Using Cross References to Show Biblical Interrelations

On Friday we listed direct quotations of the Old Testament from the New Testament. We drew this data from the Classic Thinline edition of the ESV, which has footnotes pointing out such citations. (We found 263 direct quotations in the New Testament.)

Today we give a much more expansive view of Scripture’s interrelatedness, presenting data from the over 80,000 cross references found in the ESV Classic Reference edition. As with any hand-compiled cross reference system, the references to some extent reflect the biases of the compilers. There are undoubtedly more than 80,000 interrelations in the Bible. The Logos Bible Software blog suggests other ways to compile such a report based on the underlying text.

Between-Book Cross References

The following chart illustrates the number of cross references pointing to each book in the Bible, excluding same-book citations. As with the New Testament data we presented Friday, Psalms and Isaiah have the most cross references pointing to them.

Between-Chapter Cross References

The following chart illustrates the number of cross references pointing to each chapter in the Bible, excluding same-chapter citations. Deuteronomy 32 (Moses’ farewell song) leads the pack, followed by John 1 (“In the beginning was the Word…”), Psalm 78 (a brief history of Israel), and Luke 1 (before Jesus’ birth).

Find Your Own Patterns

Download an Excel spreadsheet (15 MB) containing the data behind the above charts (and a lot more). Do some number crunching yourself and post an entry on your blog if you find anything interesting.

We leave you with a giant table showing which books contain cross references to other books. For example, Genesis has 98 cross references pointing to Exodus, and Exodus has 80 cross references pointing to Genesis.

Book	Gen	Ex	Lev	Num	Deut	Josh	Judg	Ruth	1 Sam	2 Sam	1 Kgs	2 Kgs	1 Chr	2 Chr	Ezra	Neh	Est	Job	Ps	Prov	Eccl	Sng	Isa	Jer	Lam	Ezek	Dan	Hos	Joel	Amos	Obad	Jonah	Mic	Nahum	Hab	Zeph	Hag	Zech	Mal	Matt	Mark	Luke	John	Acts	Rom	1 Cor	2 Cor	Gal	Eph	Phil	Col	1 Thes	2 Thes	1 Tim	2 Tim	Titus	Phm	Heb	Jas	1 Pet	2 Pet	1 Jn	2 Jn	3 Jn	Jude	Rev	Cross References in this Book
Gen	1213	98	19	73	90	59	58	13	57	38	18	21	76	18	1	14	6	79	148	39	17	7	60	45	2	49	18	16	2	6		4	5	1	2	1		8	2	33	9	43	16	64	24	9	4	13	5	2	1	1	1	14		1	2	52	7	9	6	3			3	16	2721
Ex	80	1170	169	281	252	72	32	4	58	20	60	34	36	44	11	35		30	228	29	5	6	56	45		70	14	8	3	12			5	3	4		1	11	7	31	19	38	17	70	9	17	8	3	2			1	1	1	4	1		54	3	3	3					25	3205
Lev	19	153	923	168	104	10	10	1	25	10	21	27	21	27	7	25		8	38	15			13	45	2	95	4	12	1	6			4				5	9	7	21	11	17	7	14	6	8	1	2	2		3	1	1	2				24	3	2		1			1	5	1947
Num	55	193	127	877	206	128	45	1	34	21	28	8	72	48	9	24		19	99	6	3	1	27	26	1	43	3	2	3	7	2		4	1	2		1	1	3	12	6	14	8	16	2	19	2	1			1		1		2	1		24	1		6				5	6	2257
Deut	75	250	110	172	824	167	59	7	48	29	72	54	14	58	13	43	1	48	226	39	11	3	78	140	14	55	10	27	5	19		1	7		8	2	1	15	11	41	19	32	20	37	23	23	7	8	11	1		1	2	6				29	5	3	5	2			4	12	3007
Josh	41	57	11	115	135	532	110	2	81	50	42	28	58	19	3	9		5	47	3	1	2	17	41	4	16	4	4	1	2	1	2	4	1	3	2		4		6	2	6	7	15			1											8	2		1					2	1507
Judg	48	24	10	32	46	63	457	8	100	38	21	13	13	12		10		10	65	12		2	24	27	2	8	2	5		2	1	1	3	1	3					4	2	11	2	8		2	2		2									8								2	1106
Ruth	11	2	8	1	8	1	4	42	20	14	7	5	6	1				5	5	4				2		2				1										4	1	2	1	1									1														159
1 Sam	41	32	17	30	29	35	80	11	701	131	26	28	59	24	1	2	1	27	100	26	4	2	26	26	4	12	2	9	2	6	1		4			3		3	2	13	5	31	8	23	3	2	1	1							1			6							1	1	1603
2 Sam	42	25	6	18	26	17	26	12	109	397	102	26	109	23	1	9	4	14	95	11	5	10	16	18	3	9	3	1	1	4		2	4		2		1	7		8	1	12	3	9	3	2	3					1						3			1						1204
1 Kgs	18	41	21	19	50	21	25	3	39	87	484	172	50	154	9	12	6	19	77	20	23	9	24	43	1	41	5	8	2	10	1	5	6	1	1	3	1	4		14	3	18	1	24	6				1			1	1					9	9							11	1613
2 Kgs	22	15	20	12	42	6	16	3	27	25	93	434	38	95	13	13	2	12	39	5	3	4	102	126	5	62	9	23		21	2	3	10	5	1	10	1	6		14	5	15	6	18	4													3	3							7	1400
1 Chr	46	37	8	64	22	29	6	2	38	83	43	16	365	92	28	27	3	7	62	5	2	4	5	17	1	12	5			2	1				3		5	3		9	2	16		7	1	3								1				3								2	1087
2 Chr	9	37	29	29	43	6	8		17	19	130	110	50	464	24	35	4	6	39	10	6	1	39	54	4	35	12	1	5	4		2	4	2		1	1	5		8	4	15	3	8	3			1										6	2							4	1299
Ezra	2	11	8	7	5	6	1		2	2	5	8	24	22	161	71	7	5	14	2	1		8	20	1	3	24										9	8	2	5		3	4	6	1	1	1							1												2	463
Neh	13	32	16	16	33	7	3		7	2	9	15	25	38	46	291	4	3	35	6	1	1	12	17	1	4	15	1		2		1					3	7	2	6	3	8	7	6	2	4	1								2	1			1		1					3	713
Est	8			1			1		4	1	3	4	2	4	7	6	240		9	3	3		2	3		1	15			1								1		4	5	5	1	1								1														2	338
Job	36	9	8	13	26		8	2	10	8	4	6	5	2	1	1		855	389	119	33	4	38	62	15	7	12	8	1	5		2	1	1	3	1		2	1	13	4	21	6	17	17	10	3	2	4		1	1		3	1			6	14	4	3	4				11	1843
Ps	109	206	35	93	136	22	43	6	91	101	37	31	34	26	11	37	4	431	3936	286	51	22	297	254	85	74	51	27	22	33	4	20	33	18	33	8	4	26	7	79	36	111	39	90	55	26	17	4	13	6	5	3	2	15	9	2		53	18	16	7	5		2	2	67	7426
Prov	17	19	16	4	37		7	3	6	8	9	1	3	4	2	1	1	103	196	1091	60	16	23	30	3	4	4	7	1	7	1		2		2	1		5	1	22	2	23	7	3	13	11	12	1	12	3		3		11	2			9	16	5	1	4			1	5	1861
Eccl	8	5	5	3	3		2		3	2	3		1	3		1		28	25	34	231	3	10	4	3		3		1	2		1						1		3	1	7	1	2	4	2			3					1					3		1	2				3	418
Sng	2	1			1	1			2	3	1							5	7	14	4	209	6	6		1														1	1	1	2	1		2	1		1																	2	275
Isa	43	69	36	32	107	13	25		15	20	11	53	11	25	7	10	5	169	458	72	21	15	1482	409	34	189	38	52	33	34	4	1	63	38	21	34	5	75	22	88	43	130	43	55	39	26	16	6	15	7	4	5	8	3	2			25	16	23	9	2		1	2	103	4422
Jer	38	35	44	30	104	8	7	4	15	11	19	101	7	50	5	18	3	71	196	34	7	8	220	2102	75	194	30	39	17	47	11	6	29	19	19	28	6	55	8	32	13	25	16	29	28	12	7	7	3	1		3						10	5	2	2	5				51	3971
Lam	3	2	6	1	10	1	1		1		1	4	1	1		2		30	42	3	2	1	13	57	125	14	10	3		5		3	2	5	1	2		2	1	5	2	1		2		1	2												1							1	370
Ezek	33	42	109	44	42	4	5	1	12	6	25	35	4	19	1	10	2	38	93	8	5	10	104	210	25	2607	39	39	15	20	7	1	16	8	5	17		42	3	21	10	27	23	30	9	3	8	1	1		2		2	4		1		6	1	5	9	1			3	66	3939
Dan	32	11	2	6	13	2	7		4		9	15	2	12	12	10	13	12	42	6	1	1	24	36	4	34	754	2		2	3	1	1	2	2		1	4	1	32	17	27	7	28	2	7			2			2	4	1	1			7	2	8					3	58	1291
Hos	12	6	3	3	27	4	4		6	2	6	6		1		1		20	27	10	1	5	53	61	3	25	4	273	9	17		1	19		1	2	2	8	1	7	3	7	4	4	6	2	3	1	1	1								1	1	3					1	4	672
Joel	6	8	9	4	6	2			2	1	1	1		3		1		4	14	4	2	2	37	16	1	13	1	9	68	15	5	4	4	8	1	4	1	7	5	5	4	4	1	4	2	1		1		1		1	2			1		1								12	309
Amos	8	7	9	6	15		1		1	3	2	13	1	1			1	12	23	5	3		35	39	4	17	3	25	12	125	3	1	17	2	2	6	2	5	2	5	3	8	2	8	3				1										3	1					1	3	449
Obad	3			2	4		1				1							5	2	1		1	4	7	2	4			6	3	4		1	2		1		1	1																												56
Jonah		2		2	3					4	3	2		1				3	17	1			3	4		1	1	1	2	1		21	1	1						3		3		1																						1	82
Mic	10	3	5	7	12	1	5		5	5	5	2	1	2				6	35	7	1	2	59	23	1	11	2	16	4	15	2		55	2	8	5	2	9	1	6	1	7	2	4	2		1		1									3			1					1	358
Nahum		2		1	2	1	1					1		1				2	17				15	15	1	1	3		6	1		1	2	21	5	3		2	1			1	1	2	1	1									1						1					4	117
Hab	2	4		2	6	1	3		1	3								7	28	2		1	16	16	2	2	2	2	1	1	1		5	4	27	3		3				2		1	1	1		1										1			1					2	155
Zeph	3	1	2	2	8	1			2			4		1		1		5	6	3			11	14	1	14		2	3	9		1	4	4	3	23		6	2	2	1	3	4	4			1											2			1					4	158
Hag		4	2	2	3							1	9		2			2	3			1	6	2		1		2	1	2			2				39	10	1	1		1																3								1	101
Zech	9	10	6	4	10	2	1		2	4	2	6	2	2	2	3	2	11	31	6	3		57	35	1	21	8	11	14	6	2		11		3	9	15	211	6	17	10	16	8	4	3	6	1		3			1						4	1						3	26	631
Mal	3	11	16	3	8	1			1	1		1		2	1	2		8	19	7	1		18	10	1	10	2	2	5	1			2	2	1	3		9	51	12	3	11	5	4	4	3	2	1	1				1					1	3	3	2					2	260
Matt	32	35	24	10	22	3	6	4	9	8	13	12	8	6	3	5	1	28	90	69	9	4	54	31	4	21	28	5	4	5		4	5			4	1	13	5	1048	416	670	223	138	36	48	11	11	14	10	8	11	9	11	4	3	1	36	33	20	11	11		1	1	48	3418
Mark	5	5	17	3	9		1		4	2	1	8		1			2	3	19	3	1	1	14	6		2	8		1									2	4	247	375	283	101	72	8	9	6	1	7	1	5	4	2	4	1			16	7	2	3	2			1	2	1281
Luke	36	26	31	10	18	3	10	3	15	6	10	10	5	4	2	1		12	84	39	10	3	44	18	1	15	16	6	1	4	2	5	6		2	1		5	8	447	312	826	165	165	17	19	9	7	11	5	3	8	2	9	4	2		17	20	14	7	6			1	30	2578
John	17	17	7	9	21	1	3		4	2	1	5		1		4		7	58	23	4	12	33	14		14	6	8	3				3	2	1	1		6	4	347	222	308	1550	125	44	46	11	13	20	16	12	7	4	8	4	1		26	8	13	6	94	6	2	5	38	3227
Acts	41	41	12	19	22	7	4	1	12	4	15	5	4	3		6	1	10	60	4	4		26	17		14	10		3	4		2			1			1	3	167	151	276	98	1595	75	80	55	48	28	23	18	31	3	14	33	9		28	18	21	6	6		1	2	13	3155
Rom	24	13	12	3	14				1	2	4	3	1	2		1		18	58	26	13	1	34	22		9	3	6	1	3			1	1	1			1	1	65	32	45	56	108	339	110	75	83	64	39	33	31	7	16	21	9	5	38	23	57	9	20	1		5	14	1584
1 Cor	12	20	6	16	14	1			2	1						4		12	25	14	4	1	12	7	1	2	1	3	2	1	1			2	1			2	2	72	41	46	53	90	112	289	101	47	34	24	20	32	15	15	13	5	4	24	11	19	11	14	2	3	5	17	1288
2 Cor	6	11	2	4	6	1			1				1		1			3	12	12	4		10	7		6	2	3										1	1	18	18	27	19	56	69	103	242	21	21	32	7	17	2	7	3	3	7	16	4	15	6	8			3	11	829
Gal	18	2	4	1	7													4	5	4	2		4	4		2		1							1					18	13	14	12	56	78	43	30	103	16	16	3	10	2	8	2		2	12	10	3	4	5	3	2	1	6	531
Eph	7	6	5	1	1		1										3	5	20	9	2	2	13	2		2	1						1				1	5	1	26	16	30	33	41	63	53	28	15	160	15	79	13	4	3	7	4	4	20	6	21	4	7			4	8	752
Phil	2	1	3		1										1				14	2		1	5																	22	12	15	15	27	31	25	30	12	12	40	9	11	2	5	9	3	5	13	4	4	7	2			4	4	353
Col	3	1	7	1	1												1	1	6	1	1		2			1	1													19	18	14	20	29	41	29	17	7	84	12	53	9	1	7	6	4	10	5	2	12	4	2		1	2	4	439
1 Thes	1	1	1	1	1						1							7	3	1	1		1	1		1		1	1									1		15	10	23	9	38	28	29	20	14	14	15	7	46	30	4	3		2	6	3	10	8	3		1	4	3	369
2 Thes		1			1						1					1		2	1	1	1		5			2	1						1						1	12	5	6	5	11	5	16	5	2	6	4	1	33	16	5	3	3		4	1	5	2	1	2		2	8	182
1 Tim	8	5	4	2	2		1						1		1	1	1	2	8	9	3		1	1	1	5	2	1			1									19	15	23	7	29	17	22	9	12	5	13	8	3	5	78	51	40	1	5	5	8	5	6	3	2	2	8	461
2 Tim		2		1	1				1	1								2	8	5	1		1		1		2							1				1		13	7	13	6	42	26	16	7	4	8	10	8	5	5	35	46	15	2	3	1	6	3	2	1	1	1	8	322
Titus	1	1		1	1														2	1				1		1														3	2	9	4	19	14	4	4	3	8	2	5		2	38	22	15		2		13	6	1	1	1	3		190
Phm																																								3	1			3	4	6	2	2	1	5	11	2		1	4		6	1		1				1			54
Heb	46	55	40	18	14	6	5		4	2	5	1	4	2		1		9	67	8	2		19	8	3	3	7	2				1	4	1	2	2	1	5		60	43	56	28	62	56	28	20	25	24	15	9	13	2	6	6	2	1	271	9	32	9	8	2	1	2	25	1162
Jas	11	4	3	3	6	1			1		4			5				16	22	21	2		8	5	1	1	2			3	1					1			1	46	16	37	9	22	15	13	1	9	5	3		3		1	1			4	27	16	5	6				5	366
1 Pet	8	8	5		2				1							1	1	7	24	14	1		18	3		3	2	2										1	1	31	12	42	22	37	38	20	12	5	23	6	6	8	3	12	5	12	1	25	16	60	10	4	1		3	5	521
2 Pet	10			4	5					1						1		3	8	3	1		3	4	1	4	1		1						1				1	18	7	20	9	6	9	10	4	5	2	4	2	6	1	3	3	6		4	8	6	26	6			21	8	246
1 Jn	1	5	9	1	2						3			1				6	11	11	1		3	4		1	1													24	10	20	128	12	11	14	7	3	3	1	2	6	4	2	1	2		13	7	4	6	124	12	3	1	7	487
2 Jn			1																																					1	1		8	2	1	2		2					1	2		1				1	1	12		4	1		41
3 Jn																			1																					2			2	3	1	2								1	1	1	1			1		3	5				24
Jude	3	1	1	4	3														5	2			1		1	1	2	1		1								2		5	3	3	3	5	3	4	3	2	4	4	1	3	1	2		1		3	1	5	17	2	1			4	108
Rev	19	32	4	12	10	1					1		5	1	1			16	70	13	2	5	61	34		69	55	2	12	1	2	2		4	1	2		22		82	30	56	49	27	19	16	12	5	7	4	4	4	10	11	7			25	6	6	15	9			4	861	1728
Cross References Pointing to this Book	2431	2927	2013	2303	2682	1247	1093	133	1601	1178	1362	1330	1128	1325	387	750	319	2297	7613	2243	580	383	3412	4296	445	3940	1263	678	275	478	63	99	351	163	177	183	109	643	184	3417	2039	3584	2916	3440	1436	1260	826	515	665	341	331	342	160	371	285	149	54	978	350	462	252	393	40	27	108	1664	80,489

Update: Fixed link.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 20th, 2006 at 5:40 pm and is filed under General. Both comments and pings are currently closed.