1 Chron. 1 Chronicles
2 Chron. 2 Chronicles
1 Cor. 1 Corinthians
2 Cor. 2 Corinthians
1 Esd. 1 Esdras
2 Esd. 2 Esdras
1 John 1 John
2 John 2 John
3 John 3 John
1 Kings 1 Kings
2 Kings 2 Kings
1 Macc. 1 Maccabees
2 Macc. 2 Maccabees
1 Peter 1 Peter
2 Peter 2 Peter
1 Sam. 1 Samuel
2 Sam. 2 Samuel
1 Thess. 1 Thessalonians
2 Thess. 2 Thessalonians
1 Tim. 1 Timothy
2 Tim. 2 Timothy
Acts Acts
Amos Amos
Bar. Baruch
Bel Bel and the Dragon
Col. Colossians
Dan. Daniel
Deut. Deuteronomy
Eccl. Ecclesiastes
Ep. Jer. Epistle of Jeremiah
Eph. Ephesians
Est. Esther
Ezek. Ezekiel
Ex. Exodus
Ezra Ezra
Gal. Galatians
Gen. Genesis
Hab. Habakkuk
Hag. Haggai
Heb. Hebrews
Hos. Hosea
Isa. Isaiah
James James
Jer. Jeremiah
Job Job
Joel Joel
John John
Jonah Jonah
Josh. Joshua
Jude Jude
Judg. Judges
Judith Judith
Lam. Lamentations
Lev. Leviticus
Luke Luke
Mal. Malachi
Mark Mark
Matt. Matthew
Mic. Micah
Nah. Nahum
Neh. Nehemiah
Num. Numbers
Obad. Obadiah
Phil. Philippians
Philem. Philemon
Pr. Man. Prayer of Manassah
Prov. Proverbs
Ps. Psalm
Rest. of Est. The Rest of Esther
Rev. Revelation
Rom. Romans
Ruth Ruth
S. of III Ch. The Song of the Three Holy Children
Sir. Sirach/Ecclesiasticus
Song Song of Songs
Titus Titus
Tobit Tobit
Wisd. Sol. The Wisdom of Solomon
Zech. Zechariah
Zeph. Zephaniah
Individual tractates of rabbinic literature follow the abbreviations of the SBL Handbook of Style, pp. 79–80. Qumran documents follow standard Dead Sea Scroll conventions.
2 Bar. 2 Baruch
3 Bar. 3 Baruch
4 Bar. 4 Baruch
1 En. 1 Enoch
2 En. 2 Enoch
3 En. 3 Enoch
4 Ezra 4 Ezra
3 Macc. 3 Maccabees
4 Macc. 4 Maccabees
5 Macc. 5 Maccabees
Acts Phil. Acts of Philip
Acts Pet. Acts of Peter and the 12 Apostles
Apoc. Elijah Apocalypse of Elijah
As. Mos. Assumption of Moses
b. Babylonian Talmud (+ tractate)
Gos. Thom. Gospel of Thomas
Jos. Asen. Joseph and Aseneth
Jub. Jubilees
Let. Aris. Letter of Aristeas
m. Mishnah (+ tractate)
Mek. Mekilta
Midr. Midrash I (+ biblical book)
Odes Sol. Odes of Solomon
Pesiq. Rab. Pesiqta Rabbati
Pirqe. R. El. Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer
Pss. Sol. Psalms of Solomon
Rab. Rabbah (+biblical book); (e.g., Gen. Rab.=Genesis Rabbah)
S. ʿOlam Rab. Seder Olam Rabbah
Sem. Semahot
Sib. Or. Sibylline Oracles
T. Ab. Testament of Abraham
T. Adam Testament of Adam
T. Ash. Testament of Asher
T. Benj. Testament of Benjamin
T. Dan Testament of Dan
T. Gad Testament of Gad
T. Hez. Testament of Hezekiah
T. Isaac Testament of Isaac
T. Iss. Testament of Issachar
T. Jac. Testament of Jacob
T. Job Testament of Job
T. Jos. Testament of Joseph
T. Jud. Testament of Judah
T. Levi Testament of Levi
T. Mos. Testament of Moses
T. Naph. Testament of Naphtali
T. Reu. Testament of Reuben
T. Sim. Testament of Simeon
T. Sol. Testament of Solomon
T. Zeb. Testament of Zebulum
Tanh. Tanhuma
Tg. Isa. Targum of Isaiah
Tg. Lam. Targum of Lamentations
Tg. Neof. Targum Neofiti
Tg. Onq. Targum Onqelos
Tg. Ps.-J Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
y. Jerusalem Talmud (+ tractate)
For an extended list of classical historians and church fathers, see SBL Handbook of Style, pp. 84–87. For many works of classical antiquity, the abbreviations have been subjected to the author’s discretion; the names of these works should be obvious upon consulting entries of the classical writers in classical dictionaries or encyclopedias.
Eccl. Hist. Ecclesiastical History
Ag. Ap. Against Apion
Ant. Jewish Antiquities
J.W. Jewish War
Life The Life
Abraham On the Life of Abraham
Agriculture On Agriculture
Alleg. Interp Allegorical Interpretation
Animals Whether Animals Have Reason
Cherubim On the Cherubim
Confusion On the Confusion of Thomas
Contempl. Life On the Contemplative Life
Creation On the Creation of the World
Curses On Curses
Decalogue On the Decalogue
Dreams On Dreams
Drunkenness On Drunkenness
Embassy On the Embassy to Gaius
Eternity On the Eternity of the World
Flaccus Against Flaccus
Flight On Flight and Finding
Giants On Giants
God On God
Heir Who Is the Heir?
Hypothetica Hypothetica
Joseph On the Life of Joseph
Migration On the Migration of Abraham
Moses On the Life of Moses
Names On the Change of Names
Person That Every Good Person Is Free
Planting On Planting
Posterity On the Posterity of Cain
Prelim. Studies On the Preliminary Studies
Providence On Providence
QE Questions and Answers on Exodus
QG Questions and Answers on Genesis
Rewards On Rewards and Punishments
Sacrifices On the Sacrifices of Cain and Abel
Sobriety On Sobriety
Spec. Laws On the Special Laws
Unchangeable That God Is Unchangeable
Virtues On the Virtues
Worse That the Worse Attacks the Better
1 Clem. First Letter of Clement
Barn. Epistle of Barnabas
Clem. Hom. Ancient Homily of Clement (also called 2 Clement)
Did. Didache
Herm. Vis.; Sim. Shepherd of Hermas, Visions; Similitudes
Ignatius Epistles of Ignatius (followed by the letter’s name)
Mart. Pol. Martyrdom of Polycarp
AASOR Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research
AB Anchor Bible
ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary
ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library
AGJU Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums
AH Agricultural History
ALGHJ Arbeiten zur Literatur und Geschichte des Hellenistischen Judentums
AnBib Analecta biblica
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt
ANTC Abingdon New Testament Commentaries
BAGD Bauer, W., W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christina Literature (2d. ed.)
BA Biblical Archaeologist
BAFCS Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting
BAR Biblical Archaeology Review
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
BBC Bible Background Commentary
BBR Bulletin for Biblical Research
BDB Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament
BDF Blass, F., A. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
BI Biblical Illustrator
Bib Biblica
BibSac Bibliotheca Sacra
BLT Brethren Life and Thought
BNTC Black’s New Testament Commentary
BRev Bible Review
BSHJ Baltimore Studies in the History of Judaism
BST The Bible Speaks Today
BSV Biblical Social Values
BT The Bible Translator
BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin
BZ Biblische Zeitschrift
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CBTJ Calvary Baptist Theological Journal
CGTC Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary
CH Church History
CIL Corpus inscriptionum latinarum
CPJ Corpus papyrorum judaicorum
CRINT Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum
CTJ Calvin Theological Journal
CTM Concordia Theological Monthly
CTT Contours of Christian Theology
DBI Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
DCM Dictionary of Classical Mythology.
DDD Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible
DJBP Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period
DJG Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
DLNT Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments
DNTB Dictionary of New Testament Background
DPL Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
EBC Expositor’s Bible Commentary
EDBT Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
EDNT Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament
EJR Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion
EPRO Études préliminaires aux religions orientales dans l’empire romain
EvQ Evangelical Quarterly
ExpTim Expository Times
FRLANT Forsuchungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testament
GNC Good News Commentary
GNS Good News Studies
HCNT Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament
HDB Hastings Dictionary of the Bible
HJP History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, by E. Schürer
HTR Harvard Theological Review
HTS Harvard Theological Studies
HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual
IBD Illustrated Bible Dictionary
IBS Irish Biblical Studies
ICC International Critical Commentary
IDB The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible
IEJ Israel Exploration Journal
IG Inscriptiones graecae
IGRR Inscriptiones graecae ad res romanas pertinentes
ILS Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae
Imm Immanuel
ISBE International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Int Interpretation
IvE Inschriften von Ephesos
IVPNTC InterVarsity Press New Testament Commentary
JAC Jahrbuch fur Antike und Christentum
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies
JJS Journal of Jewish Studies
JOAIW Jahreshefte des Osterreeichischen Archaologischen Instites in Wien
JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods
JRS Journal of Roman Studies
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
KTR Kings Theological Review
LCL Loeb Classical Library
LEC Library of Early Christianity
LSJ Liddell, H. G., R. Scott, H. S. Jones. A Greek-English Lexicon
MM Moulton, J. H., and G. Milligan. The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament
MNTC Moffatt New Testament Commentary
NBD New Bible Dictionary
NC Narrative Commentaries
NCBC New Century Bible Commentary Eerdmans
NEAE New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land
NEASB Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin
New Docs New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity
NIBC New International Biblical Commentary
NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament
NIDNTT New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology
NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary
NIVAC NIV Application Commentary
NorTT Norsk Teologisk Tidsskrift
NoT Notes on Translation
NovT Novum Testamentum
NovTSup Novum Testamentum Supplements
NTAbh Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen
NTS New Testament Studies
NTT New Testament Theology
NTTS New Testament Tools and Studies
OAG Oxford Archaeological Guides
OCCC Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
OCD Oxford Classical Dictionary
ODCC The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
OGIS Orientis graeci inscriptiones selectae
OHCW The Oxford History of the Classical World
OHRW Oxford History of the Roman World
OTP Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. by J. H. Charlesworth
PEQ Palestine Exploration Quarterly
PG Patrologia graeca
PGM Papyri graecae magicae: Die griechischen Zauberpapyri
PL Patrologia latina
PNTC Pelican New Testament Commentaries
Rb Revista biblica
RB Revue biblique
RivB Rivista biblica italiana
RTR Reformed Theological Review
SB Sources bibliques
SBL Society of Biblical Literature
SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series
SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series
SBLSP Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers
SBS Stuttgarter Bibelstudien
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
SCJ Stone-Campbell Journal
Scr Scripture
SE Studia Evangelica
SEG Supplementum epigraphicum graecum
SJLA Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity
SJT Scottish Journal of Theology
SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series
SSC Social Science Commentary
SSCSSG Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels
Str-B Strack, H. L., and P. Billerbeck. Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch
TC Thornapple Commentaries
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament
TLNT Theological Lexicon of the New Testament
TLZ Theologische Literaturzeitung
TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentary
TrinJ Trinity Journal
TS Theological Studies
TSAJ Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum
TWNT Theologische Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament
TynBul Tyndale Bulletin
WBC Word Biblical Commentary Waco: Word, 1982
WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament
WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament
YJS Yale Judaica Series
ZNW Zeitschrift fur die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Junde der alteren Kirche
ZPE Zeischrift der Papyrolgie und Epigraphkik
ZPEB Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible
ad. loc. in the place cited
b. born
c., ca. circa
cf. compare
d. died
ed(s). editors(s), edited by
e.g. for example
ET English translation
frg. fragment
i.e. that is
ibid. in the same place
idem the same (author)
lit. literally
l (l) line(s)
MSS manuscripts
n.d. no date
NS New Series
par. parallel
passim here and there
repr. reprint
ser. series
s.v. sub verbo, under the word
trans. translator, translated by; transitive