AI can do something useful that neither Accordance or Logos can do

Find all the instances of κωμη in the gospel of Mark and create a table showing the parallel passages in Matthew or Luke.

There is a Bible search task I have long wished that Accordance or Logos (or BibleWorks back in the day) could do, but it did seem to be asking a bit much. Namely, I wanted to run a search for a word that occurs in one of the gospels and concurrently check out the parallel passages in the other gospels to see if the same wording was used. 

What I have done in the past is run the search to get the results and then manually compare (either just using the search results or entering passages one at a time into a parallel resources like Aland's Gospel Parallels) to see whether they matched or not.

On a whim, I decided to ask Microsoft CoPilot to run such a search for me. It worked! 

Here's the prompt I used:  Find all the instances of κωμη in the gospel of Mark and create a table showing the parallel passages in Matthew or Luke.

My hope was to see whether Luke 'upgraded' Mark and turned villages / towns (κωμη) into cities (πολις) similar how to coinage in Luke is upgraded compared to Mark. You can see in the graphic that it explained its methodology and then created the table. Here is the Summary it produced at the end:

When I told it to go ahead and create a slide deck it went even further generating 8 slides (including one of Theological Implications and another of Reflections that weren't bad) and created a cleaner table.

I did some other similar searches, and there were some less reliable results, largely due to trying to match up passages rather than exact verses. So, as you can expect, results need to be confirmed, but this is a really fascinating use of AI. 

Another search I tried is that I searched for all the uses of the form λεγει in Mark and asked for the parallels in Matthew and Luke in order to see what they do with Mark's frequent use of the historical present. Results were not precise. It did cite Toronto's Five Gospel Parallel and the Four Gospel Harmony as sources.

MARBLE: Modular Aggregation of Resources on the Bible

 

I just came across this MARBLE site, but it appears to be the successor of SemanticDictionary.org, a project by the United Bible Societies headed by Reinier DeBlois. When I first reported on this back in 2008 (!), it was a new resource for Old Testament study linked to the Semantic Dictionary of the Hebrew Bible. It has now been greatly enhanced and has New Testament Greek resources as well. From the website:

 MARBLE stands for Modular Aggregation of Resources on the Bible 

This website, published by the United Bible Societies (UBS), gives free access to a number of important Bible background resources, including: 

• The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) 
• The UBS Greek New Testament (5th edition, UBSGNT5) 
• The Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (SDBH, edited by Reinier de Blois) 
• The Semantic Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (SDGNT, based on Louw and Nida's lexicon) 
• Thousands of Bible images and video clips linked to Bible passages 

Along with the Hebrew and Greek texts, it is cross-linked and has cross-highlighting with the 1952 RSV. (I.e., when working with a biblical text, clicking on either the Hebrew/Greek or English word, it will bring up the original language dictionary entry.)

The inclusion of images and videos (which can be accessed either through an image / video search or when working on the Bible text and clicking on a link bringing up images / videos associated with that chapter of the Bible.

Probably the most helpful aspects of this site that integrates information that takes a bit more work to access even in Accordance or Logos are the Semantic Dictionaries. I'm guessing that its initial roots in the Hebrew, there is more information provided for Hebrew lexemes, but for both Hebrew and Greek, not only is lexical meaning provided, but there is also information on the lexical domain. (For the Hebrew, there is also information on Contextual Domain and Collocations.) If you have used Louw-Nida, you will be familiar with what is being done here, but the MARBLE site makes it very easy to use, see lexical relationships, and navigate around.

E.g., here is just a portion of the kind of information provided for a word like אב.

 And here is just a portion of the information for χάρις.

It's definitely worth checking out this site, and it serves as a great supplement to something like the STEP Bible site if you don't have Accordance or Logos.

(HT: I learned about MARBLE through a DataDrivenBiblicalStudies video on YouTube. I think it's by Dirk Roorda, and he also uses a Text-Fabric web app that is quite impressive.)

Using AI to Translate the Bible into Rare Languages

Image created by DALL-E 3

Interesting article from Religion News Service on using AI to translate the Bible into rare languages, a process that usually is very time-consuming or otherwise totally neglected.

Out of the 7,100 languages that exist, the Bible has been translated into more than 700, making it the most-translated book in the world. Yet, those remaining languages — many of them extremely rare — have vexed Bible translators for decades. Two scientists are looking to new advancements in artificial intelligence to help close the gap.

They recently launched the "Greek Room."

The Greek Room includes three main tools: spell-checking, world alignment that ensures consistency in translation, and Wildebeest, used to detect improper characters in a script. 

Their work is supported by Wycliffe, part of the Every Tribe, Every Nation project.

Online and Free Bible Study Resources

Online and Free Bible Study Resources  

(updated 2021.04.14 from 2018)

The variety of online Bible study resources continues to change. This is my latest list I share with students. These are all worthwhile resources, and you need to check to see which works best for you and your desired platform. I've starred* ones that you should probably check first. Also remember that for deeper study, you probably want something like Accordance, Logos, or OliveTree, but these free ones will go a long way!

• ONLINE BIBLE SITES which provide extra helps for English readers to study the underlying Greek and Hebrew
• *NET Bible: This is a highly recommended choice. It gives you access to the NET Bible notes which I recommend consulting. Use the Hebrew or Greek tab in the right column, and you will see how it highlights the matching English and Greek words. Double-click on a Greek/Hebrew word to get a rudimentary lexicon entry. Click on  an English word in the NET to do an original language word search or open the Parallel tab on the left to see NET, NIV, NASB, ESV, NLT, MSG, NRSV, and KJV together.
• *STEP Bible from Tyndale (replaces Tyndale Tool Bar): Another outstanding site with both original language and many English version texts (NET, NIV, ESV, KJV…). Like the NET Bible Study Environment, it can highlight matching Greek/Hebrew//English words, and has links to many lexical resources.
• TheBible.org: Excellent site that is very nice for comparing original and translated versions with access to lexical resources. Many English versions including NRSV, NASB, ESV, KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT…
• Bible Web App: Less full featured, but it’s fast and includes the NET with all notes. Parallel highlighting of Greek/Hebrew//English with Strong’s lexical popups.

• OTHER ONLINE SITES primarily for English language study
• *YouVersion: The primary attraction of this site is the abundance of Bibles it offers, both English (e.g., CEB, CEV, CJB, ESV, GNB, HCSB, KJV, LEB, Message, NAB, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NKJV, NLT, NRSV) and nearly countless non-English ones. For Greek, it includes SBL GNT and Textus Receptus, and the Westminster Leningrad for the Hebrew. Two texts can be set in parallel. There are also free apps for Android, iOS, and voice (Amazon Echo and Google Home).
  
• *BibleGateway: There are too many English (and it does include the NRSV), non-English, Greek, and Hebrew versions to list. If you want to compare English versions, you can see a verse in every version they offer with a single click. There are quite a few linked resources, but many need you to subscribe for $4 USD/month. If your main interest is in comparing English versions, this is your best option.
• FaithLife: This is the online site. Many original and modern language versions are available, but the best part is the connection with the FaithLife Study Bible.
• Bible Hub: A nice collection of resources. The Atlas alone is quite helpful.
  
  
• FREE DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAMS and APPS if you don't already have Accordance, BibleWorks, or Logos
• *Logos Academic Basic: If you are a student, staff, or faculty person at an educational institution, this should be your first option. A Logos 9 Basic is also available for those outside educational institutions. Logos is also available as an app for Android or iPhone.
• *The Word: The Word is one of the first I recommend to people wanting a free program, since it is rather full featured program. It includes Greek / Hebrew. You can always buy some modules, e.g., NRSV, to expand its versatility. Among many non-English versions, free English versions include: Douay-Rheims, ERV, ESV, HCSB, KJV, Tanakh 1917, NET (but with limited notes), LEB. For Greek: LXX, SBL GNT, and other Greek text. For Hebrew: a tagged Hebrew Bible.  Only runs on Windows or under Mac emulation.
• Olive Tree: This free Bible app is available for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, and Android. Once you get the app, check out the free resources. It includes SBL GNT and Hebrew Westminster Leningrad. For English, it includes many of the usual versions (KJV, NKJV, ESV, limited versions of HCSB and NET, Douay-Rheims, Tanakh 1917), but it does also offer the NIV. A number of useful study tools can also be added.
• BibleGateway: Similar to the online version described above, the app is available for iPad iPhone, Android, and Kindle.There is also a voice app.
  
• e-Sword: The basic installation includes the KJV with Strong’s and its related lexicon along with a few other resources. Once installed, there are many other free Bibles and resources that can be added. Windows and Mac.
• LaParola: Does a nice job of creating concordance lists and working with text variants (Windows and Linux)
• FaithLife Study Bible: It's free and available for just about all platforms. It's a Logos product and uses their rather literally translated Lexham Bible. It comes from a conservative perspective, so you need some discernment, but many of its study features, especially the FaithLife Study Bible itself, can be helpful. (E.g., go to Phil 1.1 for The Life of Paul graphic.) 
• *YouVersion: This app, available for just about every platform, includes over 1000 Bible versions. It is similar to its online version described above.
• Accordance Lite: This free version has limited resources, but it can give you an idea of the look and feel of the program.
  
• Since I have Accordance and Logos, I use their included apps most often on my phone. (I tend to use the Logos app most often on my Android phone.) I’ve noted a number of the programs above which have mobile editions, but for more information on mobile Bible apps, look HERE.

My Recommendations:

If you simply want to study and read the most English versions, then YouVersion is handiest. Also check BibleGateway. If you want more study tools and resources, I recommend that you look first at The Word, e-Sword, and Logos 9 Basic. If you are connected with an educational institution, then your best bet is to get Logos 9 Academic Basic. Some of these programs are expandable for a cost or have full-featured upgrades.

State of the Bible Software Market

Nice report by Lauren Hunter on Church Tech Today. She notes the recent report of HarperCollins splitting off OliveTree (which is somewhat of a matter of returning to its roots). 

I can confirm that in my situation (United Lutheran Seminary), we have gone from encouraging Bible software to requiring it. We are using the Accordance Greek & Hebrew Discover which we can get at an institutional discount, though I still use BibleWorks (!) and Logos for certain tasks. It's always a trick getting everyone up to speed using the software, but I have managed to do so, even in a fully online setting during this pandemic times. 

I'm on the board of 1517 Media (Fortress Press, AugsburgFortress, Broadleaf), and I'm not divulging any secrets by reporting that hardcopy book sales have been remarkably strong for 1517 and similar publishers. (Congregational resources have taken a hit with so many churches no longer meeting physically, however.) Do people getting tired of looking at screens and Zooming all the time and want the comfort of holding a book in their hands? Whatever the case, I know my students will not give up their Bible software once they see how useful it is. And when it's available across many platforms including their phones, it does become not just useful but essential.

Faithlife / Logos acquires Wordsearch Bible software

This is kind of a big deal... Faithlife / Logos announced that they are acquiring the Wordsearch Bible software. Wordsearch has been around a long time. I did have an account with them and a number of titles that I didn't have in any of my other programs. For users like me who had both programs, Logos is automatically transferring all Wordsearch titles over to Logos for free. (Check the FAQ for details.) Excellent! I'm glad that Wordsearch chose to go this route which both preserves my resources and means I have one less interface to remember how to navigate. LifeWay, Wordsearch's parent company, is still active, and I'm guessing this was a prudent business decision to keep from investing in a product that was competing with the likes of Logos and Accordance. (And it sounds like Accordance plans to reach out in some way to Wordsearch users.)

Update: Check out Darryl Burling's video summary HERE

Update 2: Accordance has now announced a crossover package for Wordsearch users.

Accordance 13 released - A Quick Review

I first started using Accordance 8 in 2008 running it under emulation on a Windows machine. As a Windows person, I ended up using BibleWorks and Logos, but a couple years ago I made Accordance the required program for my Greek students at ULS where I teach. With Accordance 12, we had a full-featured, reasonably priced software tool that worked well on both Windows and Macs. We use Accordance's Greek and Hebrew Discoverer Collection which provides most everything a beginning Bible scholar needs.
With the just released Accordance 13, we have a more full-featured, reasonably priced software tool that works well on both Windows and Macs! Τhe upgrade pricing from version 12 to 13 is very reasonably priced as well. I would describe this as more of an incremental upgrade than a major overhaul, but there are some significant new features, and everything in 13 is easy to use for those familiar with 12. You will want to check Accordance's own description of what's new in version 13, but I want to highlight some new things that I think are especially noteworthy.

• User Interface: The program does look 'cleaner,' and there are some options for choosing a theme. There is even a dark mode available for macOS (with the options for Windows promised). The icons look fresher, and there is greater consistency in the location of buttons. (I am referring to open/close/maximize buttons, and it is a challenge trying to have consistency give the fundamental differences between the basic Mac and Windows interfaces.) While that is all good, I do find that the themes are all rather light pastels. I would like a theme with greater contrasts. 
• Tutorials: This is an outstanding new feature. It's a great selling point for a new user to Accordance as well as for experienced users. In general, the way one learns how to use a software program is through trial and error, necessity, or, as a last resort, read the manual or watch a video. The tutorials, however, provide a task-based approach to learning which I believe is more helpful. There are 75 interactive tutorials organized by skill and topics. They range from basic guides to opening books and doing basic searches to advanced work in using specialized commands like MERGE and TEXT with Hebrew and Greek texts. The "Getting Started with Accordance" module is still available, and it has an excellent and well-organized collection of training videos, but I suspect most people will enjoy and profit more from using the step-by-step, interactive tutorials.
• Live Highlighting: This is a feature I anticipate using when I am teaching and using Accordance. Using the Pen tool, if you draw on the text something approximating an oval, circle, rectangle, line, curve, or line with an arrowhead, the program will automatically convert your drawing into the proper shape. You can use the Eraser tool to remove your markup. Even more useful for me is the Whiteboard feature. It basically 'freezes' the screen and allows you to draw anywhere on the whole screen. It's easy to 'erase' the screen. This will be a helpful teaching tool.
• Cross-Highlighting for Hebrew - LXX - (Tagged) English texts: This is an incredibly helpful feature when working with OT texts. Hovering over a word in the Hebrew or LXX or any tagged English text (e.g., NRSV, ESV, JPS, KJV, NET 2nd edition just released, NIV) highlights the word in the other two versions. It makes it easy to track where you are and make comparisons. (I don't know whether it would ever be possible, but the next step is to get a tagged version of the New English Translation of the Septuagint.)
  

An example of running the TEXT command searching for all the ways the NIV and NRSV translate any Greek words related to the δικη root.

TEXT Command: This new feature is quite powerful, and I'm still figuring out ways to use it. It allows for a variety of cross-text searches.

• For example (and one I hope to post about here soon) is to conduct a search in the NRSV of all the times that it translates a Greek word based on the Greek root δικη. (To do so, I would be working with the NRSV as my display text and do a Words search with [GNT28-T +δικη] in the command line.) The reason why something like this is helpful is because it is one way of establishing the lexical range of a word. E.g., δικαιόω is translated variously in the NRSV with "acquitted, free/d, justice, justify/fies/fied, vindicated.
• As another example, I can search for all the ways the Hebrew word חֶסֶד is translated in the LXX. Something similar can be done using the MT-LXX Parallel resource, but using the TEXT command highlights all the instances in the LXX text.
• Or, I can search all the instances in the NRSV where the word "faith" occurs within 3 words of either Jesus or Christ in the genitive. (Using: faith <WITHIN 3 Words> [GNT28-T =Ἰησοῦς@ [NOUN genitive]  <OR> =Χριστός@ [NOUN genitive] ] )
• Or, with this command, I can conduct syntactical searches in an English version, since I can access the Greek behind the English. As an example, I can have highlighted in the NRSV all the times "God" is the object of a preposition using:  [GNT28-T  [PREPOSITION] <FOLLOWED BY> <WITHIN 3 Words> =θεός@ [COMPLEMENT] ]
• As I first stated, there look to be many ways to use the TEXT command.

I had highlighted και εγενετο in NA28 and then used the AMPLIFY to CONSTRUCT to generate this search. As you can see, it would be a lot of work to construct that from scratch.

AMPLIFY to CONSTRUCT: For more sophisticated searches, this is a great time saver. Highlight some words in a tagged text, right click, choose Construct and then Word/Phrase/Clause/Sentence, and the construct window is automatically created with all the syntactical and lexical features in place. Once that is displayed it's much easier to remove specific elements that are not needed rather than try to create the whole thing from scratch.

PDF Import: It has previously been possible to import HTML and text files into Accordance as User Tools. It is now also possible to import PDFs. There are so many papers and works available on the web, and it is great to be able to bring them into Accordance. In many instances biblical reference links can be automatically created or else can be created.  This is nice for bringing in public domain PDFs of older works (e.g., on archive.org) or the many articles and papers being shared on Academia.

Other: There are many other little updates that make the program easier to use and organize. There is more control over installing resources. It's easier to organize one's library of resources. Check out this list of 13 other features in Accordance 13.

I don't have time or space here for a full review of the program, but here are some quick notes.

• The program works well on OS X and Windows. Purchasing the program allows you to get the iOS (iPhone/iPad) or Android apps with access to your resources. (I can confirm that the Android app runs very well.)
• The support is very good. Within the first two weeks, there have already been two minor updates to the initial 13 release.
• Accordance has become my primary software tool since I ask my students to use it, but I still use BibleWorks and Logos on a weekly basis depending on the task. I can make some comparisons:
• BibleWorks is no longer in business, sadly, but the program still runs fine. Neither Accordance nor Logos have the Word List or Verse List manager that I regularly used. BibleWorks had the best way to un/select search results and is the only one capable of generating multiple versions in customized formatting into a Word doc. On the other hand, BibleWorks was always a bit flaky on a Mac, and the interface was really one an old time DOS person could really like. Plus, they were never going to get iOS or Android apps out.
• In some ways, Accordance 13 is catching up to Logos 8. Logos has had the cross-highlighting for some time now. The interface is nothing special, but I'm quite happy with its functionality. Accordance has an advantage with its new live highlighting, but Logos has the useful Canvas tool for presenting information. Logos' Bible Word Study feature is one I use regularly and it is quite thorough. I find Accordance's Construct searches to be easier to use than Logos' advanced searches, but for most search functions,  the ability to view, sort, and organize search results in Logos is extremely powerful. I like the new Tutorials in Accordance, but Logos offers Workflows to customize walking through a text study. So why don't I require Logos for my students? To be honest, it would cost my students hundreds more to get what is enough for their needs in Logos as compared to Accordance. Both have a wide and different selection of more advanced books and resources to add to their basic collections, and so for myself, I use both programs.

SUMMARY: For new users, Accordance 13 is an outstanding choice. The program is easy to learn and to use for basic Bible reading and study, and it can grow with you. It is reasonably priced with a good variety of collections to purchase and a wide selection of other resources you can add. For Accordance 12 or earlier users, it is a nice upgrade at a very good price. As a person becomes familiar with the program, it has the advanced research and study tools to accomplish just about any Bible study task.

New Bible Software and Interpretation Blog

Glenn Weaver, a longtime member of the BibleWorks team, has just started a new blog, Bible Software and Interpretation. In explaining the purpose of the blog, regarding Bible software, he writes:

Most writings have been sales pitches, reviews, or blog posts about individual program features. What is lacking is an overview of what software can provide for the interpreter, what are its limitations, and how the use of software affects interpretation and how interpretation is likely to change in the future because of the use of software.

I'm glad to see Glenn sharing his vast experience here. If you're interested enough to be reading my blog, you probably should be interested in reading his! 

Kevin Purcell on "10 Ways Your Bible Software Needs to Improve"

Kevin Purcell on his Theotek by Kevin blog has posted an excellent critique of ten ways he thinks Bible software needs to improve. He has deep experience with all the major Bible software options, so his observations are well-founded. I'll add some comments to his observations based on my use of Accordance, BibleWorks, and Logos.

1. Stylus Support in Bible Software: I have a Dell Venue Pro with a 10" screen that can work fairly well with a stylus, but I really don't use the kind of handwriting markup that Kevin is asking for. Accordance, BibleWorks, and Logos each have a variety of highlighting and markup schemes that have been sufficient for me. (Accordance and Logos have quite a few options for adding iconographic markers to a text. They all have good ways of adding morphological markup which is more important to me.)
2. Better Bible Software Touchscreen Support: I agree! Using my 10" tablet without a mouse, I know exactly what Kevin means by having buttons and icons too small to touch with big fingers. BibleWorks is probably best in this regard, because it offers easy option for screen scaling including adjustment of the toolbar size. It's also a handy feature that I use when projecting the screen in the classroom.
   
3. Get My Notes Out of Your Silo: I've used BibleWorks the longest, and one of the things I appreciated from the outset was, as Kevin notes, that all the user notes are saved in RTF format which can easily be opened in any word processor. (The BW files use the BWW file extension for use in the program, but they are truly just RTF files.) The real issue here is if your Bible software should crash or cease to be supported at some point. You don't want your notes all locked inside the program. I have not done much with notetaking in Accordance or Logos, but I've found it to be less intuitive, and they are not open in the way that BW notes are.
4. Sync Notes and User Content Between All Platforms AUTOMATICALLY!: Yes, and Logos really does the best job at this. They use their own server, and when I move from home to seminary system, everything is just as I last left it. Accordance is using Dropbox as a middleman, and it mostly works, but it is has not been totally reliable for me on my Windows systems with various screen resolutions. Kevin also notes how Accordance requires the user to be sure to save and sync notes. BW automatically saves notes, but it does not have a syncing option at all. What I have done that accomplishes what I need is to use SugarSync to sync up all my notes, searches, databases, etc. This works great, but I cannot sync up the layouts in BW since it depends on system paths and screen resolutions. 
5. Reduce Clicks for Simple Tasks: Reducing clicks is a good goal, but there often is a tradeoff. I can do many tasks most quickly in BW using the command line, but that's because I'm so familiar with using it. For beginning users, the command line can be daunting, and that's where the step-by-step clicking in Accordance and Logos can be more intuitive. 
6. Add a Note in One Tap/Click: As Kevin notes, it takes a few clicks in Logos. Accordance has the pencil icon to let you take a note right away, but you need to remember to save your note. Most of my work has been in BibleWorks, and the Notes and the Editor windows are perfect for doing this. (In BW, the Editor tab is for accumulating notes on a topic. The Notes tab is for notes tied to a specific verse.) You do have to have the Editor or Notes tabs visible to add/edit notes, and BW only has a subtle way of reminding you that you have notes attached to a verse or chapter. (A little "v" or "c" appears on the Notes tab.) 
7. Save Space and Let Me Pick What Books to Install: Yes! And as Kevin notes, Logos is the problem here. I have a SDD on my home system w/ limited space and even less space on my seminary system, and Logos is claiming over 30GB of it. I'd love to get rid of a ton of resources in Logos I never use...
8. Tagged Bible Comparison Tool for Word Studies Within the Tool: One of the things I like for text comparison is to be able to export a number of versions into my word processor so I can have students markup and comment upon versions in view of the Greek. BibleWorks is the only program that can really handle this, and I have things set up so that with basically two clicks I can generate the kind of parallel in the graphic here.
   
   
   Within the program, BW really thinks in terms of verses, so their Browse Window shows whatever versions you want all in the one window with access to all analytical tools. (And BW further is notable for the many worthwhile versions included in their base package.) What BW lacks, however, is the kind of reverse interlinear coding that allows one to see quickly how words are translate across a number of versions. Accordance and Logos are good in this regard with versions that have such coding. (ESV, NIV, NRSV, Lexham) Accordance does this either with the interlinear view or by adding a parallel to a window, and all analytical resources are available. In Logos, it can be done with various linked windows or by using the Multiple Resource view. As Kevin notes, Logos has a nice text comparison tool with either horizontal or column layout, BUT it loses most of the analytical tools for studying the text. While the text comparisons and interlinears are exportable or copy/paste-able in Accordance and Logos, you have very little control over how it will turn out.
   What do I regard as ideal? BibleWorks ability to export what I noted above is critical. For viewing multiple versions in parallel, the BW display is sometimes useful, but it could be enhanced with cross-version sympathetic highlighting. The Accordance layout is most helpful for seeing a verse in context with sympathetic highlighting. 
9. Create Books Without Programming Language and Sync My User Created Books to Mobile Devices and Other Computers: I haven't had much need for this, but I have appreciated the contributions of others. BibleWorks is probably the most open for allowing the creation of new resources, and there are a ton of excellent resources on the BW blog. BW10 also created a way to easily import epubs into the program. Accordance has quite a bit of shared material on their Exchange. Logos offers shared resources in the FaithLife group.
10. Export Books to Kindle, Word or PDF: As Kevin notes, this is more of an issue of licensing, and I don't do much with this.

Thanks to Kevin for the insightful post that actually had 11 ways (I combined two into #9) to improve Bible software.

Online and Free Bible Study Resources Updated - Sites, Programs, Apps

Online and Free Bible Study Resources  

(updated 2018.05.23)

The variety of online Bible study resources continues to change. This is my latest list I share with students. These are all worthwhile resources, and you need to check to see which works best for you and your desired platform. I've starred* ones that you should probably check first. Also remember that for deeper study, you probably want something like Accordance, BibleWorks, or Logos.

• ONLINE BIBLE SITES which provide extra helps for English readers to study the underlying Greek and Hebrew
• *Lumina Bible (still available in the previous NET Bible Study Environment which has some different options.) This is my recommended choice. It gives you access to the NET Bible notes which I recommend consulting. Use the Hebrew or Greek tab in the right column, and you will see how it highlights the matching English and Greek words. Double-click on a Greek/Hebrew word to get a rudimentary lexicon entry. Click on  an English word in the NET to do an original language word search or open the Parallel tab on the left to see NET, NIV, NASB, ESV, NLT, MSG, NRSV, and KJV together.
• *STEP Bible: Another outstanding site with both original language and many English version texts (NET, NIV, ESV, KJV…). Like the NET Bible Study Environment, it can highlight matching Greek/Hebrew//English words, and has links to many lexical resources.
• TheBible.org: Excellent site that is very nice for comparing original and translated versions with access to lexical resources. Many English versions including NRSV, NASB, ESV, KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT…
• Bible Web App: Less full featured, but it’s fast and includes the NET with all notes. Parallel highlighting of Greek/Hebrew//English with Strong’s lexical popups.
• Tyndale Tool Bar: Provides access to Bible texts and articles

• OTHER ONLINE SITES primarily for English language study
• *YouVersion: The primary attraction of this site is the abundance of Bibles it offers, both English (e.g., CEB, CEV, CJB, ESV, GNB, HCSB, KJV, LEB, Message, NAB, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NKJV, NLT) and nearly countless non-English ones. For Greek, it includes SBL GNT and Textus Receptus, and the Westminster Leningrad for the Hebrew. Two texts can be set in parallel.
• *BibleGateway: There are too many English (and it does include the NRSV), non-English, Greek, and Hebrew versions to list. If you want to compare English versions, you can see a verse in every version they offer with a single click. There are quite a few linked resources, but many need you to subscribe for $4 USD/month. If your main interest is in comparing English versions, this is your best option.
• FaithLife: This is the online site. Many original and modern language versions are available, but the best part is the connection with the FaithLife Study Bible.
• Bible Hub: A nice collection of resources. The Atlas alone is quite helpful.
  
  
• FREE DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAMS and APPS if you don't already have Accordance, BibleWorks, or Logos
• *Logos Academic Basic: If you are a student, staff, or faculty person at an educational institution, this should be your first option. A more basic version of Logos is also available as an app for Android or iPhone.
• *The Word: The Word is one of the first I recommend to people wanting a free program, since it is rather full featured program. It includes Greek / Hebrew. You can always buy some modules, e.g., NRSV, to expand its versatility. Among many non-English versions, free English versions include: Douay-Rheims, ERV, ESV, HCSB, KJV, Tanakh 1917, NET (but with limited notes), LEB. For Greek: LXX, SBL GNT, and other Greek text. For Hebrew: a tagged Hebrew Bible.  Only runs on Windows or under Mac emulation.
• Olive Tree: This free Bible app is available for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, and Android. Once you get the app, check out the free resources. It includes SBL GNT and Hebrew Westminster Leningrad. For English, it includes many of the usual versions (KJV, NKJV, ESV, limited versions of HCSB and NET, Douay-Rheims, Tanakh 1917), but it does also offer the NIV. A number of useful study tools can also be added.
• BibleGateway: Similar to the online version described above, the app is available for iPad, iPhone, Android, and Kindle.
• e-Sword: The basic installation includes the KJV with Strong’s and its related lexicon along with a few other resources. Once installed, there are many other free Bibles and resources that can be added. Windows and Mac.
• LaParola: Does a nice job of creating concordance lists and working with text variants (Windows and Linux)
• *MySword: A fine Android app which I recommend along with the YouVersion app
• YouVersion*: Available for Windows and just about any mobile device. It is similar to the online version described above.
• FaithLife Study Bible: It's free and available for just about all platforms. It's a Logos product and uses their rather literally translated Lexham Bible. It comes from a conservative perspective, so you need some discernment, but many of its study features, especially the FaithLife Study Bible itself, can be helpful. (E.g., go to Phil 1.1 for The Life of Paul graphic.) 
• WORDsearch 11: Offers a free basic version. There are more than enough resources to get you started, and they have a large collection of resources for purchase to expand your work. For Windows and Mac. 
• *YouVersion: This app, available for just about every platform, includes over 1000 Bible versions. It is similar to its online version described above.
• Since I have Logos, I use their included Logos app most often on my phone. I’ve noted a number of the programs above which have mobile editions, but for more information on mobile Bible apps, look HERE.

My Recommendations:

If you want to study and read the most English versions, then YouVersion is best. If you want more study tools and resources, I recommend that you look first at The Word, e-Sword, and Logos 7 Basic. If you are connected with an educational institution, then your best bet is to get Logos 7 Basic and then pick up Logos 7 Academic Basic. Some of these programs are expandable for a cost or have full-featured upgrades, so you may want to check out trial versions of Accordance, BibleWorks, Logos, and WORDsearch.