Learn the Books of the Bible

So is there any reason to memorize the books of the Bible? I mean, every Bible has a table of contents, right? It's simple enough to look it up there.

Here's my suggestion. Memorize them!

Why? Read on!

The Importance of Memorizing the Books of the Bible

Knowing your way around your Bible is an important skill. It strengthens your ability to navigate Scripture with confidence. Knowing the order of the books helps you locate passages quickly, understand biblical structure, and engage more deeply in study and teaching.

Puzzled Man

It’s not just about rote memory or accumulating knowledge. It’s about building a framework for lifelong spiritual growth. In this article, we're going to teach you strategies, provide you with interactive tools, and encourage you so that you will succeed in this journey.

One caveat: We've given you a lot of information. Don't try to take it all at once. Take it slow. Maybe even take one section at a time over a few days.

Either way, we want you to learn rather than be discouraged. Take it all at your own rate.

We've also provided you with a number of tools, including a quiz at the end to help out. There's also a Bible Books PDF and other goodies on this page.

Let's get to it!

The Structure of the Bible

Before diving into memorization, it’s helpful to understand how the Bible is organized. Let's look at the two major divisions first:

Old Testament -- It's called this because...well...it's older than the New Testament. Pretty simple! And it's also the larger of the two testaments. The emphasis is on the nation of Israel. But don't think modern-day believers can't benefit. God's Word is always beneficial regardless of the age!

New Testament -- Yep. You guessed it. This one is newer than the Old Testament. It's also shorter and emphasizes instructions to the church.

In all, there are 66 books in the Bible.

Okay. With that done, let's ratchet down a little more. Let's look at breaking down these sections into smaller chunks for simpler digestion:

The Old Testament

There are 39 books in the Old Testament. Those 39 books are divided into five sections. The books with their sections are...

Books of the Old Testament

Books of the Old Testament

The Law (Pentateuch)

  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy

History

  1. Joshua
  2. Judges
  3. Ruth
  4. 1 Samuel
  5. 2 Samuel
  6. 1 Kings
  7. 2 Kings
  8. 1 Chronicles
  9. 2 Chronicles
  10. Ezra
  11. Nehemiah
  12. Esther

Poetry & Wisdom

  1. Job
  2. Psalms
  3. Proverbs
  4. Ecclesiastes
  5. Song of Solomon

Major Prophets

  1. Isaiah
  2. Jeremiah
  3. Lamentations
  4. Ezekiel
  5. Daniel

Minor Prophets

  1. Hosea
  2. Joel
  3. Amos
  4. Obadiah
  5. Jonah
  6. Micah
  7. Nahum
  8. Habakkuk
  9. Zephaniah
  10. Haggai
  11. Zechariah
  12. Malachi

You may download the full Old Testament Books List here!

The New Testament

There are 27 books in the New Testament. They are also divided into five sections. Two of those sections only have one book. The books with their sections are...

Books of the New Testament

Books of the New Testament

Gospels

  1. Matthew
  2. Mark
  3. Luke
  4. John

History

  1. Acts

Pauline Epistles

  1. Romans
  2. 1 Corinthians
  3. 2 Corinthians
  4. Galatians
  5. Ephesians
  6. Philippians
  7. Colossians
  8. 1 Thessalonians
  9. 2 Thessalonians
  10. 1 Timothy
  11. 2 Timothy
  12. Titus
  13. Philemon

General Epistles

  1. Hebrews
  2. James
  3. 1 Peter
  4. 2 Peter
  5. 1 John
  6. 2 John
  7. 3 John
  8. Jude

Prophecy

  1. Revelation

You may download the full New Testament Books List here!

Learning these groupings makes it easier to memorize the books in manageable sections. We've even provided this *study sheet* to help you learn them better!

Books of the Bible -- The Complete List

Would you rather just have the complete list of all 66 books to memorize? Well here you go. The complete list!

Books of the Bible List

Books of the Bible

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
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
Revelation

You may download the full Books of the Bible List here!

Memorization Strategies

There are many effective ways to memorize the books of the Bible. It all depends on your learning style.

One popular approach is chunking. You break the books into smaller sections based on their groupings. This method allows you to learn each section individually. I found this method very effective as a young person memorizing the books of the Bible.

Rhyming, repetition of phrases or acronyms can also be powerful tools. For example, in the Old Testament, adding "Books of" to each section helps memorize and tie all the sections together. An acronym that might help is “GELeND” -- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Songs and rhythm-based memory tools are especially helpful if you have a penchant for music. Again, this one really helped me when I was young. It's not quite as helpful if you aren't musically inclined, so use this one carefully.

The point is practice. Repetition and recall over time will help solidify the sequence in your memory. Encourage learners to revisit the list regularly and test themselves in different ways.

Interactive Tools

If your mind thinks more along electronic lines, here's a widget we've put together for you to test your knowledge. It will help you memorize the books of the Bible.

Memorize the Books of the Bible

Memorize the Books of the Bible

Overview

Use the dropdowns to study each section. Then test your memory five books at a time!

Old Testament Sections

Law

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

History

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Poetry/Wisdom

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Prophets

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

New Testament Sections

Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

History

Acts

Letters

Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude

Prophecy

Revelation

Self-Check Quiz

Enter five books at a time in order:

Electronic Resources

We prepared this study booklet as a supplement to help you memorize the books of the Bible better. Feel free to print it off and use it. Print it off for others to use as well. The only thing we ask is that you not sell it. It's a gift of grace. Please use it as such.

Download the Memorize the Books of the Bible booklet here.

If you would prefer the Flipbook version, click here.

Final Encouragement

I've met well-adjusted, intelligent people who claim they can't memorize. My answer is always the same.

If you can think, you can memorize.

This is true for memorizing the books of the Bible. Don't give up. Find a method that works, and stick to it. We think you'll find that easily finding books and passages in the Bible is a reward in itself.

Whatever you do, have fun and learn God's Word more. God bless.

What's Next?

Thank you for visiting Biblephoria.com. We hope you've enjoyed your stay. We have lots more resources. So jump right in!

We've also provided the relevant links from this page below. Enjoy!

Old Testament Books List

New Testament Books List

Complete Books of the Bible List

Memorize the Books of the Bible PDF

Memorize the Books of the Bible Flipbook

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Want more? Go back to How to Study the Bible.

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