The Bible is one of the most-read and best-selling books of all time. It has two testaments, the Old and the New, with 66 total books. There are 39 books in the Old and 27 in the New. Many readers consider the Bible “long” because many editions employ a two-column format with font sizes as small as six. Some people are curious to know how many pages the Bible contains.
A standard-size, two-column King James Version of the Bible in English with an 8-point font that doesn’t contain study notes is about 900 pages. The Old Testament is about 600 pages. The New is about 300. Study Bibles, large-print formats, and other English translations are longer.
Why do so many Bibles have thin pages and small font sizes? Why don’t more Christians read the Bible? How long does it take to read the Bible? How long does it take to listen to the Bible? What books of the Bible have the most pages? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and others.
Also, see How Many Chapters Are In the Bible? to learn more.
Why do so many Bibles have thin pages and small font sizes?
To many people, the Bible is a big book. Its size can be intimidating, unfortunately preventing some people from reading it. Modern readers are used to 300-page non-fiction books and novels that sometimes are larger than that, which they can read in a few weeks.
Unfortunately, most people can’t read the Bible that quickly because its size and subject matter can sometimes be challenging to understand.
Because of the Bible’s many pages, companies often use specific formats to publish it. For example, Bibles are notorious for having very thin pages. Sometimes when readers turn thin pages, they rip. At other times, the pages are so thin, and the ink is so black that readers can see through the pages. Publishers use thin pages to reduce the book’s weight and save them money on materials.
Another formatting choice publishers opt for is printing Scripture in two columns on every page. Like using thin pages, this technique saves paper and reduces the book’s weight. However, two-column formatting often decreases the font size for readers. As a result, publishers often must weigh their costs with their readers’ comfort levels and preferences.
Why don’t more Christians read the Bible?
According to former theologian and pastor R.C. Sproul, the problem isn’t the size of the Bible. “We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.” [1]
Also, see How Many Books Are In the Bible? to learn more.
How long does it take to read the Bible?
Some Christians aim to read through the Bible annually, which takes about 20 minutes a day for average readers. As a general rule, reading about four chapters of the Bible a day will enable a person to read the Old and New Testaments in one year. Many Study Bibles popular among Christians today have daily schedules that help people read through them in a year.
Study Bibles contain notes at the bottom of each page that help readers understand the book, chapter, and verses above it. Some Study Bibles are so thorough that their notes and articles add hundreds of pages to the book. If a person read the study notes and articles in addition to the biblical text, the amount of time it would take to read through the book would be considerably longer.
| Translation | Standard Bible | Study Bible |
|---|---|---|
| ESV | 1,000 pages | 2,752 pages |
| KJV | 900 | 1,500 |
| NIV | 1,024 | 2,512 |
| NASB | 864 | 2,080 |
| NLT | 1,072 | 2,416 |
How long does it take to listen to the Bible?
According to author Donald Whitney, it takes 71 hours to listen to the entire Bible. “Do you realize that tape-recorded readings of the Bible have proven that you can read through the entire Book in seventy-one hours? The average person in the United States watches that much television in less than two weeks. In no more than fifteen minutes a day you can read through the Bible in less than a year’s time.” [2]
Also, see What Are the Longest Books In the Bible? to learn more.
The longest books of the Bible by total verses
More pages are devoted to the Psalms, Genesis, and Jeremiah than any other book because of the number of verses and words they have in them. The exact number of pages will vary depending on font size, a one or two-column format, and whether there are study notes.
| Book | Verses | Testament |
|---|---|---|
| Psalms | 2,526 | Old |
| Genesis | 1,533 | Old |
| Jeremiah | 1,364 | Old |
| Isaiah | 1,291 | Old |
| Numbers | 1,289 | Old |
| Ezekiel | 1,271 | Old |
| Exodus | 1,213 | Old |
| Luke | 1,151 | New |
| Matthew | 1,071 | New |
| Job | 1,068 | Old |
The longest books of the Bible by total words
Some verses contain as little as two or three words. Others can have over 20. Therefore, an even more precise measurement of the size of biblical books is how many words each one has.
| Book | Words | Testament |
|---|---|---|
| Psalms | 42,704 | Old |
| Jeremiah | 42,654 | Old |
| Ezekiel | 39,401 | Old |
| Genesis | 38,262 | Old |
| Isaiah | 37,036 | Old |
| Numbers | 32,896 | Old |
| Exodus | 32,685 | Old |
| Deuteronomy | 28,352 | Old |
| 2 Chronicles | 26,069 | Old |
| Luke | 25,640 | New |
The Puritan pastor, Thomas Brooks, many years ago, offered Bible readers wise advice. “Remember that it is not hasty reading, but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul.”
Brooks continued, “It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.”
Also, see Who Wrote the New Testament? to learn more.
References:
[1] Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul. p. 8.
[2] Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney. p. 33.
Related Questions
Regular Bible reading is a valuable habit, as Scripture is God's message to people. However, the Bible's 66 distinct books, featuring various authors, settings, and themes, can make it challenging...
The Bible is a long book containing 66 individual books. Some common-use Bibles can weigh between 4 and 5 pounds. Some decorative church and family Bibles can weigh much more. It's not uncommon for...