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Hebrew Bible (O.T.) Research: Cite Sources

This guide is aimed at students taking lower division courses on the Hebrew Scriptures ('Old Testament')

Writing Help!

The Academic Resource Center (The ARC) is a place to get help with your writing and your citation concerns.  The link below is to a whole LibGuide dedicated to answering your questions about writing and citation for different disciplines.  The ARC is also the place you can get  individual tutoring in almost any class you're taking, as well as connect to scheduled drop-in sessions for writing and other disciplines... like Math!

Click below for the Writing LibGuide.

Chicago Style & helpful resources

Many Theology and humanities profs designate University of Chicago style (from which "Turabian" is derived). This manual is available in an online version. LMU only  Use your MyLMU information when off campus.

For examples of citations in this style, see the Library's Chicago Style - Humanities Quick Guide.
(Citations for print are on the front page, and citations for online sources are on the back.)

For more information, see the Chicago tab in our Citation LibGuide

Citing Sacred Texts: Chicago Style

Here are some segments of the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed., relevant for Biblical and other Sacred Scripture references.  Remember, you'll need to use your MyLMU login and password to access from off campus. 

Scriptural references for various religions, 8.102–3.

See also religious works   

Biblical citations:

    abbreviations in, 10.45–51

    chapter and verse, 14.253

    punctuation of, 6.60, 9.27

    resources on, 14.252

    versions of Bible in, 14.254

Biblical references are given in numerals only; chapter and verse are separated by a colon with no space following it. For abbreviations, see 10.45–51.

Turabian Manual

This is the style guide to be used for Dr. Denysenko's and Dr. Lappenga's classes.

Turabian's is a simplified style manual derived from the University of Chicago Style Manual.

See also the online Turabian Quick Guide from the publishers, with a good number of citation examples.

MLA Guide and helpful resources

The style you learned in Freshman English is sometimes also allowed in undergrad Theology courses -- but only sometimes. Check with your prof to make sure.
 
For examples of citations in MLA style, see our .pdf, the MLA QuickGuide 
(Citations for print are on the front page, and citations for online sources are on the back.)


For more information, see the MLA tab in our Citation LibGuide

Citing the Bible in MLA Style

When citing the Bible in the TEXT of your paper, use parenthetical citations:

Your first citation from a Bible should tell exactly what version of the Bible (NRSV, NIV, New American...) you are citing.  Use a parenthesis, and include the underlined or italicized exact title of the Bible.  Then tell which Biblical book you are citing (Genesis, Matthew, 2 Corinthians...) but NOT underlined or italicized.  Then tell which chapter and which verse or verses.

Example:

.... portraying Jesus' emotions as, for example, "And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harrass1ed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd." clearly showing that he felt human emotions (New Jerusalem Bible, Matt. 9.36).

Your second citation and after for the same Bible edition should only include the boo, chapter and verse/verses within the parentheses.  And if, for some reason, you are using more than one Bible version, make clear which one is being cited.

Example:

As plainly stated, "...because they trample on the heads of ordinary people and push the poor out of their path," the Lord of All takes them as far from righteous (Amos 2.7).

For your Bibliography/Works Cited page, list the exact edition/translation you used, including editor or editors, and then the standard publication information for a book, i.e. place of publication, publisher, and year. Double-space between lines and entries.

Example:

The New Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Susan Jones.

     New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print.

MLA Examples from ARC