There is nothing more satisfying than exploring the Scriptures for oneself and enjoying the enlightenment of new insights that emerge. Below are brief descriptions of the most common Bible helps. All of these are available in print but can be used for free online (see Online Resources for Bible Study). Always study prayerfully, looking to the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, to enlighten you beyond any insights you may gain from these resources.
Commentaries
These do what their name suggests, they comment on the biblical text explaining the meaning, background, context, etc. Some, such as the massive work by the 19th Century Presbyterian Matthew Henry,1 add a strong devotional element, that is to say they suggest spiritual or practical applications of the text. Read a portion of text first, then see what the commentary has to say about it, or consult the commentary to see if it will clarify anything you don’t understand. Read a selection of commentaries to compare a breadth of views where the interpretation is unclear.
Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopaedias
Bible dictionaries and encyclopaedias give detailed descriptions of items, people, places, events, etc. in the Bible. Use them to learn about the background, cultures and customs which will help you understand why and how the event occurred as it did, or to bring together facts about a person, place or event for which you would otherwise have to search in many places.
Concordances
These are simply indexes of words found in the Bible, giving the chapter and verses where they can be found. The larger concordances, such as Strongs Exhaustive Concordance2, cover every single word in the Bible, together with the original Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek word from which it was translated. The basic purpose of a concordance is to find a passage where you can remember a word or two but you cannot remember where to find it, but it can also help you follow a word through the Bible to see how it is used in different contexts. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance is especially helpful here, since the compiler painstakingly referenced every word with a number (called, unsurprisingly, a ‘Strongs Number’) based on the language from which it was translated. Following the texts relating to a number, rather than the English word, can greatly enhance the meaning of a subject or passage, or it can help you follow a theme.
Online concordances usually enables searching by a series of words, which is useful when the only word you can remember is used a large number of times in the Bible (for example, searching for the word “loved” in a New King James version concordance finds 86 references, whereas searching for “loved AND world” confines the search to just 6 verses).
Note: make sure you use a concordance written for the particular Bible version you are using.
Lexicons
A lexicon is like a dictionary of biblical words but with more information about the word and its use than is found in a normal English dictionary. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words3 is probably the best known Bible lexicon.
Cross References (also known as Chain Links)
You may already have these in your Bible, usually down the centre of the page. They are the references to other texts of a similar theme to the verse against which they are printed. By following the related verses, and perhaps following the linked texts shown against those verses, you can follow a theme like the branches of a tree and widen your knowledge of the theme.
Study Bibles
These contain short versions of several of the above tools. They are handy and useful, but rather limited in detail and for that reason they need supplementing with fuller publications for serious study.
For Help on how to study the Bible, or any other subject, download a free copy of the booklet
A BRIEF GUIDE TO STUDY SKILLS.
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1 Henry, Matthew, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, London: James Nisbett and Co., 1875.
2 Strong, James, Exhaustive Concordance to the Old and New Testaments, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995.
3 Vine, W.E., A Comprehensive Dictionary of New Testament Words, Virginia: Macdonald Publishing Company.
