How Do You Cite the Bible in MLA Style? Format & Examples

According to the Handbook of MLA Guidelines, 9th edition, researchers are required to cite the Bible in MLA style along with other holy scriptures like the Torah, Psalms of David, the Old Testament, the Book of Genesis, and so on, to avoid getting caught up in plagiarism checks. 

The holy book of the Bible can be treated like other books and needs proper MLA in-text or citation page referencing. To answer your query, how do you cite the Bible in MLA style? We have outlined some examples of different versions and types to help you follow and make your study sorted.

You just need to know the name of the editor and the version of the Bible that you are consulting, and you are good to go for citing the Bible in MLA format.

Why Do You Need to Cite the Holy Scriptures Like the Bible?

You may be curious why I need to cite the holy Bible with proper references in the research paper. The only answer to your question is to meet the MLA citation guidelines and, lastly, to make your work free from plagiarism. 

Now, if you are writing a literature review for a research paper and find some holy verses really relevant to your content, then you must add them to enhance the value of your study. The same is the case with other holy scriptures like the Koran, Bible, Psalms, Gospels, and so on.

Don’t take the citations for granted, and even think of not learning how to reference the Bible in MLA because it will lead you to face plagiarism objections while publishing.

What Elements are Required to Cite the Bible in MLA Format?

There are not too many things required to create an MLA works cited list or add in-text citations in your research project literature review. We have consulted the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook of guidelines and found only the following things necessary to add Bible references in prose.

For Works Cited Page Entry

• Title of the Bible (You are using)
• Name of the Editor(s) (If applicable)
• The version of the Bible (It may differ from the main title)
• Publication Information

For In-Text Citation

• Title of the Bible
• Verses you are Adding (Book Name, Chapter, and Verse Numbers)

Citing Print Version of the Bible

There’s no rocket science required to learn how to quote the Bible in MLA style, as it is quite the same as citing a book in MLA format. You just need the editor’s complete name, publication year, publisher name, or the Bible version to add a reference to your study.

Format

Title of the Bible. Edited by Editor’s First and Last Name, Bible Version, Publisher Name, Year of Publication.

 Example
The Bible. Authorised King James Version, Cambridge UP, 2004.
 In-Text Citation
(Rom. 1.7)

Citing an Online Version of the Bible

If you ask how do I cite the Holy Bible in MLA format found on any digital platform, then the answer would be which one. The one available on a web page or on any app because there’s a slight difference in the format of both sources, and we’ll mention both for you to clear the air.

Let’s look at the verses from a web page that you have found on your device’s web browser.

Format

Bible Title. Title of Website/Organization (Who has published it), URL. Accessed Date.

 Example
 New International Version. Biblica, 1983, www.biblestudytools.com/niv/. Accessed 19   Feb.2025.
 In-Text Citation
 (Gen. 25.8)

Citing an Electronic Version of the Bible

Citing an e-version of the bible in your dissertation is not so different from citing an e-book in MLA format. The only change you have to follow is the name of the author, as it is required to mention while citing e-books in MLA style, and start instead with the title.

Format

Title. E-book Edition, Publisher Name, Year of Publication.

 Example
 The King James Version of the Bible. E-book edition, Project Gutenberg, 2011.

How to Manage Citations from Different Versions of the Bible?

If you cite verses from different Bible versions like from different publishers and editors, you need to mention each reference separately once in the works cited list to make things clear for the readers or reviewers.

There’s no need to add repeated citation entries in the list, whether you have used the same source once or thrice in your research paper writing because one entry is sufficient. 

Don’ts of MLA In-Text Citation for the Bible 

First of all, consider using the abbreviations of the Bible name you are citing in your in-text citations. For example, instead of writing Genesis, you can write only Gen in parentheses along with the chapter or verse number to comply with guidelines. 

Another important thing to keep in mind is to separate chapter and verse numbers by a period, not with a colon. For example, (Ex.2.5). 

When you need to mention the page numbers, you can add a dash between them, and if the range extends across chapters, then you need to mention the chapter number after the dash, and if it’s from one chapter, then there’s no need for it. For example, (Gen. 2.3-6), (Gen. 2.3-3.4).

Frequently Asked Questions