So we are back with part 2 of the Bible study tools overview. If you missed Part 1 from last week, click here to go back and read.
So here is the list of tools to study the Bible
1.Bible
2. Notebook (pens, highlighters, etc.)
3.Dictionary
4. Bible Concordance
5. Maps
6. Bible Handbook
7. Bible Commentaries
Next on the list from last time is
4. Bible Concordance
A Bible concordance is a list of words that appear in the Bible as a whole. An Exhaustive concordance lists all of the words in the Bible, along with Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic dictionaries.
Bible concordance is good to look up the original meaning of a word in the Bible. Because English is not the original language of the Bible, it is good to see what a word means in the Bible’s original language. This will give you a better understanding of what the text is saying.
Suggestion’s for Bible Concordances are
The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible
The NIV Exhaustive Bible Concordance, Third Edition
5. Maps
So you might wonder why you would need a map?
We don’t live in the Middle East, and we did not live during the Bible time knowing where towns and cities. Maps give us a better understanding of the setting in which individual stories took place. They help us understand what the people of the Bible experienced during the account of their story. For example, with a map, you can see how far Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census or how Israel traveled from Egypt to the Promise land with a stop to wander in the wilderness!
You can find some maps in the back of your Bible or by using The Moody Atlas of the Bible Lands or Bible Atlas Online by Access Foundation- Online
6. Bible Handbook
One thing I know I am guilty of is looking at the Bible from a western perspective. Middle Eastern culture, especially the culture of the Bible, is different from my present-day culture. By not understanding the culture, traditions, and norms of the Bible, we misinterpret the stories. We attach a meaning from our perspective that is wrong.
Bible handbooks are useful because they can provide the cultural context of the Bible. Which, in turn, help us with understanding the Bible and interpreting its meaning.
Bible handbook you could look at are
Unger’s Bible Handbook
The Bare Bones Bible Handbook by Jim George
Halley’s Bible Handbook – Online
7. Bible Commentaries
This is the big one! Bible commentaries! Bible commentaries are a human-made interpretation of the Bible. Commentaries are compiled by pastors, theologians, and scholars of the Bible to help us better understand the Bible. It is essential when looking for a commentary that you read various perspectives but making sure that the authors believe in the authority of scripture, the clarity, inerrancy, necessity, and sufficiently of God’s Word.
Here are some Bible commentaries you might what to check out if you don’t have one already.
Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament and New Testament
Tony Evan’s Commentary of the Bible
Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary
Constable’s Notes l Plano Bible Chapel- Online
Also, you can find a lot of these tools online through a website such as Bible Gateway, Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible, or Bible Study Tools
If you know of more resources, please leave a comment to let me know. I would love to hear about Bible resources that have helped you understand the Bible better.
