What is the longest book of the Bible?

TL;DR:

The longest book of the Bible by word count in the original languages is Jeremiah, not Psalms, even though Psalms has the most chapters. Fun facts like this are intriguing, but the real power of Scripture lies in believing and living out God's truth.

what does the bible say?

While many people assume Psalms is the longest book in the Bible, the book of Jeremiah actually holds that title based on original Hebrew word count. Genesis follows close behind, and Psalms ranks third despite having the most chapters. In the New Testament, Luke is the longest book by word count. These details depend on language and translation, making original-language word counts the most reliable measure. But beyond fun facts and statistics, what matters most is allowing God’s Word to shape our lives—it’s not just about knowing Scripture but trusting and following it.

from the old testament

If we count the number of words in the original languages, then the longest book of the Old Testament, and the Bible as a whole, is the book of Jeremiah, which contains a total of 33,002 words.
Genesis is the second longest book with a total count of 32,046 words.
The book of Psalms contains the largest number of chapters but only comes in third in actual length when we consider the total number of words at 30,147.

from the new testament

In the New Testament, the longest book is the Gospel of Luke, which in the original Greek has a total of 19,482 words; Luke slots in at twelfth place in overall length when compared to the rest of Scripture.

implications for today

Determining the longest book of the Bible requires us first to determine in what way we desire to answer the question. We can count the number of verses in each book to determine which is the longest, but verse numbers were added to the text in the 1400s and 1500s.They are not part of the original manuscripts. Counting the number of words would be more accurate.

The Bible was originally written primarily in Hebrew and Greek, though there are a few passages in Aramaic. There is not always a one-to-one correlation of word numbers when translating Hebrew or Greek to English. Thus it makes the most sense for our word count to be based on the original languages. The easiest way to determine these numbers in the original languages is to use a good Bible software program. The numbers in this article were found using Logos Bible Software, with our special thanks.

Fun facts like the longest book or verse of the Bible can spark curiosity and help us engage more deeply with Scripture. They’re enjoyable to explore and can even lead to greater Bible literacy. But far more important than knowing Bible trivia is believing what the Bible says. God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12), meant not just to inform us but to transform us. While facts can draw us in, faith in God’s truth is what truly changes our hearts.

understand

Jeremiah is the longest book in the Bible by original-language word count.
Psalms has the most chapters, but it ranks third in total word count.
While these fun facts are interesting, the true significance of Scripture lies in believing and living out God’s Word.

reflect

How often do you focus more on Bible facts than on applying God's truth to your daily life?
What steps can you take to move from simply reading the Bible to being transformed by it?
When you read Scripture, how do you allow it to shape your heart and actions, not just inform your mind?

engage

How can knowing fun facts about the Bible help others grow in curiosity and engagement with Scripture?
How does understanding the context and structure of the Bible help deepen one’s faith?
What distinguishes knowing about the Bible from truly believing and living by its message?