What does the word BIBLE really mean?

When asked about the meaning of BIBLE, many Christians are quick to respond: “The word of God.” While the heart behind this is applaudable, is this the actual meaning? NO.

The English word “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblos, or biblia in Latin, which means book or books. In essence, Bible simply means a collection of books.

The Christian Bible is a compilation of 66 unique books and letters written by approximately 40 different authors at different times, from different locations and in different situations, during a period of approximately 1500 years. So it is not dishonorable to call it a book. It truly contains weighty spiritual information, divine revelations, and eternal truths, but it is a book nonetheless—a collection of books (the book of Genesis, the book of Numbers, the book of Joshua, the book of Esther, the book of Psalms, the book of Isaiah, the book of Jonah, the Gospel of Matthew, the book of Revelation, etc compiled to form one book).

Jesus calls the book of Exodus the book of Moses:

Mark 12:26(NKJV)

But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book (biblos) of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

Luke describes Prophet Isaiah's documentation as a book:

Luke 4:14,17,20(NKJV)

14 - Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.

17 - And He was handed the book (biblion) of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written.

20 - Then He closed the book (biblion), and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

Jesus calls the compilation of 150 psalms a book:

Luke 20:42(NKJV)

Now David himself said in the Book (biblos) of Psalms: "The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand.’"

Stephen calls the prophecy of Amos and other prophets a book:

Acts 7:42(NKJV)

Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book (biblos) of the Prophets: "Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?"

While these are Old Testament writings, the same applies to New Testament writings. Apostle John calls his Gospel a book:

John 20:30–31(NKJV)

30 - And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book (biblion);

31 - But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

So the word “Bible” really means a collection of books and this word does not belong exclusively to Christians. I believe this is why our Bible is called the Holy Bible in order to distinguish it from other “bibles”. In law, a binder containing copies of the most important documents for a particular matter is called a case bible; the same applies in sports (sports bible), and so forth.

Also, we can see that the word “Bible” was not coined as an abbreviation. Different well-meaning Christians have coined such meanings as Best Instructions Before Leaving Earth or Best Instruction Book for Living Everyday. But it's really not an acronym. A skeptic once falsely called it Blinded Information Based on Lack of Evidence.

So, the HOLY BIBLE is a collection of books documented by the inspiration of God, containing His complete message for mankind (2 Timothy 3:16). The closest word to this in this context is the word “Scriptures” (graphe: sacred writings), and we have 66 of them—no more, no less.

An excerpt from Esteeming Your Bible: The Book God Gave Us (2022).

Note:

Biblos in Greek means book or scroll.

Biblion was the diminutive form (meaning little scroll) until its meaning evolved and it is now fairly regarded with the signification of biblos.