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How Many Books Are in the Orthodox Bible? Start With 76

The 2008 Thomas Nelson Orthodox Study Bible contains 76 books: its introduction identifies 49 Old Testament books, and its table of contents lists 27 New Testament books. That edition has three books of Maccabees and prints Psalm 151 within Psalms; other Orthodox communions and editions count differently.

Why can the Orthodox Bible book count change?

“Orthodox Bible” is a family label covering several church traditions and tables of contents. Eastern Orthodox churches generally receive the Old Testament through the Greek Septuagint tradition, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has a distinct canon. Publishers can also divide the same material differently: one may print the Epistle of Jeremiah as a book, while another places the Letter of Jeremiah inside Baruch.

That distinction changes a total even when the underlying text overlaps. St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church gives 49 as the Orthodox Old Testament count and notes that it is sometimes counted as 50 or 51 according to how books are divided. The New Testament is steadier. The Thomas Nelson edition, the Catholic list maintained by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Ethiopian church’s own canon page all contain the familiar 27-book New Testament core from Matthew through Revelation. Ethiopia’s official total becomes 35 New Testament books because it also counts eight church-order books after Revelation.

At an equipment-rental desk, I learned to route “Is this regulation?” through a league name and a rulebook date before counting the pieces. That lesson comes back during these late-summer mornings, now carrying their first cool undertone, when old league sheets and new revisions overlap. Route this question through four labels: church tradition, edition, publisher, and contents page. The title page gives the answer; the spine gives a family name.

For an English-speaking Eastern Orthodox buyer who wants the quickest sound number, start at 76. Then check the edition.

How many books are in the Orthodox Study Bible?

Thomas Nelson’s 2008 Orthodox Study Bible has 76 books in all: 49 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. The edition’s introduction, visible on page xv of the Google Books preview, describes “each of the forty-nine books of the Old Testament.” Its table of contents begins the New Testament at Matthew and lists the standard 27 books through Revelation.

The publisher’s sources settle the other numbers buyers commonly need:

The Thomas Nelson product sheet adds a useful translation detail. The Old Testament was newly translated from the Greek Septuagint, including the Deuterocanon, while the New Testament uses the New King James Version. A buyer seeking a single-volume English Orthodox study edition can therefore verify the count, the textual basis, and the ISBN without relying on a marketplace description.

Which books are in the Orthodox Study Bible?

The following list follows the 49-book Old Testament order in the Orthodox Study Bible, including its own Kingdoms and Ezra titles. This is the cleanest way to catch a mislabeled or incomplete listing.

The 49 Old Testament books

The unfamiliar labels mostly have familiar counterparts. In this edition, 1–4 Kingdoms correspond to 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings. The contents page labels 1 Ezra as 1 Esdras and identifies 2 Ezra with Ezra or 2 Esdras; Nehemiah follows as its own book. Those names matter when comparing store previews. Counting only titles that look familiar can make a complete edition appear to be missing books.

Psalm 151 sits inside the Psalter rather than in the list above as a fiftieth title. The Greek material in Esther and Daniel is likewise incorporated into those books. Book count and content count are different measurements.

The 27 New Testament books

The New Testament contains Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

There is no extra Eastern Orthodox Gospel or additional apocalypse in the Thomas Nelson contents. Every numerical difference from a 73-book Catholic Bible occurs in how the Old Testament is constituted and divided.

Why does Psalm 151 not make the total 77?

Psalm 151 expands the contents of the Psalter without adding a book heading. The Orthodox Study Bible table of contents has one entry for Psalms, beginning on page 681. After Psalm 150, pages 777–778 print Psalm 151 and describe it as outside the usual number of the Psalter. The edition still counts Psalms once. Its total remains 76.

The Prayer of Manasseh works in much the same way. It is printed at the close of 2 Chronicles on page 520, before 1 Ezra begins on page 521. Readers receive the prayer, while the table of contents gives it no fiftieth Old Testament heading.

The Epistle of Jeremiah shows the opposite treatment. It receives its own heading between Lamentations and Ezekiel, so it contributes one book to Thomas Nelson’s 49-book Old Testament count. A Catholic contents list places the Letter of Jeremiah within Baruch instead. The words “included” and “counted separately” therefore answer different questions.

This is the counting trap behind many totals. A seller can accurately say that Psalm 151 is included and still give 76 books. Another list can contain the Letter of Jeremiah and report one fewer book because it nests the letter within Baruch. When a number seems off by one or two, inspect the placement of texts before deciding that anything is missing.

For buyers, I would keep two lines in the notes: 76 book headings and additional material embedded within those headings. On the second line, write Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh, and the Greek portions of Esther and Daniel. That small separation is more informative than forcing every biblical composition into the arithmetic used on a dust jacket.

How does the Orthodox Study Bible compare book by book with a Catholic Bible?

The Catholic comparison is close enough that a raw total hides the useful answer. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ canonical-order list contains 46 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books, for 73 books total. It shares far more with the Orthodox Study Bible than a Protestant 66-book edition does, including Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1–2 Maccabees.

That shared ground matters at the shelf. A Catholic Bible already contains the seven deuterocanonical titles Catholic readers usually count: Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. It also incorporates Greek material in Esther and Daniel. A Catholic reader will have encountered those texts already. The decisive checks are 1 Ezra, 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh, and the separate Epistle of Jeremiah.

Here is the contents check I would use before buying:

| Contents point | 2008 Orthodox Study Bible | Catholic Bible in the USCCB list | |---|---|---| | Total books | 76 | 73 | | Old Testament | 49 | 46 | | New Testament | 27 | 27 | | Samuel and Kings | Titled 1–4 Kingdoms | Titled 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings | | Ezra material | 1 Ezra, 2 Ezra, and Nehemiah | Ezra and Nehemiah | | Maccabees | 1, 2, and 3 Maccabees | 1 and 2 Maccabees | | Letter of Jeremiah | Epistle of Jeremiah is a separate book | Included within Baruch as chapter 6 | | Psalm 151 | Included within Psalms | Absent from the Catholic Psalter | | Prayer of Manasseh | Printed with 2 Chronicles | Absent from the Catholic canon | | Greek Esther and Daniel material | Included | Included, though placement and numbering differ |

The three-book numerical gap now makes sense. Relative to the Catholic 46-book Old Testament list, the Thomas Nelson edition adds a separately counted 1 Ezra, adds 3 Maccabees, and counts the Epistle of Jeremiah separately rather than within Baruch. Psalm 151 and the Prayer of Manasseh change what the volume contains without creating two more book entries.

This is why “Orthodox has three more books than Catholic” is arithmetically correct for these two lists and still inadequate for shopping. It tells you nothing about Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh, naming conventions, or where the Letter of Jeremiah went. A contents photograph answers all four.

One further caution belongs beside the table. The Orthodox Study Bible translates its Old Testament from the Septuagint tradition; a Catholic edition may use a different textual base and versification. A matching title does not guarantee matching verse numbers or identical wording. If you are buying for a parish reading group, match the translation and local practice as well as the canon.

How can you check an Orthodox Bible before buying it?

Use the edition’s own front matter. Retail totals are useful filters, though I trust a photographed contents page more than a product-title claim.

  1. Name the edition. Record the publisher, publication date, translation, and ISBN. For the hardcover discussed here, those identifiers are Thomas Nelson, February 26, 2008, NKJV New Testament, and ISBN 9780718003593.
  2. Count each Testament. Verify 49 Old Testament headings and 27 New Testament headings if the listing claims to sell the Orthodox Study Bible. A total alone cannot reveal whether a seller counted an embedded text separately.
  3. Check the deciding texts. Look for 1 Ezra, 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh, and the Epistle of Jeremiah. Then search for 1 Enoch if Ethiopian coverage matters. These checkpoints expose the canon faster than recounting Genesis through Revelation.
  4. Match the church context. Ask the parish, priest, course leader, or reading group which edition it uses. Local custom can outrun a generalized chart, just as a club rule can modify the printed national rulebook.

For a used copy, request two photographs: the title-and-copyright page and the full table of contents. That pair resolves edition identity and actual contents. A cover photo resolves neither.

My recommendation is fairly strict. Choose the Orthodox Study Bible for a readily available English Eastern Orthodox study volume; choose a Catholic Bible only when 73-book Catholic contents are the assignment; investigate an Ethiopian edition title by title when Enoch or the 81-book canon is the reason for buying.

Is the 81- or 88-book Ethiopian Bible the same canon?

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo canon is distinct from the 76-book Eastern Orthodox edition described above. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox communion. Its official English canon page specifies 46 Old Testament books and 35 New Testament books, totaling 81. Its Old Testament list explicitly includes Enoch and Jubilees; its expanded New Testament count includes eight church-order works after Revelation.

The phrase “Ethiopian Orthodox Bible 88 books” needs a contents check rather than an automatic correction of 81. Sellers and popular accounts may divide, combine, or bundle texts differently. The church’s own published enumeration remains 81, and a product advertised as 88 should disclose every title before you treat it as a complete church canon.

This distinction also answers the Enoch question. The official Ethiopian list names Enoch as Old Testament book 14. The Thomas Nelson Orthodox Study Bible table of contents contains no 1 Enoch. A search for “does Orthodox Bible include Enoch” therefore needs one routing word in the answer, Ethiopian.

Frequently asked questions

Which Bible has all 81 books?

The 81-book canon belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Its official English canon page enumerates 46 Old Testament books and 35 New Testament books, including Enoch and Jubilees. Check any English product’s contents before purchase, because a cover claim does not establish that every work in the church’s canon is translated inside.

Which books are in the Orthodox Bible?

The 2008 Orthodox Study Bible contains 49 Old Testament books and the standard 27 New Testament books. Its distinctive contents include 1 Ezra, 3 Maccabees, the Epistle of Jeremiah as a separate book, Psalm 151 within Psalms, and the Prayer of Manasseh with 2 Chronicles. Other Orthodox traditions can differ.

Do Orthodox Christians use 73 books?

Seventy-three is the Catholic total documented by the USCCB list: 46 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. The 2008 Orthodox Study Bible has 76. An Orthodox Christian may own or read a Catholic translation, though its contents differ from this Eastern Orthodox edition’s Old Testament.

How many books are in the Greek Orthodox Bible?

A practical English-language Greek Orthodox answer is 76 books: 49 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament, as found in the 2008 Orthodox Study Bible. Because Orthodox editions can divide or place texts differently, confirm the publisher’s contents page before applying 76 to every Greek liturgical or academic edition.

How does the Orthodox Bible compare with the Catholic Bible?

The 2008 Orthodox Study Bible has 76 books; the Catholic canon listed by the USCCB has 73. Both have 27 New Testament books. The Orthodox edition’s 49-book Old Testament includes 3 Maccabees and 1 Ezra, counts the Epistle of Jeremiah separately, and contains Psalm 151 and the Prayer of Manasseh.

Does an Orthodox Bible include 1 Enoch?

It depends on the Orthodox tradition. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s official 81-book list includes Enoch as Old Testament book 14. The 2008 Thomas Nelson Orthodox Study Bible, an Eastern Orthodox study edition with 76 books, leaves 1 Enoch out. Check the communion and table of contents together.

Petra Baldursson
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