What does the word "bible" mean?

from the old testament

• The Old Testament doesn’t use the word "Bible" itself, but it frequently refers to God’s Word, Scriptures, or writings that reveal His laws, promises, and character. For example, Deuteronomy 17:18 talks about the king writing for himself "a copy of this law,” emphasizing the importance of written Scripture.
• Psalm 119:105 calls God’s Word “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” highlighting its guiding role.
• Isaiah 34:16 urges people to “seek and read” the scrolls of God’s ancient writings. The Bible is God’s Word and contains His covenant, commands, and promises. It was preserved in writing to guide, teach, and lead His people. This foundation in sacred writings laid the groundwork for what later became known as the Bible, meaning “the books.”

from the new testament

• Jesus referred to the Hebrew Scriptures, or Jewish Bible, by its three-part format during His public teaching ministry. In Luke 24:44, He said, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." The Hebrew Bible is a collection of scrolls organized into three parts: the Torah (or Law of Moses), the Prophets, and the Writings (often referred to by the first scroll in that section—Psalms). The Christian Bible includes those same scrolls, and also the gospels, Acts, the letters (or epistles), and Revelation.
• "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Christian Scripture is directly inspired by the highest authority—God Himself—and it offers immeasurable benefit for our lives today.
• Most importantly, "the sacred writings…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). The Holy Bible, from beginning to end, teaches its readers how to be saved by pointing to Jesus. So, if you've never read the Bible, now might be a great opportunity to start.

implications for today

The word "Bible" comes from the Greek word biblia, meaning "books." It is the diminutive form of the word biblos, which referred to any written document, but at the time, would have been sheets or scrolls of papyrus. Linguists believe the word may have come about because the Greeks imported Egyptian papyrus from the Phoenician seaport Byblos (also called Gebal). This naming process would be similar to sparkling white wine being called champagne because it originates in the Champagne region of France. Champagne is called that because it comes from Champagne. Papyrus was called biblos in Greek because it came from the port of Byblos.

Of course, in Greek, biblia referred to any books, not just the Holy Bible of writings sacred to Judaism and Christianity. The earliest use of the phrase biblia to refer specifically to Christian Scriptures is believed to be 2 Clement 2:14, written around AD 150, where it uses "ta biblia," meaning "the books," in reference to Scripture. Before this time, the collection of Jewish and Christian sacred writings were referred to as gramma and/or graphe (2 Timothy 3:15, 16), meaning "writings, documents, holy Writ, or scripture."

Originally, these Scriptures were separate scrolls. Most communities owned copies of only some scrolls and would have tried to add to their collection of Scripture over time as resources allowed. These separate scrolls did not get compiled into the modern form of a book with leaves of paper stitched together on one side (called a codex) until the fourth or fifth century AD. Understanding that the Bible is an anthology that contains sixty-six different books helps explain why the Greek phrase ta biblia, using the plural and meaning "the books," was used to refer to this collection of Holy Scriptures.

While other books with authoritative teaching on specific topics can be called bibles in a generic sense, there is no book with higher authority than the Holy Bible. These Scriptures are God's revealed Word to His people. As God’s Word, we should read it and take to heart what it reveals about God, humanity, and His relationship with us. It is more than history or literature—it is the living message through which God reveals Himself, guides us, and invites us into relationship with Him. As you hold the Bible in your hands and read its words, remember that it is a divine treasure, meant to be read, cherished, and obeyed. May we read the Bible regularly and take its truths deeply to heart, allowing God’s Word to transform our lives, today and always.