How Many Chapters Are in the Bible? A Complete Breakdown by Book and Testament
If you have ever asked how many chapters are in the Bible — whether for a reading plan, a Bible study, or pure curiosity — the answer is more interesting than a single number. The way the Bible is divided into chapters has a fascinating history, and understanding the structure helps you read Scripture more strategically.
Quick Answer: There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible — 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament. The longest book by chapter count is Psalms (150 chapters), and five books have only 1 chapter each (Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude). The longest single chapter is Psalm 119 (176 verses), while the shortest is Psalm 117 (just 2 verses).
Bible Chapter Count at a Glance
| Section | Books | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| Old Testament | 39 books | 929 chapters |
| New Testament | 27 books | 260 chapters |
| Total Bible | 66 books | 1,189 chapters |
A note from The Verse Path team: Knowing the raw chapter count is useful, but understanding how those chapters are distributed across different sections of Scripture is what turns a number into a reading strategy. This guide breaks down every section so you can plan your Bible reading with precision — whether you are starting a one-year plan or simply want to understand the shape of the book you are holding.
How Many Chapters Are in the Bible’s Old Testament?
The Old Testament contains 929 chapters across 39 books. These books are traditionally organized into five major sections. Here is the full breakdown:
Pentateuch (Books of Moses) — 187 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 50 |
| Exodus | 40 |
| Leviticus | 27 |
| Numbers | 36 |
| Deuteronomy | 34 |
| Total | 187 |
These five books — also called the Torah — form the foundation of the entire Bible. They cover creation, the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, the law given at Sinai, and Israel’s journey to the Promised Land. Genesis alone, with its 50 chapters, is the fourth-longest book in the entire Bible. For a deeper exploration of what each of these books contains, see our full guide to the first 5 books of the Bible.
Historical Books — 249 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Total | 249 |
When people ask how many chapters are in the Bible’s longest Old Testament section, the answer is here: the Historical Books make up the largest group by chapter count. They span roughly 1,000 years of Israel’s history — from the conquest of Canaan under Joshua to the return from Babylonian exile under Ezra and Nehemiah. The two longest books here, 1 Samuel (31 chapters) and 2 Chronicles (36 chapters), cover the rise and fall of Israel’s monarchy.
Poetry and Wisdom — 243 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Job | 42 |
| Psalms | 150 |
| Proverbs | 31 |
| Ecclesiastes | 12 |
| Song of Solomon | 8 |
| Total | 243 |
Psalms dominates this section — and the entire Bible — with 150 chapters. That is more chapters than any other single book in Scripture. If you are wondering how many chapters are in the Bible that are pure poetry, the answer starts here: Psalms alone accounts for nearly 13% of the Bible’s total chapter count.
Major Prophets — 183 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Isaiah | 66 |
| Jeremiah | 52 |
| Lamentations | 5 |
| Ezekiel | 48 |
| Daniel | 12 |
| Total | 183 |
Isaiah (66 chapters) and Jeremiah (52 chapters) are the longest prophetic books. An interesting observation often noted by scholars: Isaiah has 66 chapters, the same number as there are books in the entire Bible — and its structure mirrors the Bible’s own division (chapters 1–39 focus on judgment, chapters 40–66 focus on hope and restoration, paralleling the Old and New Testaments).
Minor Prophets — 67 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Hosea | 14 |
| Joel | 3 |
| Amos | 9 |
| Obadiah | 1 |
| Jonah | 4 |
| Micah | 7 |
| Nahum | 3 |
| Habakkuk | 3 |
| Zephaniah | 3 |
| Haggai | 2 |
| Zechariah | 14 |
| Malachi | 4 |
| Total | 67 |
The term “Minor” does not mean less important — it refers to length. These twelve books are significantly shorter than Isaiah or Jeremiah. Obadiah, with just 1 chapter (21 verses), is the shortest book in the Old Testament.
How Many Chapters Are in the Bible’s New Testament?
The New Testament contains 260 chapters across 27 books. Here is the full breakdown:
Gospels — 89 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Matthew | 28 |
| Mark | 16 |
| Luke | 24 |
| John | 21 |
| Total | 89 |
If you are wondering how many chapters are in the Bible’s Gospels alone, the four accounts of Jesus’ life total 89 — over a third of the New Testament. Matthew is the longest Gospel (28 chapters), while Mark — the fastest-paced and most action-oriented — is the shortest at just 16 chapters, making it the ideal starting point for first-time Bible readers.
Acts of the Apostles — 28 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Acts | 28 |
Acts is the direct sequel to Luke’s Gospel and the only historical narrative in the New Testament. Its 28 chapters trace the growth of the early church from a small group of disciples in Jerusalem to a movement spanning the entire Roman Empire.
Pauline Epistles — 87 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Philemon | 1 |
| Total | 87 |
Paul’s letters make up the largest collection by a single author in the New Testament. Romans and 1 Corinthians (16 chapters each) are the longest. Philemon, a personal letter about a runaway slave, has just 1 chapter — making it one of the five single-chapter books in the Bible.
General Epistles — 34 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Hebrews | 13 |
| James | 5 |
| 1 Peter | 5 |
| 2 Peter | 3 |
| 1 John | 5 |
| 2 John | 1 |
| 3 John | 1 |
| Jude | 1 |
| Total | 34 |
Three books in this section — 2 John, 3 John, and Jude — are single-chapter books. Together with Obadiah and Philemon, these form the five shortest books in the Bible by chapter count.
Revelation — 22 Chapters
| Book | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Revelation | 22 |
The final book of the Bible contains 22 chapters of apocalyptic prophecy, symbolism, and letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. Despite its reputation as difficult, Revelation is the only book that explicitly promises a blessing to those who read it aloud (Revelation 1:3).
Who Divided the Bible into Chapters?
Knowing how many chapters are in the Bible naturally raises another question: who decided where one chapter ends and another begins?
The original manuscripts of the Bible contained no chapter divisions and no verse numbers. The text was written as continuous scrolls — flowing narrative, poetry, and argument without any structural breaks beyond natural paragraph separations.
Chapter divisions were introduced around 1227 AD by Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Langton was a scholar and theologian who divided the Latin Vulgate Bible into chapters to make it easier for students at the University of Paris to reference specific passages during lectures and debates.
Verse numbers came later, added in 1551 by Robert Estienne (also known as Stephanus), a French printer. According to tradition, Estienne numbered the verses while traveling on horseback between Paris and Lyon — which may explain why some verse divisions seem to land in awkward places.
These divisions were purely practical. They were never intended to determine meaning or create natural reading units. That is why, in many places, chapter breaks interrupt the middle of a story, an argument, or a speech. For example:
- Isaiah 52–53 should be read as one continuous passage (the Suffering Servant prophecy), but the chapter break at 53:1 splits the poem in half.
- Acts 1–2 separates Jesus’ ascension from the Day of Pentecost, even though they are one continuous narrative.
This is one of the reasons Bible scholars recommend reading in paragraphs rather than individual chapters or verses — a principle we explain in depth in our guide on how to read the Bible. For a deeper look at the original languages behind the chapter text, tools like Blue Letter Bible allow you to examine each chapter in its original Hebrew or Greek.
Notable Bible Chapter Records
Knowing how many chapters are in the Bible is useful, but the real curiosity begins when you look at the extremes:
Longest chapter: Psalm 119 — 176 verses. This psalm is an elaborate acrostic poem where each set of 8 verses begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (22 letters × 8 verses = 176). Every single verse contains a reference to God’s word, law, statutes, or commands. It is the Bible’s most sustained meditation on the value of Scripture.
Shortest chapter: Psalm 117 — just 2 verses and 33 words in English. Despite its brevity, it contains a universal call for all nations to praise God — a theme that becomes central to the New Testament’s mission to the Gentiles.
Middle chapter of the Bible: Psalm 117 is also the middle chapter of the Bible (chapter 595 out of 1,189). The fact that the Bible’s exact center is a call for all nations to worship God is a detail that many readers find theologically significant.
Book with the most chapters: Psalms — 150 chapters. Psalms was Israel’s hymnbook, prayer book, and liturgical collection, compiled over centuries from David’s reign (~1000 BC) through the post-exilic period (~400 BC).
Books with only 1 chapter: Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude — five books that can each be read in under five minutes.
Longest book by word count: Jeremiah actually surpasses Psalms in total word count in the original Hebrew, despite having fewer chapters (52 vs. 150). This is because Jeremiah’s chapters tend to be much longer in content.
How Many Chapters Should You Read Per Day?
Once you know how many chapters are in the Bible — 1,189 total — you can build a precise reading plan:
| Reading Goal | Chapters Per Day | Time to Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | ~3.25 chapters/day | 365 days |
| 6 months | ~6.5 chapters/day | 182 days |
| 90 days | ~13 chapters/day | 90 days |
| 2 years (relaxed) | ~1.6 chapters/day | 730 days |
For most readers, 3 chapters per day is the sustainable sweet spot. This takes roughly 12–15 minutes depending on reading speed and the density of the text (a chapter of Psalms reads much faster than a chapter of Leviticus).
At 3 chapters per day, you will complete the entire Bible in approximately one year and one month — close enough to align with most annual reading plans available through apps like YouVersion and Dwell.
The key insight is that not all chapters are equal in length or difficulty. A chapter of Mark (fast-paced narrative) might take 3 minutes to read, while a chapter of Romans (dense theological argument) might require 10 minutes of careful attention. Plan your reading by time, not by chapter count, and you will maintain consistency without burnout.
If you want visual overviews before starting each book, Bible Project offers free animated videos that summarize the structure and themes of every book in the Bible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chapters are in the Bible total?
There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible — 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament, spread across 66 books. This count is standard across all Protestant Bibles. Catholic Bibles, which include additional deuterocanonical books (such as Tobit, Judith, and 1–2 Maccabees), contain approximately 1,334 chapters.
How many chapters are in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament contains 929 chapters across 39 books. The largest single section is the Historical Books (249 chapters), and the single largest book is Psalms with 150 chapters.
How many chapters are in the New Testament?
The New Testament contains 260 chapters across 27 books. The Gospels account for 89 chapters, Paul’s letters for 87, and the remaining books (Acts, General Epistles, Revelation) for 84.
What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
The longest chapter is Psalm 119, with 176 verses. It is an acrostic poem organized around the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and every verse references God’s word, law, or commandments.
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
The shortest chapter is Psalm 117, with only 2 verses. It is also considered the middle chapter of the Bible (chapter 595 of 1,189).
How many chapters are in the Bible if you include the Apocrypha?
Catholic Bibles include 7 additional books (and additions to Daniel and Esther) known as the deuterocanonical books. These add approximately 145 chapters, bringing the total to roughly 1,334 chapters. Orthodox Bibles may include additional texts beyond even the Catholic canon.
Who divided the Bible into chapters and verses?
Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, divided the Bible into chapters around 1227 AD. Robert Estienne, a French printer, added verse numbers in 1551. The original biblical manuscripts contained neither — the text was written as continuous prose, poetry, and narrative.
Summary
So how many chapters are in the Bible? Exactly 1,189 — 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New. But behind that number is a story of ancient scrolls that had no divisions at all, a medieval archbishop who created chapters for university students, and a French printer who numbered verses on horseback.
Knowing the structure helps you read with purpose. Three chapters a day gets you through the entire Bible in a year. Starting with Mark’s 16 short chapters gives you momentum. And remembering that chapter breaks are human additions — not divine markers — frees you to read the text as its authors actually wrote it: in flowing, connected, living narrative.
Published by The Verse Path — Lighting your journey through God’s Word.