Your Bible trivia questions answered by Phil Logos...

What is the longest word in the Bible?

The longest word in the Bible is found in the original Greek New Testament. This word is “ἐπουρανίους” (epouranious), which means “in the heavens” or “heavenly.” It consists of 12 Greek letters and appears in Ephesians 1:3 (Nestle-Aland 28th Edition), where the apostle Paul writes: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

This long word is an adjective derived from the Greek word “ουρανός” (ouranos), meaning “sky” or “heaven.” While there are other lengthy words in the Bible, “ἐπουρανίους” stands out for its 12-letter length and etymological significance.

In the well-known King James Version of the Bible, the longest word is “righteousness,” which has 13 letters. It appears numerous times throughout the text, particularly in the Psalms and the writings of Paul.

The Bible is full of unique and complex names that often prove to be tongue-twisters. One such example is “Mahershalalhashbaz,” the name of the prophet Isaiah’s son. It is the longest proper name in the Bible, with 18 letters in English and 6 syllables.