This rule of thumb applies fairly broadly in Christian publishing. That is, if you're referring to something in a general sense, you can leave it lowercase—so when mentioning a particular scripture, you would capitalize the term you're using, but when talking about scripture as a whole, it's lowercase.

Do you capitalize Holy Scripture?

Religious Terms

* Bible and Scripture are capitalized, but biblical and scriptural are not. Similarly, capitalize the Almighty but not almighty God.

Should Psalms be capitalized?

Books of the Bible are always capitalized but never italicized. ... 2 Chronicles; Second Chronicles; the second book of the Chronicles. Psalms (but a psalm). Mark; the Gospel according to Mark.

Is Holy Spirit capitalized?

"Holy Spirit" and "Holy Ghost" are both capitalized, but the former is the preferred usage, spirits being the more acceptable metaphysical entity.

How do you cite a Bible source?

Title of the Bible, Version. Editor, Publisher, Year. The first time you cite the Bible in-text, include the name of the version of the Bible, followed by an abbreviation of the book, the chapter and verse(s). For subsequent references, simply include the book, chapter, and verse.

Does Bible Have To Be Capitalized?

19 related questions found

Is Bible capitalized in Bible study?

When referring to the holy Christian book itself, the word Bible should always be capitalized. ... You always capitalize Bible when referring to a proper noun including the various versions of both the Christian and Jewish Bibles.

Is Bible capitalized in AP style?

Capitalize Bible, without quotations marks, when referring to the Scriptures of the Old Testament or the New Testament. ... For example, We read the Bible in church every Sunday.

Why is Bible not capitalized?

Because the Bible is the name of a book - i.e. its title - it is a proper noun. However, "bible" can, as you mentioned, be used as a noun. In that sort of a situation it is not the name of a book but rather a "description" of it, thus it not requiring a capital letter.

Why is biblical not capitalized?

For some reason, though, biblical is an exception. The word Bible itself can be used as a normal noun (the fisherman's bible, or a bible for cooks), but biblical clearly refers to the proper-noun usage of Bible, and yet it is not given a capital initial.

Is the Bible a proper noun?

The noun Bible is a proper noun when it refers to a specific religious text.

Should Bible be italicized?

General Guidelines: Versions of the Bible or individual books are not underlined, italicized, or placed in quotation marks. However, underline or italicize individual published editions of the Bible. Example: The King James Version of the Bible was first published in 1611.

Why are some words in the Bible capitalized?

In the 19th century, it became common to capitalize pronouns referring to the God of the Abrahamic religions, in order to show respect: For in Him doth our heart rejoice, For in His holy name we have trusted. ... For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

Why is Bible not italicized?

The title should be italicized because you are referring to a published edition. (The published title might be, for example, The New Jerusalem Bible, or simply The Bible.) ... The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.

What format is the Bible written in?

Common formats

A common format for biblical citations is Book chapter:verses, using a colon to delimit chapter from verse, as in: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).

How do you quote part of a Bible verse?

Always use quotations around scripture verses and include the book, chapter number and verse number at the end of the quotation. Provide the name of the Bible version in your first in-text citation.

Is Holy a common noun?

As detailed above, 'holy' can be a noun or an adjective. Adjective usage: Holy cow, I can't believe he actually lost the race!

What kind of word is holy?

adjective, ho·li·er, ho·li·est. specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground. dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion: a holy man.

What is the noun word for holy?

holiness. The state or condition of being holy.

Do you put scriptures in quotations?

In your writing, use quotation marks or italics to quote Scripture, but please don't use both (unless someone is talking in part of the verse). Your publisher may suggest which to use, but whichever you pick, remember to be consistent.

How do you write a scripture?

1. Use a colon (no space) to separate chapter from verse (Acts 4:12).
2. Use an en dash between consecutive verse numbers (e.g. John 14:1–6).
3. Use a comma to separate non-consecutive numbers (e.g. Acts 1:1–8,13–14).
4. Use a semicolon to separate one chapter-and-verse reference from another.

Do you put parentheses around Bible verses?

Modern Language Association Style. Place parentheses at the end of your in-text Bible quotation when you're using the MLA style. The vital information for first citation is Bible version, book, chapter and verse.

Why is the Bible formatted in columns?

The Bible is a massive text with, for instance, almost eight hundred thousand words in the standard King James Version. ... To get around this problem, as with most reference books, the text is simply split into two columns, making it a little easier to read given the small font size.

What is a scripture reference?

a Bible in which brief explanations, and references to parallel passages, are printed in the margin of the text. See also: Reference.

How do you quote Bible verses in a blog?

2. Tips to Help You Cite the Specific Translation Clearly. Use a comma after the reference, followed by the version abbreviation in capitals, to indicate the specific version you quote: John 3:16, KJV. (For a list of Bible versions and appropriate abbreviations, see Bible Gateway.)