Which Bible Do Orthodox Christians Use?

The Church reads the Old Testament as the apostles quoted it, in the Greek of the Septuagint.

The Orthodox Church reads the Old Testament in the Septuagint, the Greek translation made in the centuries before Christ and quoted by the apostles, and its canon includes the books the Septuagint carries, such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom and the Maccabees. The New Testament is the same twenty-seven books. In English the Orthodox Study Bible follows the Septuagint.

The Septuagint, often written LXX, is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made in the third century before Christ and after. It was the Bible of the Greek-speaking world into which the Church was born, and the Orthodox Church reads its Old Testament from it to this day, in the services and at home.

Its Old Testament is longer than the Hebrew one. Alongside the books of the Hebrew canon it carries others the Church reads, among them Tobit, Judith, Esther with its additions, three books of the Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Sirach. The Psalms follow the Septuagint's numbering, so the psalm of repentance many know as Psalm 51 is Psalm 50 in Orthodox books.

There is no single official English Orthodox Bible. The Orthodox Study Bible, completed in 2008, pairs an English translation of the Septuagint by St Athanasius Academy with the New King James Version of the New Testament. Orthros uses public-domain translations, each with its source shown: Brenton's Septuagint of 1851 for the Old Testament, the World English Bible for the New Testament readings, and the King James Version.

Questions about Which Bible

What is the Septuagint?

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made in the centuries before Christ, the Old Testament the apostles quoted and the Orthodox Church still reads.

Which books are in the Orthodox Old Testament?

The books of the Hebrew canon, together with others the Septuagint carries, such as Tobit, Judith, the Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach.

Why are the Psalms numbered differently in Orthodox books?

Orthodox books follow the Septuagint's numbering, which joins and divides some psalms differently from the Hebrew. Psalm 51 in many English Bibles is Psalm 50 in Orthodox books.

Is there an Orthodox English Bible?

There is no single official one. The Orthodox Study Bible, completed in 2008, follows the Septuagint for the Old Testament and the New King James Version for the New.

More questions about the Orthodox Church, answered ›

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

2 Timothy 3:16 (King James Version, public domain)

In Orthros

Orthros carries the whole Bible free to read, each translation public domain with its source shown, and sets the day's appointed readings on every day of the calendar.