Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible – 1189 Total

Updated: June 24, 2026

Knowing the number of chapters in each book of the Bible is a useful resource. Along with the data, this article presents some extra interesting facts about the King James Bible.

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Summary by Section

Testament	Section	Books Included	Chapters
Old Testament	Books of Moses (Pentateuch)	Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy	187
Old Testament	Books of History	Joshua through Esther (12 books)	249
Old Testament	Wisdom Books	Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon	243
Old Testament	Major Prophets	Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel	183
Old Testament	Minor Prophets	Hosea through Malachi (12 books)	67
New Testament	The Four Gospels	Matthew, Mark, Luke, John	89
New Testament	Acts of the Apostles	Acts	28
New Testament	Epistles of Paul	Romans through Hebrews (14 books)	100
New Testament	General Epistles	James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude	21
New Testament	Prophecy	Revelation	22
Total Chapters in the King James Bible			1,189

The Bible was originally written by holy men of God under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, according to 2 Peter 1:21. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (KJV)

The Word of God did not have the chapter and verse divisions in which we are familiar with today.

According to Bible scholars, the Bible we have today, which forms the foundation of our Christian faith, and as such, influences our own Christian life, was written over a span of about 1,500 years, by more than 40 different authors. Yet God, in His love for His people, preserved His Word throughout the centuries to make sure that each generation had His instructions for their lives.

God promised to preserve His Word. according to Psalm 12:6-7. “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (KJV)

Obviously, when the words that form the Bible we have today were being written, the writers did not realize exactly what they were writing and how God would preserve it though the centuries. The original books of the Bible were not divided into chapters and verses — the writers just wrote!

Bible historians have credited Stephen Langton, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, for dividing the Bible into the chapter divisions between 1244 and 1248. The chapter divisions that he proposed are what we use to this day. However, Catholic bibles contain more books than the “Protestant” Bible.

Langton did not try to alter God’s Word when he organized the books into distinct chapters. Studying Bible numbers, it seems clear that Langton’s chapter divisions of God’s Word was under the direction of God Himself.

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible – Bible Facts:

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119 with 176 verses. The shortest chapter is Psalm 117 with only two verses.

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible – From Chapters to Verses

The printer Robert Estienne, also known as Robert Stephens, further divided the chapters into verses. He printed the first Bible, actually the New Testament, with the verse divisions, in about 1551. The verses used in the Bibles today are his verse divisions. Like Stephen Langton, Estienne did not try to alter God’s words. And again, God, preserving His Word, had His hand on this man and his project as well.

The total number of verses in the King James Version of the Bible is 31,102 verses. Adding the digits of 31,102 results in the number 7. The number 7, according to Bible scholars, represents God’s perfect number.

Since there is an even number of verses in the Bible, there is no single “middle” verse. Rather, the middle verses of the Bible are Psalm 103:1-2, which reads, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (KJV).

These 28 words command the reader of this holy book to bless the Author and Giver of this unique Book.

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible – Bible Facts:

The longest verse is Esther 8:9 with 78 words. The shortest verse in the entire Bible is John 11:35, which says, “Jesus wept.” (KJV)

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Old Testament Books

There are two major divisions of the Bible — the Old Testament and New Testament. The number after the specific book of the Bible is the number of chapters contained in that particular book.

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Books of Moses

The first five books of the Bible are called “the Pentateuch,” which means “five books or scrolls.” I also have been told that the word Pentateuch can be also translated as “five tools“. The author of these first five Old Testament books is generally attributed to Moses. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, is a book of history. The other four books are directions for life and laws from God to the people of Israel.

The time span of these books covers more than 2,000 years. Bible scholars believe that God told Moses exactly what to write in each of these books when Moses met with Him on Mount Sinai. This was at the same time that God gave Moses what we commonly call “The Ten Commandments.”

Genesis: 50 Exodus: 40 Leviticus: 27 Numbers: 36 Deuteronomy: 34

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Books of History

These books are historical books of the Nation of Israel, which record events from the time when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, the accounts of the various kings of the nation of Israel, the Babylonian exile as chastisement from God because of Israel’s idolatry, and the return of the Jews to the land of Israel.

Joshua: 24 Judges: 21 Ruth: 4 1 Samuel: 31 2 Samuel: 24 1 Kings: 22 2 Kings: 25 1 Chronicles: 29 2 Chronicles: 36 Ezra: 10 Nehemiah: 13 Esther: 10

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible – Wisdom Books

These books of poetry and wisdom were written by various authors, such as Job, who is credited as the author of the book that bears his name. Psalms is the longest book of the Bible with 150 chapters, the majority of which, was written by King David. The books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon were all authored by David’s son, King Solomon. The 31 chapters of Proverbs make it easy to read a chapter every day throughout the month to glean daily wisdom.

Job: 42 Psalms: 150 Proverbs: 31 Ecclesiastes: 12 Song of Solomon (also known as the “Song of Songs”): 8

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Major Prophets

These prophetic books are called “major prophets” because of the recorded volume of words written by these men of God. Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah, and in this book, which is similar in style to the books of wisdom, Jeremiah laments the sins of the people of Israel by which God punished them with Babylonian exile.

Isaiah: 66 Jeremiah: 52 Lamentations: 5 Ezekiel: 48 Daniel: 12

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Minor Prophets

These books are called minor prophets, not because their message was of lesser importance, but rather, the volume of their recorded prophecies was not as extensive as compared to the major prophets. There are twelve minor prophets, and the names of the books reflect their authors. Many of the prophecies in these books have been partially fulfilled in the past. Yet some Bible scholars believe there is yet a future fulfillment of some of these prophetic events.

Hosea: 14 Joel: 3 Amos: 9 Obadiah: 1 Jonah: 4 Micah: 7 Nahum: 3 Habakkuk: 3 Zephaniah: 3 Haggai: 2 Zechariah: 14 Malachi: 4

The total number of chapters in the Old Testament is 929.

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — New Testament Books

The books of the New Testament introduce the Person of Jesus Christ. The very first verse of the New Testament, Matthew 1:1, mentions Him. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ…” (KJV)

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — The Gospels

Of the four Gospel narratives, the first three Gospels are called “synoptic gospels,” since these Gospel writers record very similar accounts concerning the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John, the last Gospel, is a similar account, but does not include the parables of Jesus.

Matthew: 28 Mark: 16 Luke: 24 John: 21

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — The Acts of the Apostles

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension back to heaven, His followers, the apostles, continued to proclaim His teachings. The Book of Acts, which was written by the Gospel writer Luke, is a history of the early church, which Christ directed to be founded by His apostles.

Acts: 28

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — The Epistles of the Apostle Paul

These books of the Bible are “epistles,” or church letters. The names of the books identify the group of people, or in the case of Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, the specific individuals to whom the letter was written. All of these books identify the author as Paul, except for the Book of Hebrews. The author of Hebrews is unknown, but the majority of Bible scholars credit the authorship of the Hebrews to Paul.

Romans: 16 1 Corinthians: 16 2 Corinthians: 13 Galatians: 6 Ephesians: 6 Philippians: 4 Colossians: 4 1 Thessalonians: 5 2 Thessalonians: 3 1 Timothy: 6 2 Timothy: 4 Titus: 4 Philemon: 1 Hebrews: 13

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — More Epistles

These books are also church letters. The names for this set of epistles identify the writer rather than the recipient of the letters.

James: 5 1 Peter: 5 2 Peter: 3 1 John: 5 2 John: 1 3 John: 1 Jude: 1

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Prophecy

The Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy written by the Apostle John in which he recorded the heavenly and prophetic vision that was given to him by Jesus Christ.

Revelation: 22

The total number of chapters in the New Testament is 260.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Number of Chapters in the Bible

Here are some FAQs-with answers-about the number of chapters in the Bible.

How many chapters are in the Bible total?

The King James Bible contains 1,189 chapters in total. The Old Testament has 929 chapters and the New Testament has 260 chapters. These chapter divisions were created by Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, between 1244 and 1248, and have remained in use in the non-Catholic Bibles ever since.

How many books are in the King James Bible?

The King James Bible contains 66 books — 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The Old Testament covers the history of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel from creation through the period of the prophets. The New Testament introduces Jesus Christ, records the history of the early church, and closes with the prophetic book of Revelation.

What is the longest book of the Bible?

The longest book in the Bible by chapter count is Psalms, with 150 chapters. Psalms is also the longest book by verse count with 2,461 verses. Jeremiah is generally considered the longest book by word count in the original Hebrew. The majority of the Psalms were written by King David.

What is the shortest book of the Bible?

The shortest books in the Bible are 2 John, 3 John, Obadiah, Philemon, and Jude — all with only one chapter each. By verse count, 2 John is shortest with 13 verses, and by word count, 3 John is shortest with 294 words in the King James Version.

What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119 with 176 verses. It is an acrostic poem in which each section begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The entire chapter is a meditation on the Word of God — every verse refers in some way to Scripture, God’s law, statutes, commandments, or precepts.

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?

The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117 with only two verses and 33 words in the King James Version. Despite its brevity, it is one of the most joyful passages in all of Scripture — a universal call for all nations to praise and laud the Lord.

Who divided the Bible into chapters and verses?

The Bible was not originally written with chapter and verse divisions — the authors simply wrote. Stephen Langton, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, is credited with dividing the Bible into chapters between 1244 and 1248. The chapters were then further divided into verses by the printer Robert Estienne, also known as Robert Stephens, who first printed the New Testament with verse divisions in 1551. Both men’s work has remained the standard for Bible organization to this day.

How many verses are in the King James Bible?

The King James Bible contains 31,102 verses in total. Remarkably, adding the digits of 31,102 (3+1+1+0+2) equals 7 — the number that Bible scholars consistently associate with God’s perfection and completeness. The middle verses of the Bible are Psalm 103:1–2, which read “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

What is the middle chapter of the Bible?

The middle chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117 — the very same chapter that is also the shortest chapter in the Bible. There are 594 chapters before Psalm 117 and 594 chapters after it, making it the exact center of the 1,189 total chapters of the King James Bible.

How many chapters are in the New Testament?

The New Testament contains 260 chapters across 27 books. It begins with Matthew 1 and ends with Revelation 22. The New Testament introduces Jesus Christ in its very first verse — Matthew 1:1 — and closes with the words “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” in Revelation 22:21.

Download: Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible – free printable PDF!

Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible — Conclusion

The short answer of how many chapters in each book of the Bible is 1189. Learn about the shortest books of the Bible by clicking here. Start your own systematic reading of all of these Bible chapters with a daily Bible reading plan. But if you would just like to start reading the Bible here are some suggestions as to which chapter to begin. Wondering why the Catholic Bible has more books? Click here.

Review/Study Questions on the Number of Chapters in Each Book of the Bible

1. The Bible was written over how many years? Over 1500 years
2. How many men contributed to the Bible we have today? Over 40
3. What was the name of the man who first divided the Bible? Stephen Langton, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury
4. What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119
5. What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 117
6. What are the first five books of the Bible called? The Pentateuch
7. Who wrote the first five books of the Bible? Moses
8. What are the middle verses of the Bible? Psalm 103:1-2
9. How many books of minor prophets are there in the Bible? 12
10. Who is mentioned in Matthew 1:1? Jesus Christ
11. Who wrote the book of Acts? Luke
12. What are epistles? Epistles are church letters.