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This guide will help you understand how to properly cite sources in SBL format, ensuring your academic work meets the necessary standards for theology and religious studies. SBL style is the standard for the field. The Society of Biblical Literature developed this format for its journals and publications, and it's now used across religious studies, ancient Near Eastern studies, and related disciplines.
What Is SBL Style?
SBL style is a footnote-based citation system detailed in the SBL Handbook of Style, 2nd edition (2014). It's built on Chicago Notes-Bibliography but includes specialized conventions for citing ancient texts, Bible translations, and scholarly abbreviations. A free Student Supplement is available online.
Footnotes
SBL uses numbered footnotes. The first citation of a source gives full details; subsequent citations use a shortened form.
First citation:
¹ Charles H. Talbert, Reading John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel (New York: Crossroad, 1992), 127.
Subsequent citation:
⁵ Talbert, Reading John, 145.
Publication details (city, publisher, year) go inside parentheses. Series information and other secondary details go outside.
Bibliography Format
Bibliographies list sources alphabetically, with author surname first. SBL separates primary sources (ancient texts, scriptures) from secondary sources (modern scholarship).
Books
Talbert, Charles H. Reading John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel. New York: Crossroad, 1992.
Multiple authors:
Cogan, Mordechai, and Hayim Tadmor. II Kings: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. AB 11. New York: Doubleday, 1998.
Edited volume:
Tigay, Jeffery H., ed. Empirical Models for Biblical Criticism. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1985.
Translated work:
Egger, Wilhelm. How to Read the New Testament: An Introduction to Linguistic and Historical-Critical Methodology. Translated by Peter Heinegg. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996.
Journal Articles
Leyerle, Blake. "John Chrysostom on the Gaze." Journal of Early Christian Studies 1 (1993): 159-74.
Note: SBL uses abbreviated journal titles (e.g., JBL for Journal of Biblical Literature). The Handbook includes extensive abbreviation lists.
Journal with issue number:
Saldarini, Anthony J. "Babatha's Story." Biblical Archaeology Review 24, no. 2 (March/April 1998): 28-33.
Book Chapters
Attridge, Harold A. "Jewish Historiography." Pages 311-43 in Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters. Edited by R. A. Kraft and G. W. E. Nickelsburg. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986.
Use "Pages X-Y in" rather than "In ... pp. X-Y."
Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
Walters, Stanley D. "Jacob Narrative." Pages 359-609 in vol. 3 of The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
For multiple entries from the same reference work, list the work once under its editor in the bibliography.
Citing Scripture
Biblical citations don't require footnotes or bibliography entries. Use standard abbreviations in your text.
Format: Book Chapter:Verse (Translation)
Gen 1:1-2:3 2 Kgs 11:1-20 1 Cor 5:6
With translation:
The Torah opens with the words, "When God began to create" (Gen 1:1 CEB).
Rules:
- Don't write "chapter" or "verse"—use numerals
- Use an en dash for verse ranges (1:1-3)
- Semicolons separate different chapters or books (Gen 1:1; Exod 4:5)
- Don't italicize book names or translation abbreviations
- Specify the translation on first use, then optionally thereafter
Citing Ancient Texts
Classical and ancient sources follow specific conventions:
Classical works:
Aeneid 6.215-18 Inferno 3.9
Dead Sea Scrolls, rabbinic literature, and other ancient texts have specialized formats—consult the Handbook for details.
Abbreviations
SBL makes extensive use of abbreviations for journals, series, and reference works. Key points:
- Journal abbreviations are italicized (e.g., JBL)
- Series abbreviations are not italicized (e.g., AB, WUNT)
- Use the official SBL abbreviation list; if a work isn't listed, spell it out or create your own abbreviation list
Common abbreviations:
- AB = Anchor Bible
- JBL = Journal of Biblical Literature
- JSOT = Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
- NTS = New Testament Studies
- TDNT = Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
Page Number Conventions
SBL shortens page ranges: 119-34 (not 119-134), but retain clarity: 14-17 (not 14-7).
Key Differences from Chicago
| Feature | SBL | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Publication info | Inside parentheses | Inside parentheses |
| "Pages X in" | Yes | "In ... pp." |
| Series info | Outside parentheses | Varies |
| Journal abbreviations | Extensive standard list | Spell out or abbreviate |
| Ancient texts | Detailed conventions | Less specific |
Who Uses SBL?
SBL style is required for Society of Biblical Literature publications and widely used in biblical studies, theology, religious studies, ancient Near Eastern studies, and classics programs. Many seminaries and divinity schools require it.
