Introduction
The APA 7th Edition is the latest version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. It is used to format documents for publication in academic journals, books, and magazines. The APA 7th Edition provides specific guidelines for the formatting and referencing of religious texts, including the Bible. This article will explain how to correctly reference the Bible in APA 7th Edition style.
In-Text Citation of Bible Verses
When citing a Bible verse in the body of a text, the first part of the citation is made up of the book name, chapter number, and verse number. For example, in the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1, the in-text citation would be: (Genesis 1:1). If the referenced material is more than one verse, the range of verses should be separated by an en-dash. For example: (Genesis 1:1–2).
In-Text Citation of Whole Books of the Bible
When citing an entire book of the Bible in the body of a text, the book name should be used instead of the chapter and verse numbers: (Genesis).
Footnotes or Endnote Citations of Bible Verses
When citing a particular passage of the Bible in a footnote or an endnote, the following format should be used:
Book name, Chapter number:Verse number or range.
For example:
Genesis 1:1–2
Bibliographic Citations of the Bible in a Reference List
When citing the Bible in the reference list, the following format should be used:
Book name. Version. Publisher, City.
For example:
Genesis. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway, Wheaton, IL.
Exceptions
In some cases, the publisher of a particular version of the Bible may not be known. In this case, the abbreviation “n.p.” (no publisher) should be used. This can be seen in the bibliographic citation of the following example:
John. The Holy Bible: King James Version. n.p.
Commonly Used Abbreviations of the Books of the Bible in APA Style
When referencing the books of the Bible, commonly used abbreviations should be used instead of full titles. These abbreviations are listed in the table below:
| Book | Abbreviation |
| Genesis | Gen. |
| Exodus | Ex. |
| Leviticus | Lev. |
| Numbers | Num. |
| Deuteronomy | Deut. |
| Joshua | Josh. |
| Judges | Judg. |
| Ruth | Ruth |
| 1 Samuel | 1 Sam. |
| 2 Samuel | 2 Sam. |
| 1 Kings | 1 Kings |
| 2 Kings | 2 Kings |
| 1 Chronicles | 1 Chron. |
| 2 Chronicles | 2 Chron. |
| Ezra | Ezra |
| Nehemiah | Neh. |
Using the Bible as a Secondary Source
When citing material from the Bible as part of a secondary source – such as an article or book – it should be referenced in the same way as any other secondary source. The book of the Bible, version, and author or editor should all be included in the citation. For example:
Lewis, C.S. (2000). The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Berkley Books. (Original work published 1950). Genesis 1:1.
Using the Bible to Support an Argument
When using the Bible to support an argument, it is important to ensure that the text is properly cited. This is done in the same way as any other source – by providing the book, chapter and verse number (or range) in the text. For example:
In Genesis 1:1 it states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. This suggests that the universe was created by God.
The in-text citation should also be included in the reference list – in the same way as other sources.
In conclusion, referencing the Bible in APA 7th Edition style is not difficult. By following the guidelines outlined in this article, citing from the Bible can be done correctly and easily.
