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Style Guide

Styling Guidelines for Academic Writing at Eternity

Citing Sources - Commentaries & Bible Dictionaries

Bible Dictionary

Tip: For Bible dictionaries (or other reference books that provide content in alphabetical order), in the footnote, use s.v. (Latin for "sub verbo, "under the word") before the title of the entry that you are citing. Publisher information does not need to be included in the footnote.

Note 1. Anchor Bible Dictionary, s.v. "Exodus, Book of."
Bibliography Sarna, Nahum M. "Exodus, Book of." In Anchor Bible Dictionary, edited by David Noel Freedman, vol. 2, 689-700. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Note 2. A Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. "Kingdom of God," https://www-oxfordreference-com.ezproxy-eres.up.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780199543984.001.0001/acref-9780199543984-e-1069?rskey=cFPKLt&result=1043.
Bibliography Browning, W. R. F. "Kingdom of God." In A Dictionary of the Bible, edited by W. R. F. Browning, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. https://www-oxfordreference-com.ezproxy-eres.up.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780199543984.001.0001/acref-9780199543984-e-1069?rskey=cFPKLt&result=1043.

 

Commentary: Single-Volume & Multi-Volume

Tips: To cite a specific volume in a multi-volume work (See example note 3 below), put the specific volume number (without vol.) immediately before the page number, separated by a colon and no intervening space. 

For book-length commentaries in a series, the book title is italicized and is followed by the series title, which is not italicized (See Note 4 below).

Note 1. Pheme Perkins, "The Gospel According to John," in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, eds. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1990), 945.
Bibliography Perkins, Pheme. "The Gospel According to John." In The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, 942-85. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1990.
Note 2. Eric Franklin, "Luke," in Oxford Bible Commentary, eds. John Barton and John Muddiman (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com.ezproxy-eres.up.edu/article/book/obso-9780198755005/obso-9780198755005-chapterFrontMatter-52.
Bibliography Franklin, Eric. "Luke." In Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Barton and John Muddiman (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com.ezproxy-eres.up.edu/article/book/obso-9780198755005/obso-9780198755005-chapterFrontMatter-52.
Note 3. Robert B. Coote, "The Book of Joshua," in The New Interpreter's Bible, ed. Leander E. Keck (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), 2:602.
Bibliography Coote, Robert B. "The Book of Joshua." In The New Interpreter's Bible, edited by Lander E. Keck, vol.2, 595-719. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. 
Note 4. John Bright, Jeremiah, The Anchor Bible (Garden City, NT: Doubleday, 1965), 60.
Bibliography Bright, John. Jeremiah. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, NT: Doubleday, 1965.

 

Bible

Tips: The first time you paraphrase or quote from the Bible, add a footnote indicating which version of the Bible that you used. You do not need to repeat the version name in subsequent references. You also do not need to cite the Bible in your bibliography. 

Within the body of your paper, when you refer to a book of the Bible as a whole or a chapter of a book of the Bible (but without specific verses), use the full name of the book of the Bible. For example: Genesis, Luke 4, Revelation 1-3

Within the body of your paper, when you refer to a specific chapter and verse, abbreviate the name of the book of the Bible (see list of abbreviations). For example: Exod 2:1-3; Matt 13:12

Formatting scripture references: It isn't necessary to add a period after the abbreviated book name. Include a space between the book name and the chapter number, and include a colon between the chapter number and the verse(s). 

Note 1. The New Revised Standard Version translation will be used throughout this paper. 
Bibliography Not required. 

 

Bible Dictionary

Tip: When an individual author is listed for the entry, use the author's name accordingly. When no author is listed for an entry, use the editor's name.

Reference List Stewart, D. G. 2009. "Mary, Mother of Jesus." In The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. Rev. ed., edited by Moisés Silva, 116-22. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Parenthetical Citation (Stewart 2009, 116)

Commentary: Single-Volume & Multi-Volume

Tips: To cite a specific volume in a multi-volume work (See Coote reference below), put the specific volume number (without vol.) immediately before the page number, separated by a colon and no intervening space. 

For book-length commentaries in a series, the book title is italicized and is followed by the series title, which is not italicized (See Bright reference below).

Reference List Perkins, Pheme. 1990. "The Gospel According to John." In The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, 942-85. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Parenthetical Citation (Perkins 1990, 942)
Reference List Franklin, Eric. 2001. "Luke." In Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Barton and John Muddiman. Oxford: Oxford University Press. http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com.ezproxy-eres.up.edu/article/book/obso-9780198755005/obso-9780198755005-chapterFrontMatter-52.
Parenthetical Citation (Franklin 2001)
Reference List Coote, Robert B. 1994. "The Book of Joshua." In The New Interpreter's Bible, edited by Lander E. Keck, vol.2, 595-719. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Parenthetical Citation (Coote 1994, 595)
Reference List Bright, John. 1965. Jeremiah. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, NT: Doubleday.
Parenthetical Citation (Bright 1965)

Bible

Tips: The first time you paraphrase or quote from the Bible, indicate which version of the Bible that you used in the parenthetical citation. You do not need to repeat the version name in subsequent references. You also do not need to cite the Bible in your reference list. 

Within the body of your paper, when you refer to a book of the Bible as a whole or a chapter of a book of the Bible (but without specific verses), use the full name of the book of the Bible. For example: Genesis, Luke 4, Revelation 1-3

Within the body of your paper, when you refer to a specific chapter and verse, abbreviate the name of the book of the Bible (see list of abbreviations). For example: Exod 2:1-3; Matt 13:12

Formatting scripture references: It isn't necessary to add a period after the abbreviated book name. Include a space between the book name and the chapter number, and include a colon between the chapter number and the verse(s). 

Reference List Not required
Parenthetical Citaiton (Gen 12: 1-3 [Revised Standard Version])