What Are The Longest And Shortest Verses In The Bible?

May 2024 · 1 minute read

The Bible has 31,102 verses, according to Just Word Ministries. And here are the shortest and longest of those verses.

According to Biola University, the shortest verse in the English Bible is John 11:35, coming in at just two words and nine letters: "Jesus wept." However, the New Testament was written in Greek, and in the original language, that verse is 16 letters long: "Ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς." The shortest verse in the original Greek is Luke 20:30, at 14 letters long: "καὶ ὁ δεύτερος." In English, this roughly translates to "and the second."

The longest verse in the Bible occurs in the Old Testament, according to Legit. The verse in question is Esther 8:9, which won't be reprinted here because it's, well, long — approximately 71 words, depending on which translation you're using.

For the sake of thoroughness, the shortest verse in the Old Testament, according to Testimonio, is Exodus 20:13: "You shall not murder." And the longest verse in the New Testament, according to Got Questions, is Revelation 20:4. Further, it bears noting that the latter verse is longer in its original Greek (58 words) than the previously mentioned Esther 8:9 is in the original Hebrew (43 words).

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