Resources for Bible Study
In case you have ever wondered, just WHAT exactly was in all of those biblical reference books, here is your guide in laymen’s terms.
Cross References
A cross reference is a note placed alongside the biblical text which directs the reader to another place in the Bible where they can find the same word or idea used.
Study Bibles
Study Bibles come in various translations and may offer additional notes on historical context, cross-references, and explanations of key doctrines. The information provided generally follows the bent of whatever specific type of Study Bible you have purchased. For example, a Teen Study Bible will have additional information curated specifically for teenagers and their unique concerns, whereas an Apologetics Study Bible will have more on the specific authorship of the biblical texts with historical or legal arguments as evidences to defend it.
Bible Handbooks
If you are new to studying the Bible a great resource is a Bible Handbook. A Bible Handbook provides answers to a variety of biblical questions and often contains short commentaries, maps, photos, outlines, historical and archeological backgrounds. A Bible handbook might also provide a list of other information like kings, judges, genealogies, and more. Bible handbooks will usually provide a brief summary of each book in the Bible.
Concordances
A Bible concordance is a verbal index. A concordance lists words in alphabetical order and provides a reference as to where each occurs in the Bible.
Lexicons
A Biblical lexicon is a reference tool that provides meanings, semantic ranges, and significant uses of Biblical words in their original language. This data is organized according to lexemes i.e. the most basic lexical unit of a language. Using the word ‘run’ an an example from our English language, a lexicon would list the words runs, ran, and running, under the lexeme ‘run’ because it is the base word stripped of its inflectional endings.
Biblical dictionaries
Biblical and theological dictionaries are alphabetically arranged reference tools that serve as an encyclopedia on a given topic.
Commentaries
A Biblical Commentary provides another’s interpretation and detailed explanation of a specific Biblical passage. It includes a person’s thoughts and questions around a book’s structure, argument, authorship, date, audience, composition, and purpose for writing, etc.
Atlases, maps, charts, and timelines
These are reference tools that systematically and visually present geographical, topographical, historical, archaeological, cultural, or political information, and often provide a chronological order of events that is relevant to Biblical studies.
Interlinear Bibles
An interlinear Bible is not a separate translation. It is a tool that helps identify Greek and Hebrew words with an English translation. Translation does not exist where there is a perfect one-to-one correlation between words. Differences in sentence structure, order, and vocabulary vary from language to language. An interlinear Bible, then, lists the Hebrew or Greek words in one line with the corresponding English word, or words, translated underneath.
Books on Theology
There are three main distinctions between books of theology: systematic, biblical, and historical.
A Systematic Theology book seeks to present theological material in a logical way according to specific categories that frame the discussion, e.g., the nature of God, the work of the Spirit, the essence of sin, etc.
A Biblical Theology book seeks to present theological material according to categories more directly related to those of the biblical authors, books, and themes. These seek to give special attention to the unfolding of theological material across biblical history and the biblical canon.
A Historical Theology book seeks to present the development of Christian theology throughout church history that may span various theological traditions. Some are organized according to historical period while others are organized topically.
Online and Digital Resources
BibleProject is a nonprofit ed-tech organization and animation studio that produces 100% free Bible videos, podcasts, blogs, classes, and educational Bible resources to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone by showcasing the literary art of the Scriptures and tracing the themes found in them from beginning to end.
BibleWorks is a tightly integrated collection of Bible software tools designed specifically for scholarly analysis of the Bible text. More than a mere Bible search engine, BibleWorks comes with a variety of Bible search tools, lexicons, dictionaries, and morphology analysis resources.
Logos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software is a digital library application designed specifically for electronic Bible study. In addition to basic ebook functionality, it includes extensive resource linking, note-taking functionality, and linguistic analysis for the study of the Bible both in translation and in its original languages.
Accordance equips you with cutting-edge original language tools, interactive 3D maps, a dynamic interlinear, drag-and-drop graphical searching, and a host of other tools designed to take your Bible study to the next level. All of these tools come packaged in a clean and simple interface that can be customized to complement your personal Bible study goals.
