SBL Footnotes

Introduction

Footnotes are 10 pt font, indented, single spaced with one space between footnotes. In general, footnotes should be placed at the end of a sentence, outside punctuation (commas, periods, quotation marks, etc.). Your word processing program should have a footnote feature, which will place the footnotes in proper numeric order.

  • When you cite a reference work the first time, you should use the “full” citation style (all publication information).
  • All subsequent citations will use the “short” citation style (last name, title, page#).
  • “Ibid.” is used whenever the same work is referenced twice in a row, on the same page.

Many of the following sample citations come from the SBL Handbook of Style and a more extensive list along with explanations can be found in the book in section 7.2.

Bible References

For all papers, students should cite the Bible according to the following guidelines. Names of the books of the Bible cited withoutchapter or chapter and verse should be spelled out in the main text. Books of the Bible cited with chapter or chapter and verse should be abbreviated (never spelled out!), unless they come at the beginning of the sentence. All occurrences of biblical books in parentheses and footnotes should be abbreviated. Authors citing more than one translation of the Bible must indicate which translation is used in a particular citation (When this citation is in parentheses, a comma is not needed to separate the citation and the abbreviation of the translation, as is indicated in the fourth example below).

Correct

The passage in 1 Cor 5 is often considered crucial.

The passage, 1 Cor 5:6, is often considered crucial.

First Corinthians 5:6 is a crucial text.

“Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?” (1 Cor 5:6).

Incorrect

In First Corinthians chapter five verse six, Paul writes a crucial text.

In 1 Corinthians 5:6, Paul writes a crucial text.

Book

Note: for more than three authors use “et al.” in footnotes.

Pritchard, James B., ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. 3d ed.

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969.

_________

54 James B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (3d ed.; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969), xxi.

86 Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 67.

2. Commentary

Note: the commentary series is not italicized.

Dahood, Michell. Psalms. 3 vols. Anchor Bible 16-17A. Garden City: Doubleday, 1965-1970.

_________

4 Mitchell Dahood, Psalms (3 vols.; AB 16–17A: Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1965–1970), 3:127.

7 Dahood, Psalms, 2:121.

3. Book in a Series

Note: the series name is not italicized.

Toney, Carl N. Paul’s Inclusive Ethic: Resolving Community Conflicts and Promoting Mission in

Romans 14-15. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2/252. Tübingen:

Mohr Siebeck, 2008.

_________

71 Carl N. Toney, Paul’s Inclusive Ethic: Resolving Community Conflicts and Promoting Mission in Romans 14-15 (WUNT 2/252. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 75.

81 Toney, Paul’s Inclusive Ethic, 198.

4. Essay/Article in Book

Note: you cite the author of the article, not the editor of the work.

Karris, Robert. “Romans 14:1–15:13 and the Occasion of Romans.” Pages 65–84 in The Romans Debate.

Rev. ed. Edited by Karl Donfried. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1991.

_________

51 Robert Karris, “Romans 14:1–15:13 and the Occasion of Romans,” in The Romans Debate (rev. ed.; ed. Karl Donfried; Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1991), 67.

82 Karris, “Romans 14:1–15:13,” 68.

5. Article in Reference Book/Dictionary

Note: you cite the author of the article, not the editor of the work.

Crossan, John Dominic. “Parables.” Pages 146-52 in vol. 5 of The Anchor Bible Dictionary.

Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

_________

42 John Dominic Crossan, “Parables,” ABD 5:146-52.

49 Crossan, “Parables” 5:146-52.

6. Article in Lexicon/Dictionary (Word Studies)

Kittel, G., and G. Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Translated by G.

W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964–1976.

_________

23 H. Beyer, “διακονέω,” TDNT 2:81–87.

32 Beyer, TDNT 2:87.

7. Journal Article

Aus, Roger. “Paul’s Travel Plans to Spain and the ‘Full Number of the Gentiles’ of Rom XI

25.” Novum Testamentum 21 (1979): 251–52.

_________

16 Roger Aus, “Paul’s Travel Plans to Spain and the ‘Full Number of the Gentiles’ of Rom XI 25,” NovT 21 (1979): 251.

32 Aus, “Paul’s Travel Plans,” 252.

8. Internet Publication

Note: be sure to include access date, web-address, and use “n.p.” or “No pages.”

Green, Joel B. “Bible, Theology and Theological Interpretation.” SBL Forum. No pages. Cited

17 March 2012. Online: http://www.sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleId=308

_________

7 Joel Green, “Bible, Theology and Theological Interpretation,” SBL Forum, n.p.[cited 17 Mart. 2012]. Online: http://www.sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleId=308.

9 Green, “Bible, Theology,” n.p.

9. eBook/Kindle

Note: If you are citing an eBook that has a normal print version, but you cannot find the page numbers, then simply use “n.p.” in the footnote and “No pages” in the Bibliography.

Talbert, Charles H. Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel.

Kindle Edition. 2012. Print ed: Charles H. Talbert. Reading Luke: A Literary and

Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel. Rev. ed. Reading the New Testament.

Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2002.

_________

119 Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel. Kindle Edition. 2012. n.p.

132 Talbert, Reading Luke, n.p.

SBL Footnote Sample Paper

SBL Style Footnote SampleDownload