The Bible is a collection of interesting books that have varying styles, content, and even lengths. While some chapters of these books of the Bible are short enough to be read in a single sitting, others are quite long and can take several days or even weeks to finish reading.
If you’re curious to know what the longest chapters in the Bible talk about, then take a look at this list of the 10 longest chapters in the Bible based on the number of words they have in the English translation. We will also let you know the number of verses they each have and provide a summary of their content.
List of Longest Chapters in the Bible
Psalm 119
With a whopping 176 verses and around 2,445 words, depending on the Bible version, Psalms 119 is not only the longest chapter in the Book of Psalms, but also the longest chapter in the entire Bible.
This chapter is a love poem that praises God’s laws. It is divided into 22 sections representing the 22 Hebrew letters, with each section consisting of eight verses beginning with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its verse divisions are believed to have been inspired by God.
1 Kings 8
1 Kings 8 consists of 66 verses and around 2139 words (depending on the Bible version) making it one of the longest chapters in the Bible.
It describes in detail, King Solomon’s elaborate dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. It also includes King Solomon’s long prayer in which he praises God and asks for His presence in the temple.
Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 28 details the types of blessings and curses that will befall Israelites if they choose to obey or disobey God’s laws in 68 lengthy verses.
The chapter begins with Moses emphasizing to the Israelites the importance of obeying the laws of God as they prepare to enter and live in the promised land. He promises and outlines blessings such as prosperity in their farming and victory over their enemies if they obey God’s commandments, and he also warns them of the consequences they will face including famine, diseases and defeat in battle, if they disobey God’s commandments.
Numbers 7
In 89 long verses, Numbers 7, talks about the dedication of the new altar by leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. The chapter describes how, over twelve days, each leader from the 12 tribes presents identical offerings of animals, silver plates, and bowls as a dedication to God. It’s the detailed account of each day and each offering that makes this chapter among the longest chapters in the Bible.
Leviticus 13
Leviticus 13 is also among the longests chapter in the Bible with 59 verses and around 1857 words in some English translations.
In this chapter, God instructs Moses and his brother Aaron on how to identify skin diseases including leprosy, which was highly contagious and feared in ancient times. The focus is on recognizing the signs of the disease and isolating those who might have it to prevent its spread among the Israelites.
Jeremiah 51
Consisting of 64 verses, Jeremiah 51 also makes the cut as one of the 10 longest chapters in the Bible. It is a prophecy by the prophet Jeremiah about the downfall of Babylon- a once-great empire that had conquered and oppressed other nations including Israel.
The chapter foretells in detail, about how Babylon’s walls will be brought down, its towers destroyed and the empire eventually being left desolate, as God’s punishment for their arrogance, idolatry, and mistreatment of other nations.
Ezekiel 16
Ezekiel 16 uses a symbolic story about a promiscuous woman to describe the history of Israel’s relationship with God where despite Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness, God continues to forgive and love her.
Genesis 24
Genesis 24 recounts the story of how Isaac found his wife, Rebekah in 67 verses and it’s also amongst the longest chapters in the Bible.
Abraham, concerned about continuing his lineage and the promises of God, sends his most trusted servant to find a suitable wife for his son Isaac from among their relatives in a distant land. Through divine guidance, the servant encounters Rebekah at a well, where her act of kindness and hospitality in providing water for him and his camels convinces him she is the perfect choice for Isaac.
1 Samuel 17
The legendary story of the battle between David and Goliath is narrated in 1 Samuel 17 which has a total of 58 verses.
In the story, Israel and the Philistines are fighting when Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, challenges the Israelites to a one-on-one fight with their finest warrior to decide the outcome of the war. All warriors on Israel’s side are intimidated by Goliath and cower, but David, a young shepherd known for his courage and faith in God steps up to the challenge with just a slingshot and five smooth stones and he actually wins against the giant.
Leviticus 14
Last but not least on our list of the 10 longest chapters in the Bible is Leviticus 14 which is a continuation of Leviticus 13 and is also centred around skin diseases. This chapter which contains 57 verses contains instructions on how to deal with a healed skin disease, including how to tell that a person was healed, the cleansing ritual, as well as the process of reintegrating the person back into the community.