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.

Logos Mobile App Updated

Logos has updated their free mobile Bible app, and it is an excellent upgrade adding tabbed browsing and a reference scanner. Read the full Logos Mobile App update description here.

How do you get tab functionality on a mobile device? Usually I am working full screen with a particular Bible version, but when I want to switch and check the Greek or Hebrew, it usually was a process of going to the library, selecting the version, then navigating to the right passage. In the new app, it's a simple matter of swiping left or right to move to whatever version you've set up. As you can partially see in the screen shot above, I have the Greek New Testament in one full tab, but to the right of it, I have the NRSV and NET Bible in a split screen tab. I have chosen to link those tabs, so they move together. To the left of my GNT, I have the LXX and Biblia Hebraica in tabs which are also linked to each other and to the NRSV/NET. It works magnificently.

Another very nice new feature is Reference Scanner. If I'm looking at a paper text (e.g., a worship bulletin or Bible study handout) with a number of Bible references on it, I can use the Reference Scanner to scan the page using the phone's camera. The app then automatically extracts any Bible references and opens a new tab with all of them available linked and ready to view. Outstanding!

The Logos Apps page provides more information about the free app, but I'm not clear what exactly is available without further purchases. I have a good library of Logos resources, and they are (almost?) all available through the app. The graphic above shows a portion of what two taps on the screen generates as a Bible Word Study.

Locating some things is not immediately obvious (e.g., finding the Reference Scanner), but Logos training videos (Android / iPhone & iPad) are available that will give you further information on the app's availability.

I highly recommend the Logos Mobile Bible app. It's my primary mobile Bible resource.

Nine Kinds of Ancient Greek Treebanks

James Tauber retweeted a link to this helpful collection of treebank examples shared by Jonathan Robie. Other than the first one which is from classical Greek, the others are all visual representations of the syntactical structures of Matthew 1.20b. The graphic above is from Accordance, but others are included for the (Logos) Cascadia Syntax Graphs, the Global Bible Initiative Syntax Trees, Lowfat Syntax Trees, OpenText, PROIEL, Syntacticus, and Treedown. Robie also provides some basic information on the syntactical model used by each and how the various schemes are related.
I have not delved deeply into these syntactical treebanks, but I have had occasion to try to use them (I’ve used Logos and OpenText) to search for particular grammatical constructions.

GlossaHouse Illustrated Greek-English New Testament Review

I'm teaching an intensive course on Mark this January (2018), and I will be focussing on narrative and performative aspects of the text. I came across the GlossaHouse Illustrated Greek-English New Testament online and asked for more information, and they sent me the book in exchange for a review. 

Mark: GlossaHouse Illustrated Greek-English New Testament (2014)

T. Michael W. Halcomb and Fredrick J. Long

Online ordering $19.99 + S/H or $29.99 at Amazon

This attractive, soft-cover, 8.5 x 11” book intends to provide “an innovative resource that will allow readers of Greek to have more embodied and engaging experience with the Greek New Testament.” While “embodied” is an odd word choice to describe a book, this illustrated color text certainly is “engaging.” At first glance, it looks like a comic book, but, in contrast to the overly dramatic renderings of most comic books or the stylized depictions of a Manga, it depicts historical settings of Jesus’ first century, Palestine world. While I appreciate its consistency and visual appeal, it certainly paints a more colorful world (especially in terms of dress) than was likely. (For an example, cf. the FreeIllustratedBible website.)

The Greek text provided is that of the Society of Biblical Literature Greek New Testament (SBGNT). Narrative sections are placed in rectangular yellowish boxes, direct quotations are in white speech bubbles, and Scripture quotations are in orangish ‘parchment’ boxes. It provides a useful visual way of seeing how the text works.

In addition to the illustrated presentation of the text, the other most important feature is the English translation placed at the bottom of each page (in extremely small point size that sometimes spills over into the illustrations). There are 8 pages explaining the translation philosophy of the GlossaHouse English Version (GEV). Here’s what they say:

This translation is fresh and fairly literal; we have attempted to preserve word order significance and accurately represent important features of the Greek text that are more emphasized and, therefore, more prominent. All of this was intended for the beginning student in mind, who may need help with Greek word meanings and understanding the significance of special constructions, like purpose, conditionals, and participles. In the translation work, we have applied current research on linguistics and Greek grammar, emphasis constructions, orality, performance, and social-cultural backgrounds. We have sought to strike a balance between trying to translate the import (as far as we can gather) of every sentence element but ye not “over-translating” and moving into commentary.

The rest of the introduction provides an excellent overview of the kind of considerations involved in translating: word order, gender inclusiveness, punctuation, treatment of particles and conjunctions, and rendering of verb tenses in both indicative and non-indicative moods. Examples from the text demonstrate why it is important to attend to such matters.

I find the translation to indeed be fresh and lively with a distinct oral character that is consistent with the Greek of Mark. While there are quibbles I have with some choices, overall I believe it accomplishes Halcomb and Long’s intent of providing an English text with some transparency to the original language for a student learning Greek. It also works well as a text that could be used in the performance of the Gospel of Mark.

Other observations: There are chapter numbers set off in the text and verse numbers within the text, but there are no chapter:verse indicators at the top or bottom of the page, making it difficult to locate a specific passage quickly. I was further confused by their use of Greek numbers for the chapters, because it does not follow the standard Greek numbering system. (The digamma is used for six as expected, but eta for eight is omitted and thus every number thereafter is off. Iota, therefore is nine, and iota-alpha is ten, etc…)

The majority scholarly opinion is that Mark ends at 16.8, and the SBLGNT text continues with verse 9 in double brackets indicating that it is probably not original. The illustration, however, makes no indication of the distinction, nor does the GEV text at the bottom of the page.

SUMMARY: The GlossaHouse Illustrated Greek-English New Testament is an interesting project that uses attractive visuals as a means for reinforcing reading of the Greek text. As significantly, the GlossaHouse English Version text printed at the bottom of the pages is a vibrant rendering of Mark’s Greek, and I especially commend the reflections on the principles of their translating work described in the preface.