Which Bible Do Orthodox Christians Use?

If you have ever walked into an Orthodox Christian church, you may have noticed that the Scripture readings sound slightly different from what you hear in a Protestant or Roman Catholic service. That is not an accident. The Orthodox Church has always maintained a specific biblical canon, a particular textual tradition, and a liturgical relationship with Holy Scripture that sets it apart from other Christian confessions. Understanding which Bible Orthodox Christians use requires understanding why — and the answer reaches back to the earliest centuries of the Church.

The Foundation: The Septuagint (LXX)

The most important thing to understand about the Orthodox biblical tradition is that the Old Testament is rooted in the Septuagint (LXX) — the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures produced by Jewish scholars beginning around the third century BC. The Septuagint was the Bible of the Apostles, the early Church, and the Greek-speaking world into which the Gospel first spread.

When the New Testament authors quote the Old Testament — and they do so hundreds of times — they almost always quote from the Septuagint, not from the Hebrew Masoretic Text. For example, in Acts 15:16–17, St. James quotes Amos 9:11–12 in a form that matches the LXX but differs from the Hebrew. This is not a minor detail; it demonstrates that the Apostolic Church regarded the Septuagint as authoritative Scripture.

St. Justin Martyr, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Athanasius the Great, and virtually every major Church Father wrote their theology using the Septuagint. The Orthodox Church has never abandoned this inheritance.

The Orthodox Biblical Canon: What Books Are Included?

Because the Orthodox Old Testament follows the Septuagint, it is larger than the Protestant Old Testament, which follows the shorter Hebrew canon codified by Jewish rabbis after the destruction of the Temple. The Orthodox canon includes books that Protestants call the "Apocrypha" but which the Orthodox Church considers fully canonical — often called the Deuterocanonical books.

Books in the Orthodox Old Testament Not Found in Protestant Bibles

  • Tobit — a wisdom narrative about faith, prayer, and divine providence
  • Judith — the story of a courageous widow who delivers Israel
  • 1 Maccabees — a historical account of the Maccabean revolt
  • 2 Maccabees — includes the earliest clear Old Testament witness to prayers for the dead and bodily resurrection (2 Macc. 12:43–45)
  • 3 Maccabees — included in the Orthodox canon (not in the Roman Catholic canon)
  • 1 Esdras — an alternate Greek version of Ezra-Nehemiah events
  • Wisdom of Solomon — a profound meditation on wisdom, immortality, and divine justice
  • Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) — practical wisdom literature widely quoted by the Fathers
  • Baruch — attributed to the scribe of the Prophet Jeremiah
  • Letter of Jeremiah — sometimes counted as Baruch chapter 6
  • Prayer of Manasseh — a penitential prayer found in Orthodox liturgical use
  • Psalm 151 — an additional psalm found in the Septuagint and used in Orthodox worship
  • Additions to Daniel — including the Prayer of Azariah, the Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon
  • Additions to Esther — Greek additions that provide theological depth to the narrative

The New Testament of the Orthodox Church is identical to that of Roman Catholics and Protestants: the same 27 books, the same Apostolic witness. There is no dispute here among the historic Christian confessions.

How the Orthodox Church Treats Scripture

For Orthodox Christians, the Bible is not a standalone document to be interpreted privately. The Fifth Ecumenical Council and the broader patristic tradition affirm that Scripture must be read within the life of the Church — within Holy Tradition. As St. Hilary of Poitiers wrote, "Scripture is not in the reading but in the understanding." The meaning of Scripture is safeguarded by the Holy Spirit working through the Church's councils, liturgy, and the consensus of the Fathers (consensus patrum).

This is why Orthodox Christians encounter Scripture primarily through worship. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Vespers, Orthros (Matins), and the other services of the daily cycle are saturated with biblical language, imagery, and direct quotation. A faithful Orthodox Christian who attends services regularly hears virtually the entire New Testament and large portions of the Old Testament read aloud over the course of a liturgical year.

Approved English Translations for Orthodox Christians

Because the Orthodox Church has historically worshipped in the vernacular language of each people — Greek, Slavonic, Arabic, Romanian, and now English — several English translations are in common use. No single translation has been formally mandated for all English-speaking Orthodox Christians, but some are far more appropriate than others.

1. The Orthodox Study Bible (OSB)

Published in 2008 by Thomas Nelson in cooperation with St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology, the Orthodox Study Bible is the most widely used English Bible among North American Orthodox Christians. Its New Testament is based on the New King James Version (NKJV), while its Old Testament is a fresh translation directly from the Septuagint. It includes extensive patristic commentary, explanatory notes, and liturgical references that make it invaluable for catechumens and lifelong Orthodox alike.

The OSB is not without limitations — scholars note that some of its Septuagint translation choices are debatable — but for pastoral and catechetical purposes it remains the standard English-language Orthodox Bible.

2. The New King James Version (NKJV)

Many Orthodox jurisdictions in North America use the NKJV for liturgical readings because its dignified, elevated language suits the solemnity of Orthodox worship. It is based on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament, which is closer to the Byzantine text tradition used by the Orthodox Church than modern critical editions.

3. The King James Version (KJV)

Some parishes and monasteries, particularly those with Anglo-Catholic or traditionalist sensibilities, continue to use the KJV. Its majestic prose has a liturgical quality that many Orthodox find fitting. However, its Old Testament is based on the Hebrew Masoretic Text rather than the Septuagint, which is a significant limitation from an Orthodox perspective.

4. The Brenton Septuagint Translation

Sir Lancelot Brenton's nineteenth-century English translation of the Septuagint remains a valuable scholarly resource. It is freely available online and gives Orthodox readers direct access to the Greek Old Testament in English. It is not a modern study Bible, but it is a faithful rendering of the LXX text.

5. The New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS)

Produced by the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, the NETS is a rigorous academic translation of the Septuagint. It is excellent for serious study but is not designed for liturgical use.

6. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) and NRSV

Some Orthodox scholars and parishes use the RSV, which includes the deuterocanonical books in a Catholic edition. The RSV strikes a balance between readability and formal equivalence. The NRSV is used in some academic contexts but its inclusive-language choices make it less suitable for liturgical use in most Orthodox parishes.

Why the Septuagint Matters for Orthodox Theology

The difference between the Septuagint and the Hebrew Masoretic Text is not merely academic. In some cases, the theological stakes are significant. A classic example is Isaiah 7:14. The Septuagint reads parthenos (virgin), which St. Matthew quotes in his Gospel (Matt. 1:23) to announce the Virgin Birth of Christ. The Masoretic Text uses the Hebrew word almah, which can mean simply "young woman." Orthodox theology, grounded in the LXX and the Apostolic witness, has always read this verse as a prophecy of the Theotokos.

Similarly, Psalm 22:16 (LXX Psalm 21:17) reads "they pierced my hands and my feet" in the Septuagint — a clear Messianic prophecy fulfilled in the Crucifixion. Certain manuscript traditions of the Hebrew text read differently. The Orthodox Church, following the Apostles and Fathers, reads the Psalm through the Septuagint lens.

Scripture in Orthodox Liturgical Life

For Orthodox Christians, the Bible is not merely a book to be read privately — it is a living voice heard in the assembly of the Church. Consider how Scripture permeates the Divine Liturgy:

  • The Epistle reading (from the Acts of the Apostles or the Epistles) is chanted at every Divine Liturgy.
  • The Gospel reading is processed solemnly and read from the Holy Table or the ambo, symbolizing Christ Himself speaking.
  • The Psalms form the backbone of every service: Vespers, Orthros, the Hours, and Compline are all structured around the Psalter.
  • The Odes — canticles drawn from both Old and New Testaments — are sung at Orthros in the Canon.
  • The Prokeimenon and Alleluia verses are Psalm verses that frame the Epistle and Gospel readings.

St. John Chrysostom, whose Divine Liturgy is celebrated in most Orthodox parishes every Sunday, was himself a master of biblical exposition. His homilies on the Epistles of St. Paul and the Gospel of St. John remain among the greatest works of biblical commentary in Christian history.

Practical Guidance: Which Bible Should You Get?

If you are a catechumen, inquirer, or newly illumined Orthodox Christian wondering which Bible to purchase, here is straightforward guidance:

  1. Start with the Orthodox Study Bible. It gives you the Septuagint-based Old Testament, the NKJV New Testament, and patristic notes that will help you read Scripture as the Fathers did. It is the single most useful English-language Orthodox Bible currently in print.
  2. Add a Psalter. The Psalms are the prayer book of the Church. A separate Psalter — ideally translated from the Septuagint — will deepen your prayer life immensely. Many Orthodox use the Psalter published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery.
  3. Consider the Brenton or NETS Septuagint for deeper Old Testament study, especially when you want to compare the LXX with the Hebrew-based translations you may have grown up with.
  4. Read Scripture within the Church's Tradition. Pair your Bible reading with the Church Fathers. St. John Chrysostom's homilies, St. Athanasius' On the Incarnation, and the Philokalia will teach you to read Scripture with Orthodox eyes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Orthodox Christians believe the Bible is inerrant?

Orthodox Christians affirm that Holy Scripture is divinely inspired and fully trustworthy in all that it intends to teach. However, Orthodoxy does not typically use the Protestant categories of "inerrancy" or "infallibility" as formal dogmatic terms. The Church holds that Scripture, Tradition, and the living teaching authority of the Church together constitute the fullness of divine revelation. Scripture is never read in isolation from the community of faith that produced, preserved, and interprets it.

Why don't Orthodox Christians use the same Old Testament as Protestants?

The Protestant Old Testament follows the shorter Hebrew canon that was largely standardized by rabbinic Judaism after the first century AD — after the Apostolic Church had already received and used the larger Septuagint canon. The Orthodox Church has never accepted this post-Christian rabbinic revision of the canon as authoritative. The Septuagint was the Bible of the Apostles, and the Orthodox Church remains faithful to that inheritance.

Is the Orthodox Study Bible the "official" Orthodox Bible?

No single Bible translation has been declared the official Bible of all Orthodox Christians worldwide. The Orthodox Church is a communion of autocephalous churches — Greek, Russian, Antiochian, Serbian, Romanian, and others — each of which worships in its own language and uses appropriate translations. In the English-speaking world, the Orthodox Study Bible is the most widely recommended resource for laypeople and catechumens, but it is not a formally mandated text.

Can Orthodox Christians read Protestant or Catholic Bibles?

Yes, with appropriate awareness of the differences. Reading a Protestant Bible is perfectly acceptable for personal study, provided the reader understands that it lacks the deuterocanonical books and that its Old Testament is based on a different textual tradition than the Septuagint. Roman Catholic Bibles (such as the New American Bible or the Jerusalem Bible) are closer to the Orthodox canon, since they include most of the deuterocanonical books, though the Orthodox canon is still slightly larger.

Conclusion: Scripture, Tradition, and the Living Church

The question "What Bible do Orthodox Christians use?" opens a window into something far richer than a simple list of books or a preferred translation. It reveals a Church that has been in continuous, living relationship with Holy Scripture for two thousand years — a Church that received the Scriptures, canonized them, copied them, chanted them, and interpreted them through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the witness of the saints.

For the Orthodox Christian, the Bible is not a private manual for individual interpretation. It is the voice of God heard within the Body of Christ, illumined by the same Spirit who inspired its writing. As St. Peter writes: "No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:20–21). The Orthodox Church is the community within which that Spirit continues to speak.

Further reading: Explore our articles on Holy Tradition and Scripture in Orthodoxy, How to Read the Church Fathers, and A Guide to the Orthodox Liturgical Year to deepen your understanding of how the Bible lives within the Orthodox Faith.