Your Bible Study Toolbox

Once you've selected a translation and a study bible, you can begin to read and study your new Bible. But soon, you'll find that the study bible is lacking in some feature you wish you had; or, while you were selecting your study bible you saw a feature in another bible that you think would be beneficial. So do you go buy another study bible? Probably not. Almost all the features of a good study bible can be found in single volume books dedicated to such things.

For instance, if the introductory matter for each book seems lacking, you can find this in a good Bible Handbook. If your concordance seems to be limited in the number of entries or verses for each entry, that is typical of the condensed information that would be found in the appendix of your study bible. Maps seem to be small and limited; look to a good atlas. The list goes on and on and on some more.

So what types of books are the most helpful? It depends on what your interests in study are. I relate well to where things are geographically. After two trips to Israel, I have a sense for the lay of the land, so putting things in place geographically helps me to visualize what I'm studying. I also have an interest in the history and archaeology of the land as well as exegetical commentaries. But that's me. Where are your interests and needs?

In my last post, So What About Study Bibles?, I pointed you to a handy guide at Zondervan for some pointers on choosing a study Bible. If you dig deeper on this site, they also have suggestions for building a core library and for expanding your library. I'm not certain that I would make a distinction between the two, but rather would point you to the types of references that meet your needs. One thing I have found is that if you are studying your bible and think, "I wish there was a reference on . . ." there probably is.

So what are the different types of references?

Bible Handbook – Bible handbooks provide background notes regarding each book of the Bible, the author, date and place of writing, purpose of the book and its intended audience, outline, commentary and illustrations.

Concordance – A concordance lists common words found in the Bible and lists verses where the word is found. Concordances come in a variety of versions: concise, compact, complete, unabridged and exhaustive; and are version specific. With the number of bible search engines such as Search God's Word, Bible Gateway and others, access to the world-wide web almost makes concordances obsolete.

Topical Bible – A topical bible is similar to a concordance, but rather than providing information by word, the information is categorized by topic.

Bible Dictionary – Bible Dictionaries provide detailed information about people, places, words, and events in the Bible. Bible dictionaries are similar to single-volume encyclopedias.

Commentary – Commentaries are single- or multi-volume works that explain the meaning of specific Bible passages. Commentaries are written for a number of different audiences and purposes from devotional to exegetical uses and everywhere in between. Commentaries will generally support the theological position of the series editor or author.

Atlas – Atlases provide information regarding the culture, climate, geography, geology, etc. for the bible lands. Typically an atlas will include interpretations of major military campaigns, emigration routes, ancient borders, timelines and archaeological information.

History and Biography – History books by ancient authors such as Josephus, Philo as well as more modern historians such as Alfred Edersheim, Walter Kaiser, Eugene Merrill, Emil Schurer and Philip Schaff provide excellent background information on the political and social climate of a specific location at a specific time. Biographies will provide information about both the life and times of specific individuals.

Theological Works – Theological texts and doctrinal books help clarify the finer points of what the Scriptures teach.

Language Guides – Yes, language. There are language helps for the novice which help explain the words of Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek. You don't have to know the language to use the helps. An example of such a work is William Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words; another is the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible which is available in a variety of bindings and transations including the KJV, NASB and NIV. These type of references will help in understanding the reasons for the variations in English translations and the background of the original language words. Just remember, a little knowledge can be dangerous.

Software – There are several very good programs available for Bible study. Some have relatively simple capabilities such as limited bible versions and rudimentary search capabilities and others are high end, high cost tools which include hundreds of books and tools that include language studies complete with syntax and grammar. These tools are availble for PCs, Macs and PDAs (including some phones and Blackberrys).

A word of warning, though. There are a lot of reference works available. Some are worth their weight in gold while others are, to my way of thinking, not worth the paper they're written on. The old adage that "you can't judge a book by its cover" is particularly important when selecting a reference work. Do your homework; don't impulse buy; and find out what others are saying about what they use and what they don't.

So What About Study Bibles?

In my previous post, Alphabet Soup, I discussed the various translations of the Bible available and some of the considerations necessary in order to choose a bible that is right for you. I concluded that the best translation to purchase is the one that you will read and understand. But that's only part of the picture.

The next step is to determine what bells and whistles to add to the basic text. You can get everything from simple bibles with just the text to bibles that are cross-referenced, thumb-tabbed, red letter, interlinear, parallel, daily reading, devotional, chronological, study bibles with translation notes, historical data, archaeological information, biographical sketches, concordances, maps and language helps. A listing of some of the frequently used terms may be found at the Parable Christian Stores' website. Zondervan also has a nice glossary. The features and combinations available between the covers (not to mention the bindings themselves) make car shopping look easy. Taking inventory of the various bibles on my shelf, I note that some were gifts, one belonged to my grandpa, others I purchased for a particular reason or feature, some are worn out and a couple I never open.

Study bibles come in numerous versions and can be based on various theological positions and traditions. Some may be quite helpful to you and others chocked full of information that may be absolutely meaningless to you at this stage of life. In your search for a study bible, you may need to be as thoughtful and studious as in selecting a translation; maybe more so. The study notes may shape your thinking, or challenge it. I find that the more I read and study the Scriptures, the less important the study notes are for me because: 1) the notes in a study bible will generally be from a particular theological tradition filtered through a single editor or editing board, and 2) I use a variety of other sources including commentaries, language helps, bible dictionaries, topical studies, etc. Some of this is because of the extensive software library that I have, but mostly the various sources help me look at any topic from a number of theological traditions. I can then combine my current study with what I have learned and make a determination as to which perspective best aligns with the weight of Scripture. IMPORTANT NOTE HERE: The Scriptures should be the final authority in any theological discussions. Unfortunately, the Scriptures are not always so clear, thus the many differences in theological traditions such as the Catholic/Lutheran/Reformed debate on the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper – a debate for another occasion.

One source of information that may be useful in selecting a study bible is Zondervan. According to their website, Zondervan is "the world’s leading Bible publisher;" a feat which is likely attributable in large part to their exclusive rights as the North American publisher of the NIV. I used information available from this source as part of my class on "How to Study Your Bible" a couple of years ago. The following are excerpts from Zondervan:

Study Bibles can have different emphases and purposes. For example, the Life Application Study Bible focuses more on answering practical questions, whereas the NIV Study Bible focuses on understanding the text.

Look up a few passages in both and compare the notes. You'll see very quickly how—and how much!—they differ. You may even want to consider buying both, since the two complement each other. Buying one in a different Bible translation will give you the added benefit of having two translations to work with.

Note that not all Bibles with added materials are study Bibles. Devotional Bibles contain a number of devotions in addition to the text of the Bible, but are designed for daily reading rather than for study of the text.

Further, Zondervan suggests a number of questions to consider when searching for a study bible. I think that this is a pretty good list:

ASK YOURSELF:

1. Do the notes that explain the text (usually at the bottom of the page) address the kinds of things I want to know?

2. How clear, detailed, and helpful are the introductions and outlines to each book of the Bible?

3. How many cross-references to other Scriptures are there? Are they easy to read?

4. How extensive is the dictionary? Are the definitions clear and helpful?

5. What kind of things are in the index? Are the topics in the topical Scripture index helpful for today's reader?

6. How long is the concordance? Does it list words I would want to look up?

7. How many maps are there? What quality are they? Is the index to them easy to use? Does it have charts? Do they contain relevant information? Does it have illustrations? Are they helpful, or are they simply “filler”?

8. Does it have a harmony of the gospels (a single, chronological summary of the four gospels)?

9. Do I prefer a “red-letter edition” (with the words of Jesus in red)?

I find that Zondervan's web site is helpful and fairly well-balanced. Remember though, that Zondervan is in the business of selling books and they would rather sell their's than someone else's. Other publishers' websites that may be helpful to you are Thomas Nelson and Kregel's Parable Christian Stores. The "Bible Search Assistant" from Oxford University Press is a menu-driven application to help you select a bible they publish, but you might find something of value in their user guide (please note that this link opens a .pdf file). I was unable to find helpful information at Eerdmans, Tyndale House or Moody Publishers.

So now the search for a Bible has become even more difficult than you had imagined. The simple question, "Which version should I read?" has a relatively simple answer. The question of which Bible is best has an answer that seems like a political campaign. My recommendation:

1. Pray. Ask God to guide you in your search for just the right bible. James writes, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).

2. Spend some time looking at various translations and pick a couple that are easy for you to read (see Alphabet Soup).

3. Look at a variety of different bibles, even if they are not one of the versions you are interested in. You may find a feature that becomes a "must have" or you may find something you thought would be useful, but is not. Either way, keep an open mind.

a. Read the preface! There is a lot of useful information there.

b. Compare introductory comments; outlines, authorship, date and place of writing, target audience, and historical background. There is not full consensus among scholars on all of these details.

c. Look for maps, charts, timelines and other illustrations that will be beneficial to your understanding.

d. Compare notes for some passages which are familiar to you. Perhaps Psalm 23, or John 1.

e. Select a passage that you know has some widely differing opinions and read the notes. Perhaps here you choose 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 or another passage on the spiritual gift of tongues; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27 and cross references in the Gospels on the phrase "this is my body;" or Revelation 20:1-6 in regard to the "thousand years" of imprisonment of Satan. What is this particular bible's view on the seven days of creation in Genesis 1? Are they literal 24-hour days, or are they seven convenient divisions of an indefinite period of ages? What is it that John means when he writes "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" in 1 John 2:2 (NASB)?

f. What sort of information is found in the appendices; concordance, language helps, maps, tables of weights and measures and is this information helpful?

4. Ask your friends, pastor, elders and other leaders in your church what they use and why. If you find something that you think is right for you, check it out with someone you trust.

Don't be afraid of your second choice in translations if the features of a particular study bible are just right for you. You can always get a copy of your preferred version in a simple reference bible without all the study notes.

Again, by doing your homework, visiting with the sales clerks at your local Christian book dealer, searching the internet, visiting with friends and prayer you can find a study bible that is a fit for you. It is not simply a coin toss or luck. You can make an informed choice that will effect your bible study for years to come. It is worth the extra effort to find what's right for you.

Alphabet Soup

AV, KJV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, ASB, NASB, TLB, NLT, ESV, HCSB, NET . . . on and on and on it goes. Abbreviations for the different translations, updates, paraphrases of the Bible seem to continue endlessly. Then, once someone has selected a translation, the choice in the type of bible to get seems so broad that it is nearly impossible to select the "right" bible for reading and study. In a not-so-scientific study, I did a search at www.christianbook.com, the web site for Christian Book Distributors and found 2969 choices in 38 different versions. By reducing the search to a single version (KJV) for adults, there are a mere 225 choices.

The question I am asked most often about bible versions is "Which version should I read?" The short answer, while sounding more like a put-off than an answer is "Whichever one you will read." To me, this is the primary issue. Before you can start to see the whole picture of the Bible, you need to read it. Not piecemeal; not in devotional books; but the Bible itself. From Genesis to Revelation (not necessarily in order, but the Bible itself). In order to do this, you need to read a version written in a language that you can understand. So, a modern English language translation, written the way you are accustomed to reading is the most logical.

Most people I know are interested in the most accurate translation they can get. So what does this mean? David Dewey, in his book A User's Guide to Bible Translations defines accuracy as communicating to today's readers the same meaning that the original author's text conveyed to his original readers.

In this regard, he makes two critical statements:

1. No translation, however good, will ever be 100 percent accurate.
2. Most modern versions are highly accurate and very trustworthy.

Having studied both Hebrew and Greek and translated portions of both the Old and New Testaments, I can attest that both these statements are true. Further, Dewey expresses a corollary to these two statements in identifying three reasons why older translations may not be the most accurate:

1. Better Hebrew and Greek manuscripts have come to light.
2. Our understanding of Bible languages is constantly improving.
3. The English language is constantly changing.

So, since modern English translations are fairly trustworthy, the decision should be more related to style and individual reading ability. Some bible translations are prepared for children, others for young adults, some for people for whom English is a second language, and some for those with an excellent grasp of the language. Many versions have been evaluated and given a score that roughly relates to the "reading grade level" of the text. For instance, a Flesch-Kincaid Test comparison of several versions has been conducted on selected passages of Scripture and an overall score was given. The table below, except for the bottom row "Average for Passage" is found in Dewey, p. 75. The grade level results of the Flesch-Kincaid Test on these passages were as follows:



From this data, a couple of trends may be observed. First, some passages are much simpler to read across the board. For instance, Psalm 40 averages 4.0 in all versions whereas Ephesians 1 averages 9.9. Second, an average reading grade level for a particular version, though not necessarily the same across all passages of Scripture, seems to fall within a specific range compared with other versions for any given passage. Ephesians 1 is a complex passage in the Greek, and therefore, it will be a difficult passage in a good English translation. It also appears to me that the modern English translations seem to cluster together between about 6.5 and 7.0. (Just for fun, I ran the Flesch-Kincaid Test as programmed into Microsoft Word against this document and received a school year/grade score of 10.8.) Dewey reports that most adults read comfortably at a grade level between 5.5 and 7.0 [p. 73].

In addition to reading level, the style of the writing may be just as important. Some versions are conversational others are very formal; some are written for personal study and others for worship; some versions attempt to be consistent with historically-biblical phrases and others seek to use better and more understandable language. Finally, some versions of the Bible are better for being read aloud.

Today, perhaps, more than at any other time in history, there is a concern for gender-inclusiveness. I think this trend stems more from the dumbing-down of our primary and secondary education than from a need to identify a more open approach to gender issues within translations. Certainly, there are many places within the Scriptures where the word "man" is intended to speak of both men and women, but there are other places where the text speaks strictly of men. In this forum, I'll debate neither the appropriateness of gender inclusiveness or whether some passages are restricted just to men or are inclusive of both sexes. I will note that there are places in the original languages that do not speak of men and women together that get translated as both. Also, gender-inclusive language in English can sometimes make for mixing singular pronouns with plural verbs or vice versa. This makes both personal study and liturgical reading difficult.

Additionally, there are 626 different study bibles listed at christianbook.com. Although selection of a specific study bible should not drive the translation you choose, some study bibles are copyrighted with the publishers of specific translations and therefore are not available in all translations. Study bibles vary widely in the type of information and the theological perspective they present; and therefore, should be the subject of an entirely new study.

If you're just starting out it doesn't matter much whether your translation is a precise "word for word" translation, a paraphrase, or something in between. If you're already in a Bible study group, you may want to choose the version that the leader uses, the one that is most common within the group, or perhaps one that is different than most of the group uses for the sake of comparison. If you've been reading and studying the Scriptures for years, you may want to move from what you've been reading toward something a little more literal, or maybe not. Without a basic understanding of the original languages, perhaps it is best to read from several versions and seek to understand how the various translations render a thought. If you are looking for a new Bible, go to a Christian book store and browse the versions available. Read some of the passages listed above. Seek the guidance of the bookseller's staff and spend some real time shopping. Or you may find a wide variety of versions online at sites like BibleGateway.com or SearchGodsWord.org. I assure you time spent up front evaluating different bibles will pay off in the end. Meanwhile, in regard to the best translation for you, a copy of Dewey's book may help you put all these pieces together.

Yet the bottom line remains, that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).