The word Bible is derived from the word 'byblos', a Greek word which means 'book'. The expressions 'bibliotheca' and 'divina bibliotheca' were also used, they both mean 'godly collection of books'.

The Bible was also called Scripture, the Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures, the Books and the Jews called them the Law and the Prophets.

The collection of writings of the Old and New Testament as handed down by tradition is called 'canon' by the church, which means 'rule' or 'measuring rod'. The canon is the collection of Biblical books that have been accepted as the holy and God-inspired scriptures through the ages, in contrast with the many apocryphal books (which means concealed) 'Canon' was initially only used for the books of the New Testament.