 79:164, quoted in Joseph T. Lienhard, ed., Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Ancient Christian Commentary (InterVarsity Press, 2001), 104.

For bible dictionaries (or other reference books that provide content in alphabetical order), an abbreviated footnote is used which includes the book title, the entry title, and (for online resources) the last updated/accessed date and URL.

Print:

Bibliography:

Sarna, Nahum M. “Exodus, Book of.” In Anchor Bible Dictionary, edited by David Noel Freedman, vol. 2. Doubleday, 1992.

Footnote:

1. Anchor Bible Dictionary, under “Exodus, Book of.”

Online:

Bibliography:

Browning, W. R. F. “Kingdom of God.” In A Dictionary of the Bible, edited by W. R. F. Browning, Oxford University Press, 2009. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199543984.001.0001/acref-9780199543984-e-1069?rskey=cFPKLt&result=1043.

Footnote:

1. A Dictionary of the Bible, under “Kingdom of God,” accessed January 10, 2023, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199543984.001.0001/acref-9780199543984-e-1069?rskey=cFPKLt&result=1043.

Citing the Version of the Bible

The first time you paraphrase or quote from the Bible, add a footnote indicating which version of the Bible that you used. You do not need to repeat the version name in subsequent references. You also do not need to cite the Bible in your bibliography, unless you are citing modern content such as an introduction, footnote, or map.

Example:

1. The New Revised Standard Version translation will be used throughout this paper.

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).

Introduction to a Chapter in the Bible

Bibliography

Sumney, Jerry L. “The Book of Tobit.” In Saint Mary’s Press College Study Bible. Saint Mary’s Press, 2007.

Footnote

1. Jerry L. Sumney, “The Book of Tobit,” in Saint Mary’s Press College Study Bible (Saint Mary’s Press, 2007), 588.

Footnote in the Bible

If an author is cited for each chapter of the Bible, cite them as the footnote author. Otherwise, cite the Bible’s editor.

Bibliography

Sweeney, Marvin A. “Isaiah.” In The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Oxford University Press, 2010.

Footnote

1. Marvin A. Sweeney, Isaiah 8:1-4 footnote, in The New Oxford Annotated Bible (Oxford University Press, 2010), 979.

Map in the Bible

Bibliography

Wansbrough, Henry, ed. “Map 3: Palestine of the Old Testament.” In The New Jerusalem Bible. Doubleday, 1990.

Footnote

1. Henry Wansbrough, ed., “Map 3: Palestine of the Old Testament” in The New Jerusalem Bible (Doubleday, 1990), Supplements.

Bibliography:

John, Paul II. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. United States Catholic Conference, 2011. https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/.

Footnote:

1. John Paul II, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., (United States Catholic Conference, 2011), sec. 782, accessed April 21, 2015, https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/.

When citing the Code of Canon Law, the abbreviation c. indicates one canon, cc. indicates two or more canons. The section symbol § indicates two or more sections within a single canon.

Bibliography:

Code of Canon Law: Latin-English Edition. Canon Law Society of America, 1999.

Footnote:

1. Code of Canon Law, c. 279, §1, in The Code of Canon Law: Latin-English Edition (Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America, 1983), 99.

Online:

Bibliography:

John Paul II. Evangelium Vitae [Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life]. The Holy See. March 25, 1995. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html..

Footnote:

1. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae [Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life], The Holy See, March 25, 2995, sec. 97, https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html.

Print:

Bibliography:

John Paul II. Evangelium Vitae [Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life]. In The Encyclicals of John Paul II, edited by J. Michael Miller. Our Sunday Visitor, 1996.

Footnote:

1. John Paul II, “Evangelium Vitae [Encyclical Letter on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life],” in The Encyclicals of John Paul II, ed. J. Michael Miller (Our Sunday Visitor, 1996), 800.