Is Bible Capitalized? | And What About “The Word”?

If you are writing a document, you might be curious if the word Bible is capitalized. It’s a question that many people have, and it’s important to write it correctly.

What if you call the Bible the Word? Should it also be capitalized?  This article will provide you the answers to spell it correctly.

Quick answer:

  • The Bible is a title, and book titles are always capitalized. Therefore, Bible should be capitalized. If Holy precedes the Bible (Holy Bible), it is also capitalized..
  • If the Bible is used in the secular context, it will not be capitalized (e.g. The traveler’s bible).
  • Biblical can be capitalized if the author chooses to (reverential capitalization)
  • If referring to the Bible as the “Word” it is generally capitalized out of reverence. The Word actually refers to the Bible and to God.

The Bible and Capitalization

Book titles are always capitalized. It doesn’t matter the genre, if it’s a book it should be capitalized.

As one of the oldest books, Bible meets that requirement. At times you’ll find the Bible is written as Holy Bible. In this case, both are capitalized (also learn when “God” is capitalized).

A few important things to remember:

  • Interestingly, Bible is not italicized as you’ll find with other book titles.
  • Bible is not put in quotations
  • “The” in “the Bible” is also not capitalized, although this is a common mistake.

Examples:

  • The Bible is one of my favorite books to read
  • I really enjoy reading the Holy Bible.
  • My coach used to believe that he wrote the swimming bible.
  • I really enjoy reading the Bible.

Is “Word” Capitalized When Referring To The Bible

The Word is often used when referring to the Bible. Although people use the “Word” to reference the Bible, “Word” is actually a reference to God in the Bible.

Examples:

  • Each morning, I read a few chapters of the Word to help me get through the day.

Reverence of The Bible

Reverential capitalization is used in many cases regarding the Bible when authors want to show respect to the Bible or to God.

He, Him, Word, Scripture will often be capitalized at the discretion of the author. Reverential capitalization includes Biblical.

Though it’s not required, it’s a common practice (also read the “divine mercy chaplet“).

Conclusion

The rules for capitalization can vary depending on the subject and context. When referring to the Bible, remember that the Bible is a book and all books are capitalized. Holy will also be capitalized when it precedes Bible.

Refrain from italicizing Bible, capitalizing “the” before Bible, and never put the Bible in quotations.

“Word” is often used to reference the Bible, however, it is actually a reference to God. Word should be capitalized as well.