In the context of the Bible, a "chapter" refers to a division within a book of the Bible. These divisions were not part of the original manuscripts but were introduced later to facilitate reference, study, and public reading. The chapter system, as we know it today, was developed in the 13th century by Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury. This system was later adopted in the Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 and has since become a standard feature in most Bible translations.

Purpose and Function

Chapters serve several purposes in the study and reading of the Bible. They provide a convenient way to locate specific passages and facilitate the memorization and citation of Scripture. Chapters also help in organizing the text for thematic study, allowing readers to focus on particular narratives, teachings, or events within the broader context of a book.

Structure

Each book of the Bible is divided into chapters, which are further divided into verses. The chapter divisions are generally based on natural breaks in the text, such as changes in narrative, shifts in speaker, or transitions in theme. However, these divisions are not always perfect and sometimes interrupt the flow of a passage or thought.

Examples in Scripture

1. Genesis 1: The first chapter of Genesis describes the creation of the world. It is a foundational text that outlines the six days of creation and the rest on the seventh day. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) sets the stage for the entire biblical narrative.

2. Psalm 23: This chapter is one of the most well-known and beloved passages in the Bible. It portrays the Lord as a shepherd who provides, guides, and protects. "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1) begins this comforting and poetic expression of trust in God.

3. Matthew 5: Known as the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, this chapter contains the Beatitudes and teachings of Jesus on various aspects of righteous living. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3) introduces the counter-cultural values of the Kingdom of God.

Significance in Study and Worship

Chapters are integral to both personal and communal Bible study. They allow for systematic reading plans, such as reading a chapter a day, which can help believers engage with the entirety of Scripture over time. In worship settings, chapters provide a framework for sermon series or Bible studies, enabling congregations to explore books of the Bible in depth.

Considerations

While chapters are helpful, it is important for readers to be aware that these divisions are not inspired and should not dictate the interpretation of the text. Context remains crucial, and understanding the flow of thought across chapter boundaries is essential for accurate exegesis. Readers are encouraged to consider the broader narrative and thematic elements of a book when studying individual chapters.Chapter

See BIBLE.

The several books of the Old and New Testaments were from an early time divided into chapters. The Pentateuch was divided by the ancient Hebrews into 54 parshioth or sections, one of which was read in the synagogue every Sabbath day (Acts 13:15). These sections were afterwards divided into 669 sidrim or orders of unequal length. The Prophets were divided in somewhat the same manner into haphtaroth or passages.

In the early Latin and Greek versions of the Bible, similar divisions of the several books were made. The New Testament books were also divided into portions of various lengths under different names, such as titles and heads or chapters.

In modern times this ancient example was imitated, and many attempts of the kind were made before the existing division into chapters was fixed. The Latin Bible published by Cardinal Hugo of St. Cher in A.D. 1240 is generally regarded as the first Bible that was divided into our present chapters, although it appears that some of the chapters were fixed as early as A.D. 1059. This division into chapters came gradually to be adopted in the published editions of the Hebrew, with some few variations, and of the Greek Scriptures, and hence of other versions.

1. (n.) A division of a book or treatise; as, Genesis has fifty chapters.

2. (n.) An assembly of monks, or of the prebends and other clergymen connected with a cathedral, conventual, or collegiate church, or of a diocese, usually presided over by the dean.

3. (n.) A community of canons or canonesses.

4. (n.) A bishop's council.

5. (n.) A business meeting of any religious community.

6. (n.) An organized branch of some society or fraternity as of the Freemasons.

7. (n.) A meeting of certain organized societies or orders.

8. (n.) A chapter house.

9. (n.) A decretal epistle.

10. (n.) A location or compartment.

11. (v. t.) To divide into chapters, as a book.

12. (v. t.) To correct; to bring to book, i. e., to demand chapter and verse.

Chapter i
... CHAPTER I. "The story of prayer is the story of great achievements. Prayer
is a wonderful power placed by Almighty God in the hands ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the possibilities of prayer/chapter i.htm

Chapter page
... CHAPTER PAGE. I. THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH AMONG THE JEWS . . . . . 1 II.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH AMONG THE HEATHEN . . . 25 III. ...
/.../blunt/a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter page.htm

Chapter i.
... OF THE LOVE OF CONFORMITY, BY WHICH WE UNITE OUR WILL TO THE WILL OF GOD, SIGNIFIED
UNTO US BY HIS COMMANDMENTS, COUNSELS AND INSPIRATIONS. CHAPTER I. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter i.htm

A Supplementary Chapter to the Bible in Spain
A Supplementary Chapter to the Bible in Spain. <. A Supplementary
Chapter to the Bible in Spain George Borrow. Edited ...
//christianbookshelf.org/borrow/a supplementary chapter to the bible in spain/

Chapter ii
... CHAPTER II. ... In Acts, chapter six, it is translated, "Give ourselves continually to
prayer." There is in it constancy, courage, unfainting perseverance. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the possibilities of prayer/chapter ii.htm

Introductory Chapter
... INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. THE LAND OF CANAAN The story of ... spiritual sense. The
same subject is treated again in chapter 4 of Hebrews. Here ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/introductory chapter.htm

The First Chapter.
... The first Chapter. The worde of the lorde came vn to the prophete Ionas
[the] sonne of Amithai sayenge: ryse & gett the to Niniue ...
/.../tyndale/the prophete ionas with an introduccion/the first chapter.htm

From the First Chapter.
... from the first chapter. 1. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
to Him, and showed unto His servants things which must ...
/.../commentary on the apocolypse of the blessed john/from the first chapter.htm

Introductory Chapter.
... Introductory Chapter. It may help the reader to a better understanding
of the subject which we have endeavoured to illustrate in ...
/.../luckock/studies in the book of common prayer/introductory chapter.htm

From the Second Chapter.
... from the second chapter. 2. "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy
patience."] In the first epistle He speaks thus: I know that ...
/.../commentary on the apocolypse of the blessed john/from the second chapter.htm

Chapter
... 7. (n.) A meeting of certain organized societies or orders. 8. (n.) A chapter house. ...
12. (vt) To correct; to bring to book, ie, to demand chapter and verse. ...
/c/chapter.htm - 8k

Lamentations (6 Occurrences)
... In chapter 1 the prophet dwells on the manifold miseries oppressed by which
the city sits as a solitary widow weeping sorely. In ...
/l/lamentations.htm - 20k

Three (5005 Occurrences)
... in the Septuagint, Theod, Syriac and Latin (Old Latin and Vulgate) it follows Daniel
3:23 immediately, forming an integral portion of that chapter, namely, The ...
/t/three.htm - 18k

Habakkuk (3 Occurrences)
... And on this occasion the future punishment of the Chaldeans was revealed to him
(2). In the third chapter a presentiment of the destruction of his country, in ...
/h/habakkuk.htm - 26k

Subapostolic
... In this connection occurs an anticipation of geographical discovery, when the author
writes (chapter xx) of "the impassable ocean and the worlds beyond it ...
/s/subapostolic.htm - 38k

Sub-apostolic
... In this connection occurs an anticipation of geographical discovery, when the author
writes (chapter xx) of "the impassable ocean and the worlds beyond it ...
/s/sub-apostolic.htm - 38k

Joel (22 Occurrences)
... The book in the original consists of 4 chapters, which, however, are in our version
reduced to 3, by making the portion which constitutes chapter 3 in the ...
/j/joel.htm - 49k

Day (17670 Occurrences)
... b) Leviticus 16:11-24 (c) Leviticus 16:25-28 (d) Leviticus 16:29-34 Use of Number
Four Place in Leviticus (2) Modern Attempts to Disprove Unity of Chapter II. ...
/d/day.htm - 70k

Zephaniah (11 Occurrences)
... In the closing verses of chapter 1, the imminence and terribleness of the day of
Yahweh are emphasized, from which there can be no escape, because Yahweh has ...
/z/zephaniah.htm - 32k

Title (6 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A section or division of a subject, as of a law, a book, specif.
(Roman & Canon Laws), a chapter or division of a law book. ...
/t/title.htm - 10k

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the longest chapter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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Chapter: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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