What are some interesting Bible stats? What are some facts and stats about the Bible?

TL;DR:

The Bible is a divinely inspired library of 66 books, written over 1,500 years by about 40 authors, containing over 31,000 verses and more than 773,000 words. These fascinating facts are not meant to just be interesting but to remind us that Scripture is God’s intentional Word to us meant to reveal Himself, call us to relationship with Him, and transform our lives today.

what does the bible say?

The Bible is more than just a book—it’s a library of God’s truth meant to reveal Himself to humanity. The writing of the Bible spans thousands of years, written by dozens of authors, and structured with remarkable depth. Whether you’re new to Scripture or a longtime student, the numbers behind the Bible’s structure reveal just how rich and intentional it is. From the 66 books divided between the Old and New Testaments to the surprising trivia about the shortest and longest chapters and verses, the stats offer a fascinating glimpse into God's Word. But these numbers aren’t just interesting—they point us to a larger story: from Genesis to Revelation, the books present a unified message of redemption, promise, and purpose that has changed the world and continues to call us to life today.

There are 66 books in the Bible. The Old Testament has 39 and the New Testament has 27.

The longest book in the Bible is the Psalms (which also has the longest chapter – Psalm 119) while the shortest is 2 John.

There are 1189 chapters in the Bible; 929 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament.

The middle chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117, which is also the shortest chapter in the Bible.

There are 23,214 verses in the Old Testament and 7,959 in the New Testament, bringing the total to 31,173. How many have you memorized?

Sunday schoolers know the shortest verse in the Bible: John 11:35 ("Jesus wept.") The longest? Esther 8:9 (look it up!).

There are 773,692 words in the Bible—all of them inspired by God Himself. The Old Testament has 592,439 words and the New Testament, 181,253.

The Bible was written over a period of about 1,500 years by about 40 different people. The oldest book is dated to about 1400 BC.

The books of the Bible were originally just that: books. Modern chapter divisions were completed around AD 1227 by Stephen Langton. Old Testament verse numbers were made by a Jewish rabbi named Nathan in 1448, and the New Testament verse numbers were developed by Robert Estienne (also called Stephanus) in 1551.

More than 3,000 times the Bible refers to words spoken by God.

Every day in the United States, more than 168,000 Bibles are either sold or given away.

from the old testament

Total books in the Old Testament: 39
Total chapters in the Old Testament: 929
Total verses in the Old Testament: Approximately 23,145 (depending on version)
Longest book in the Old Testament: Psalms (150 chapters)
Shortest book in the Old Testament: Obadiah (1 chapter, 21 verses)
Most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament: Psalms, followed by Isaiah and Deuteronomy
Main language of the Old Testament: Hebrew (with some Aramaic in Ezra, Daniel, and Jeremiah)
Notable emphases of the Old Testament: God’s covenant with Israel, the Law (Torah), the call to obedience, warnings against idolatry, and Messianic prophecies.

from the new testament

Total books in the New Testament: 27
Total chapters in the New Testament: 260
Total verses in the New Testament: Approx. 7,957
Longest book in the New Testament: Luke
Shortest book in the New Testament: 3 John (1 chapter, 14 verses)
Most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament: Psalms, Isaiah, and Deuteronomy
Main language of the New Testament: Greek (Koine Greek)
Notable emphases of the New Testament: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; the formation and mission of the church; grace through faith; fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy; and the future return of Christ to rule, restore, and judge.

implications for today

These facts and stats show us that the Bible is not random or accidental. It's a carefully preserved record of God’s interaction with humanity, written over centuries and yet telling one unified story. From the poetry of the Psalms to the prophecies of Isaiah to the letters of Paul, every word serves a purpose. Recognizing the scale and structure of the Bible reminds us that God is a God of order, intention, and revelation.

Have we taken the Bible for granted? With over 31,000 verses and more than 750,000 words inspired by God, we are holding a miracle in our hands—one we can read, study, and memorize. What does it say about our priorities if we know sports stats or song lyrics better than Scripture? These facts challenge us to reflect on how much of God’s Word we’ve hidden in our hearts and how often we turn to it for guidance and truth.

Let’s make the Bible more than trivia—let’s make it central to our lives. Whether we commit to reading a chapter a day, memorizing a verse a week, or joining a Bible study, we’re engaging with the living Word of God. These stats should stir our curiosity, deepen our respect, and inspire our commitment to the God who gave us His Word. As we open its pages, we don’t just learn facts—we meet God Himself.

understand

The Bible is a divinely inspired collection of 66 books written over 1,500 years by about 40 different authors.
The Bible contains over 31,000 verses and 773,000 words, with remarkable structure, depth, and historical accuracy.
The stats about the Bible aren’t just trivia—they reveal a unified message of God’s redemption and call us to know, live by, and be transformed through His Word.

reflect

How much time do you spend learning or memorizing Scripture compared to how much you know about other things like sports, music, or news?
When you think about the Bible being written over 1,500 years by about 40 authors, how does that deepen your trust in its unity and purpose?
What steps can you take this week to make God’s Word more central in your daily life, not just something interesting to know?

engage

What do the structure and scale of the Bible—its authorship, chapters, and verses—tell us about God’s character and His desire to reveal Himself?
How can we move beyond treating the Bible like trivia and instead cultivate a deeper hunger to engage with its message?
How can we encourage others to memorize, study, and live out the truths of Scripture in our everyday lives instead of just seeing it as full of interesting facts?