Bible Versification Compared

Chapter divisions and versification (dividing chapters by verse numbers) were added relatively late to our Christian biblical tradition. We do not attribute divine inspiration to the chapter and verse system, because, even though they are useful, they are artificial systems projected on top of the text, and, therefore, they hold no authority except as a mutually recognized convention for reference. In other words, versification serves biblical students worldwide to find passages marked in the Scriptures. Frequently, verse numbers indicate natural syntactic divisions; they delineate between sentences and clauses—but not always.

Though versification is largely uniform across Bible translations and traditions, some variations in the printed Old Testament (Heb. Tanakh; Gk. Septuagint or LXX) require students to reckon those differences when comparing Bible versions. For example, the numbering of verses within the English Psalter often differs from the Hebrew Psalms (Tehillim), and each psalm’s enumeration by chapter often differs between the Hebrew and Greek (Psalmoi).

The following table, which show the differences in reckoning chapters and versification, is adapted from “Appendix B: English/Hebrew/Greek Versification,” The SBL Handbook of Style, For Biblical Studies and Related Disciplines (Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2014) eds. Billie Jean Collins, Bob Buller, John F. Kutsko, et al., pp. 265–268.

English	Hebrew	Greek
Genesis	בראשית Bereshit	Γενεσις Genesis
	31:48a, 47, 51, 52a, 48b, 49, 50a, 52b	31:46b–52
Gn 31:55	32:1
Gn 32:1–32	32:2–33
	35:16 & 21, 17–20, 22a	35:16–21
Exodus	שמות Shemot	Ἐξοδος Exodos
Ex 8:1–4	7:26–29
Ex 8:5–32	8:1–28
	20:14, 15, 13	20:13–15
Ex 22:1	21:37
Ex 22:2–31	22:1–30
	35:9–12, 17, 13–14, 16, 19, 15	35:8–11, 12, 15–16, 17, 18, 19b
	36:8–9	37:1–2
	36:20–34	37:18–20
	36:35–38	37:8–6
	37:1–24	38:1–17
	37:29	38:25
	38:1–7	38:21–24
	38:8	38:26
	38:9–23	37:7–21
	38:24–31	39:1–10
	39:1–31	36:8b–40
	39:32	39:11
	39:33–43	39:13–23
	40:8–10, 12–27, 29, 33, 38	40:6b–8, 10–25, 26, 27–32
	40:30–32	38:27
Leviticus	ויקרא Wayyiqra’	Λευιτικον Leuitikon
Lv 6:1–7	5:20–26
Lv 6:8–30	6:1–23
Numbers	במדבר Bemidbar	Ἀρίθμοι Arithmoi
	1:26–37, 24–25	1:24–37
	6:22, 23, 27, 24, 25, 26	6:22–26
Nm 16:36–50	17:1–15
Nm 17:1–13	17:16–28
Nm 26:1 (first clause)	25:19
	26:19–27, 15–18, 44–47, 28–43	26:15–47
Nm 29:40	30:1
Nm 30:1–16	30:2–17
Deuteronomy	דברים Devarim	Δευτερονομιον Deuteronomion
Dt 12:32	13:1
Dt 13:1–18	13:2–19
Dt 22:30	23:1
Dt 23:1–25	23:2–26
Dt 29:1	28:69
Dt 29:2–29	29:1–28
Joshua	יהושע Yehoshu’a	Ἰησους Iēsous
	8:30–33; 9:3–27	9:3–33
	19:48, 47	19:47–48
1 Samuel	שמואל א Shemu’el ’aleph	Βασιλειων Αʹ Basileiōn Aʹ
1Sa 20:42 (last clause)	21:1
1Sa 21:1–15	21:2–16
1Sa 23:29	24:1
1Sa 24:1–22	24:2–23
2 Samuel	שמואל ב Shemu’el bet	Βασιλειων Βʹ Basileiōn Bʹ
2Sa 18:33	19:1
2Sa 19:1–43	19:2–44
1 Kings (3 Kingdoms)	מלכים א Melakim ’aleph	Βασιλειων Γʹ Basileiōn Gʹ
	4:7–8, 2–4, 9–14	4:20–21, 22–24, 25–30
	4:18, 19, 17	4:17, 18, 19
	5:1a	10:30
1Kgs 4:21–34	5:1–14
	5:15–30, 32b	5:1–16, 17
1Kgs 5:1–18	5:15–32
	5:31–32a	6:2–3
	6:37–38, 2–3, 14, 4–10, 15–36	6:4–5, 6–7, 8, 9–15, 16–34
	7:13–18, 21, 19–20, 23–24, 26, 25	7:1–6, 7, 8–9, 10–11, 12–13
	7:27–51, 1–12	7:14–37, 38–50
	9:15, 17–19, 20–22	10:23–24a, 24b, 25
	10:23–26	10:26–29
	10:27–29	10:31–33
	11:4, 3, 7, 5, 8, 6	11:3–8
1Kgs 18:33 (last half)	18:34 (first half)
1Kgs 20:2 (last half)	20:3 (first half)
	21:20	20:21
1Kgs 22:22 (first clause)	22:21 (last clause)
1Kgs 22:43 (last half)	22:44
1Kgs 22:44–53	22:45–54
2 Kings	מלכים ב Melakim bet	Βασιλειων Δʹ Basileiōn Dʹ
2Kgs 11:21	12:1
2Kgs 12:1–21	12:2–22
1 Chronicles	דברי הימים א Divre Hayyamim ’aleph	Παραλειπομενων Αʹ Paraleipomenōn Aʹ
1Ch 6:1–15	5:27–41
1Ch 6:16–81	6:1–66
1Ch 12:4	12:4–5
1Ch 12:5–40	12:6–41
2 Chronicles	דברי הימים ב Divre Hayyamim bet	Παραλειπομενων Βʹ Paraleipomenōn Bʹ
2Ch 2:1	1:18
2Ch 2:2–18	2:1–17
2Ch 14:1	13:23
2Ch 14:2–15	14:1–14
Nehemiah	נחמיה Nehemyah	Νεεμιας Neemias
Neh 4:1–6	3:33–38
Neh 4:7–23	4:1–17
Neh 9:38	10:1
Neh 10:1–39	10:2–40
Job	עזרא ’Iyyov	Ἰωβ (Iōb)
Job 41:1–8	40:25–32
Job 41:9–34	41:1–26
Psalms	תהילים Tehillim	Ψαλμοι Psalmoi
Ps 3:title	3:1
Ps 3:1–8	3:2–9
Ps 4:title	4:1
Ps 4:1–8	4:2–9
Ps 5:title	5:1
Ps 5:1–12	5:2–13
Ps 6:title	6:1
Ps 6:1–10	6:2–11
Ps 7:title	7:1
Ps 7:1–17	7:2–18
Ps 8:title	8:1
Ps 8:1–9	8:2–10
Ps 9:title	9:1
Ps 9:1–20	9:2–21
	10:1–18	9:22–39
	11–113	10–112
Ps 11:title	11:1 (first clause)
Ps 12:title	12:1
Ps 12:1–8	12:2–9
Ps 13:title	13:1
Ps 13:1–5	13:2–6
Ps 13:6	13:6 (last half)
Ps 14:title	14:1 (first clause)
Ps 15:title	15:1 (first clause)
Ps 16:title	16:1 (first clause)
Ps 17:title	17:1 (first clause)
Ps 18:title	18:1–2 (first clause)
Ps 18:1–50	18:2–51
Ps 19:title	19:1
Ps 19:1–14	19:2–15
Ps 20:title	20:1
Ps 20:1–9	20:2–10
Ps 21:title	21:1
Ps 21:1–13	21:2–14
Ps 22:title	22:1
Ps 22:1–31	22:2–32
Ps 23:title	23:1 (first clause)
Ps 24–28:title	24–28:1 (first clause)
Ps 29:title	29:1 (first clause)
Ps 30:title	30:1
Ps 30:1–12	30:2–13
Ps 31:title	31:1
Ps 31:1–24	31:2–25
Ps 32:title	32:1 (first clause)
Ps 34:title	34:1
Ps 34:1–22	34:2–23
Ps 35:title	35:1 (first word)
Ps 36:title	36:1
Ps 36:1–12	36:2–13
Ps 37:title	37:1 (first word)
Ps 38:title	38:1
Ps 38:1–22	38:2–23
Ps 39:title	39:1
Ps 39:1–13	39:2–14
Ps 40:title	40:1
Ps 40:1–17	40:2–18
Ps 41:title	41:1
Ps 41:1–13	41:2–14
Ps 42:title	42:1
Ps 42:1–11	42:2–12
Ps 44:title	44:1
Ps 44:1–26	44:2–27
Ps 45:title	45:1
Ps 45:1–17	45:2–18
Ps 46:title	46:1
Ps 46:1–11	46:2–12
Ps 47:title	47:1
Ps 47:1–9	47:2–10
Ps 48:title	48:1
Ps 48:1–14	48:2–15
Ps 49:title	49:1
Ps 49:1–20	49:2–21
Ps 50:title	50:1 (first clause)
Ps 51:title	51:1–2
Ps 51:1–19	51:2–21
Ps 52:title	52:1–2 (first clause)
Ps 52:1–9	52:2–11
Ps 53:title	53:1
Ps 53:1–6	53:2–7
Ps 54:title	54:1–2
Ps 54:1–7	54:2–9
Ps 55:title	55:1
Ps 55:1–23	55:2–24
Ps 56:title	56:1
Ps 56:1–23	56:2–24
Ps 57:title	57:1
Ps 57:1–11	57:2–12
Ps 58:title	58:1
Ps 58:1–11	58:2–12
Ps 59:title	59:1
Ps 59:1–17	59:2–18
Ps 60:title	60:1–2
Ps 60:1–12	60:3–14
Ps 61:title	61:1
Ps 61:1–8	61:2–9
Ps 62:title	62:1
Ps 62:1–12	62:2–13
Ps 63:title	63:1
Ps 63:1–11	63:2–12
Ps 64:title	64:1
Ps 64:1–10	64:2–11
Ps 65:title	65:1
Ps 65:1–13	65:2–14
Ps 66:title	66:1 (first clause)
Ps 67:title	67:1
Ps 67:1–7	67:2–8
Ps 68:title	68:1
Ps 68:1–35	68:2–36
Ps 69:title	69:1
Ps 69:1–36	69:2–37
Ps 70:title	70:1
Ps 70:1–5	70:2–6
Ps 72:title	72:1 (first word)
Ps 73:title	73:1 (first clause)
Ps 74:title	74:1 (first clause)
Ps 74:1–10	74:2–11
Ps 76:title	76:1
Ps 76:1–12	76:2–13
Ps 77:title	77:1
Ps 77:1–20	77:2–21
Ps 78:title	78:1 (first clause)
Ps 79:title	79:1 (first clause)
Ps 80:title	80:1
Ps 80:1–19	80:2–20
Ps 81:title	81:1
Ps 81:1–16	81:2–17
Ps 82:title	82:1 (first clause)
Ps 83:title	83:1
Ps 83:1–18	83:2–19
Ps 84:title	84:1
Ps 84:1–12	84:2–13
Ps 85:title	85:1
Ps 85:1–13	85:2–14
Ps 86:title	86:1 (first clause)
Ps 87:title	87:1 (first clause)
Ps 88:title	88:1
Ps 88:1–18	88:2–19
Ps 89:title	89:1
Ps 89:1–52	89:2–53
Ps 90:title	90:1 (first clause)
Ps 92:title	92:1
Ps 92:1–15	92:2–16
Ps 98:title	98:1 (first word)
Ps 100:title	100:1 (first clause)
Ps 101:title	101:1 (first clause)
Ps 102:title	102:1
Ps 102:1–28	102:2–29
Ps 103:title	103:1 (first word)
Ps 108:title	108:1
Ps 108:1–13	108:2–14
109, 110, 120–134, 138	109, 110, 120–134, 138
Ps 139:title	139:1 (first clause)
	114:1–8	113:1–8
	115:1–4	113:9–12
	116:1–9	114
	116:10–19	115
	117–147:11	116–146
Ps 140:title	140:1
Ps 140:1–13	140:2–14
Ps 141:title	141:1 (first clause)
Ps 142:title	142:1
Ps 142:1–6	142:2–7
Ps 143:title	143:1 (first clause)
Ps 144:title	144:1 (first word)
Ps 145:title	145:1 (first clause)
	147:12–20	147:1–9
Proverbs	משלי Mishle	Παροιμιαι Σολομωντος Paroimiai Solomōntos
	16:6; 15:28; 16:7; 15:29; 16:8–9; 15:30–33a; 16:5, 4a	15:27b–16:4, 6, 9
	20:20–22, 10–13, 23–30	20:10a–12, 13b–16, 17–24
	30:1–14; 24:23–34; 30:15–33; 31:1–9, 10–31	24:24–37, 38–49, 50–68, 69–77; 29:28–49
Ecclesiastes	קהלת Qoheleth	Ἐκκλησιατης Ekklēsiastēs
Eccl 5:1	4:17
Eccl 5:2–20	5:1–19
Song of Songs	שיר השירים Shir Hashirim	Ἀσμα Asma
Song 6:13	7:1
Song 7:1–13	7:2–14
Isaiah	ישעיהו Yesha‘yahu	Ἠσαιας Ēsaias
Isa 9:1	8:23
Isa 9:2–21	9:1–20
Isa 63:19	63:19a
Isa 64:1
Isa 64:2–12	64:1–11
Jeremiah	ירמיהו Yirmeyahu	Ἰερεμιας Ieremias
Jer 9:1	8:23
Jer 9:2–26	9:1–25
	25:15–38	32:1–24
	26	33
	27:2–22	34:1–18
	28	35
	29	36
	30	37
	31:1–34, 37, 35, 36, 38–40	38:1–34, 35–37, 38–40
	32	39
	33	40
	34	41
	35	42
	36	43
	37	44
	38	45
	39	46
	40	47
	41	48
	42	49
	43	50
	44:1–30; 45:1–5	51:1–30, 31–35
	46:2–28	26:2–28
	47:1–7	29:1–7
	48	31
	49:1–5, 28–33, 23–27	30:1–5, 6–11, 12–27
	49:7–22	29:8–23
	49:34a–39	25:14–19
	49:36b	26:1
	50	27
	51	28
Ezekiel	יחזקאל Yehezqe’l	Ἰεζεκιηλ Iezekiēl
	7:6–9, 3–5	7:3–9
Ezek 20:45–49	21:1–5
Ezek 21:1–32	21:6–37
Daniel	דניאל Daniyye’l	Δανιηλ Daniēl
Dan 4:1–3	3:31–33
Dan 4:4–37	4:1–34
Dan 5:31	6:1
Dan 6:1–28	6:2–29
Hosea	הושע Hoshe‘a	Ὠσηε Ōsēe
Hos 1:10–11	2:1–2
Hos 2:1–23	2:3–25
Hos 11:12	12:1
Hos 12:1–14	12:2–15
Hos 13:16	14:1
Hos 14:1–9	14:2–10
Joel	יואל Yo’el	Ἰωηλ Iōēl
Jl 2:28–32	3:1–5
Jl 3:1–21	4:1–21
Jonah	יונה Yonah	Ἰωνας Iōnas
Jon 1:17	2:1
Jon 2:1–10	2:2–11
Micah	מיכה Mikah	Μιχαιας Michaias
Mic 5:1	4:14
Mic 5:2–15	5:1–14
Nahum	נחום Nahum	Ναουμ Naoum
Nah 1:15	2:1
Nah 2:1–13	2:2–14
Zechariah	זכריה Zekaryah	Ζαχαριας Zacharias
Zech 1:18–21	2:1–4
Zech 2:1–13	2:5–17
Malachi	מלאכי Mal’aki	Μαλαχιας Malachias
Mal 4:1–6	3:19–24

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply