What Is the Shortest Book in the Bible — Meaning Explained

By word count in the original languages, the shortest book of the Bible is 3 John — a single chapter of fourteen verses containing 299 Greek words. It is a personal letter from the apostle John to his friend Gaius, commending him for his hospitality toward traveling missionaries and warning against the prideful Diotrephes. By verse count, 2 John is even shorter at thirteen verses, though it contains more words (303 in Greek). Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible — just two verses. The shortest verse in English is John 11:35 ('Jesus wept.'), though in Greek 1 Thessalonians 5:16 ('Rejoice evermore.') is equally brief. These short portions of Scripture remind us that even a few inspired words carry eternal weight — 3 John's brief encouragement to support gospel workers has shaped church practice for two millennia.