Our Father
Pick up a Catholic Bible and a Protestant Bible side by side and you’ll notice the Catholic one is thicker. The New Testament is identical: 27 books in both. The difference is in the Old Testament, where Catholic Bibles include seven books, and some longer passages, that most Protestant Bibles do not.
The short answer
- Catholic Bible: 46 Old Testament books + 27 New Testament books = 73 books.
- Protestant Bible: 39 Old Testament books + 27 New Testament books = 66 books.
The seven extra books are called the deuterocanonical books (“second canon”) by Catholics, and the Apocrypha by many Protestants.
The seven deuterocanonical books
| Book | What it’s about |
|---|---|
| Tobit | A faithful family in exile, the angel Raphael and a story of prayer, marriage and healing |
| Judith | A courageous widow who saves her people by trusting God |
| 1 Maccabees | The Jewish revolt against the Greek king Antiochus, about 167 B.C. |
| 2 Maccabees | The same struggle, with stories of martyrdom and a key passage on praying for the dead |
| Wisdom | Reflections on wisdom, justice and life after death, written in Greek |
| Sirach | Practical wisdom for daily life, also called Ecclesiasticus |
| Baruch | Prayers and reflections from the exile, including the Letter of Jeremiah |
Catholic Bibles also include longer versions of Esther and Daniel. Daniel includes the Prayer of Azariah, the Song of the Three Young Men, the story of Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon.
Where the extra books came from
In the centuries before Jesus, many Jews lived outside Israel and spoke Greek. Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, in a collection known as the Septuagint. The Septuagint included these seven books.
The early Church mostly used the Septuagint. It is the version the New Testament authors usually quote when they cite the Old Testament. Church councils at Rome (382), Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) listed the same 73 books that Catholic Bibles contain today, and the Council of Florence (1442) confirmed them.
Why Protestant Bibles have fewer books
During the Reformation in the 1500s, Martin Luther and other reformers preferred the shorter Hebrew canon used by the rabbis of their day, which did not include the seven books. Luther’s German Bible of 1534 kept the books but moved them to an appendix, labeled as useful to read but not Scripture. Over time, many Protestant Bibles dropped them entirely.
In response, the Council of Trent (1546) formally defined the Catholic canon of 73 books. The Orthodox churches also accept these books, and some Orthodox Bibles include a few more.
Why the difference matters
Most of what Catholics and Protestants share is the same Scripture, and that’s worth remembering. But a few Catholic practices connect directly to the deuterocanonical books, most clearly prayer for the dead:
For if he wasn’t expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would be superfluous and idle to pray for the dead. But if he was looking forward to an honorable memorial of gratitude laid up for those who die in godliness, then the thought was holy and godly. 2 Maccabees 12:44–45
The Book of Wisdom gives one of the most beloved passages read at Catholic funerals:
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will touch them. Wisdom 3:1
Where to start reading them
If you’ve never read the deuterocanonical books, these are good doors in:
- Tobit reads like a short novel. It’s warm, faith-filled and about the length of a long chapter book.
- Sirach is like Proverbs: short sayings you can read a few at a time. Chapter 2, on trusting God in trials, is a favorite.
- Wisdom, chapters 1 to 9, is a beautiful meditation on life, death and the love of God.
- 2 Maccabees, chapter 7, the story of a mother and her seven sons, is one of the most moving accounts of faithfulness in Scripture.
Which Catholic Bible translation should I use?
Popular Catholic translations include the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), used at Mass in the United States, the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) and the Douay-Rheims, a traditional translation from around 1600. The World English Bible, Catholic Edition is a modern translation in the public domain. It’s the translation used in the Our Father app, with all 73 books.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Catholic Bible?
The Catholic Bible has 73 books: 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles typically have 66, because they don’t include the seven deuterocanonical books.
What are the 7 extra books in the Catholic Bible?
Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include longer versions of Esther and Daniel.
Can Catholics read a Protestant Bible?
Catholics can read and pray with any faithful translation of Scripture, but a Catholic edition is recommended because it includes the complete canon and, often, notes that reflect Catholic teaching.
Did Martin Luther remove books from the Bible?
Luther didn’t delete the deuterocanonical books, but he moved them into a separate appendix in his 1534 German Bible and treated them as below Scripture. Later Protestant Bibles often left them out entirely.
