Note for Online Hermeneutics Students:
This process is the digital equivalent to the Word Studies chapter in Grasping God’s Word (3rd edition), under the section “Concordance Work” (pages 172–77). These instructions will “bridge” you from having to buy an in-print concordance to using this website for free.
If starting from a Bible verse, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to www.blueletterbible.org
Step 2: In the Search the Bible box, select NIV (or whatever version you are using).
Step 3: Type the verse you are studying.
Step 4: Hit the search button (Green button with white magnifying glass).
Step 5: Select TOOLS in the left hand column next to your verse.
Step 6: Scroll down until you find the word you are looking for.
Step 7: Select the number in the column marked “Strong’s”. See to the right a description of the information provided.
Step 8: Read through the Strong’s Definition of the word. You can also consider reading through Thayer’s Greek Lexicon for NT words (or Gesenius’ Hebrew Chaldee-Lexicon for OT words) as the semantic range for the word is very helpfully laid out there.
Step 9: Scroll down some more and you’ll see the “Concordance Results Using NIV,” with all the verses containing the word listed canonically and in the NIV (or translation selected).
If starting from a word in the Bible, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to www.blueletterbible.org
Step 2: In the Search the Bible box, select NIV (or whatever version you are using).
Step 3: Type the word you are studying.
Step 4: Hit the search button (Green button with white magnifying glass).
Step 5: Select TOOLS in the left hand column next to one of the verses containing your chosen word.
Step 6: Scroll down until you find the word you are looking for.
Step 7: Select the number in the column marked “Strong’s”. See to the right a description of the information provided.
Step 8: Read through the Strong’s Definition of the word. You can also consider reading through Thayer’s Greek Lexicon for NT words (or Gesenius’ Hebrew Chaldee-Lexicon for OT words) as the semantic range for the word is very helpfully laid out there.
Step 9: Scroll down some more and you’ll see the “Concordance Results Using NIV,” with all the verses containing the word listed canonically and in the NIV (or translation selected).
You will see the following on the word's page:
- The word in the original language font at the top.
- The transliteration of the word in Greek or Hebrew. Transliteration refers to transferring a word from the alphabet sounds of one language to the alphabet sounds of another language to help people reproduce words in a foreign language.
- A pronunciation box in case you want to know how to say the Greek or Hebrew word.
- The part of speech for the word (verb, noun, adjective, etc.).
- A box describing the root word (etymology); you can/should usually just ignore that section.
- The next section begins by stating how many times that word occurs in the Greek New Testament (GNT) or Hebrew Old Testament.
- Then there are page numbers for Dictionary Aids: Vines and TDNT for Greek words; TWOT for Hebrew Words.
- KJV Translation Count lists the number of times and ways the Greek or Hebrew word was translated in the King James Bible.
- Outline of Biblical Usage lists categories (and sometimes sub-categories) of usage for the word, helping you discover the semantic range of the word (possible meanings of the word). This is one man’s opinion (Larry Pierce) on the semantic range. The Greek and Hebrew Lexicon’s listed below are more trustworthy, but you can develop the semantic range yourself, through your own study of usage, checking against these tools.
- Below the lexicon entries are the Concordance Results using the translation you have chosen.