Library Guides: Bible Study Tools: How To Do A Word Study Without Knowing Hebrew Or Greek (2024)
A Bible concordance is an alphabetical list of the main words used in a particular translation of the Bible, along with their immediate contexts (i.e. the passages in which they appear). Concordances using numbering systems will also include a number that coordinates with a Hebrew or Greek glossary in the back of the concordance. The glossaries in the back include brief definitions of Hebrew and Greek words - there are other reference tools that will provide much more information for each term (included in Step 3).
Use the list below to find an appropriate concordance (or more than one). All of the ones listed include either Strong's numbers or G/K numbers, and have glossaries in the back. Once you've selected a concordance, go on to Step 2.
* This concordance has a conversion chart in the back that allows you to look up Strong's numbers in order to find the corresponding G/K number (and vice versa).
Look Up Terms & Synonyms
Once you have your concordance (or concordances), look up the term of interest (i.e. 'compassion'). Be sure to also look up any synonyms you can think of (i.e. 'mercy'), as well as any word variations (i.e. 'compassionate,' 'merciful,' etc.).
While you look up your terms in the concordance, write down the scripture citations that are most representative of your concept.
Find the Most Appropriate Strong’s & G/K Numbers
In the concordance, you will see a list of Scripture passages, beginning with the Old Testament, which contains the term (usually bolded). You should also see a number included with each passage. You will use this number to find the Hebrew or Greek word that is used in the particular verse. For the more common terms, you will notice that there isn't just one Hebrew or Greek term used. You should look up all the numbers listed in the concordance glossary to be thorough – many of the terms will be similar, but will perhaps have different nuances or emphases. You may not need to consider every single word that's used – look for those terms that are used most frequently and correspond most closely to your understanding of the word. Make a list of all the different numbers given for the Old Testament passages, and another list of all the different numbers given for the New Testament passages. Use the conversion table in the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance (see concordances in Step 1) to get both the Strong's and the G/K number for each term.
Find the Transliteration for Each Hebrew and Greek Word
Look up the numbers in the Hebrew (Old Testament passages) and Greek (New Testament passages) glossaries/dictionaries in the back of the concordance. If there is an English transliteration listed, write this down next to the corresponding number (i.e. χάρίς would be transliterated as 'charis').
A table, like the one below, can help you organize all the information:
Now you're ready to look up your terms in the word study resources located in the Barbour Library reference collection. Go on to Step 3.
After completing steps one and two, you should have a list of Strong's and/or G/K numbers that represent the various Hebrew and Greek words used for your term, as well as some transliterated terms. You have also gotten at least a basic understanding of the word definitions. Use the following resources to research your term(s) in more depth:
Hebrew terms are listed in alphabetical order with their corresponding G/K numbers.
Look up your G/K number - the numerical order of the G/K numbers roughly corresponds to the alphabetical order of the Hebrew terms; other access points are the English word, and the Old Testament passage.
Hebrew terms are listed in alphabetical order along with the transliterations.
The only way to find your term is by looking for the transliteration in the Contents section at the beginning of each volume. This can be tricky since there is significantly more variation in Hebrew transliterations than those in Greek. Ask a librarian for help if you can't find your particular Hebrew transliteration.
Hebrew terms are listed in alphabetical order with their corresponding Strong's numbers (indicated below the Hebrew term - for example, "S 127").
Look up your Strong's number - the numerical order of the Strong's numbers, as with G/K numbers, roughly corresponds to the alphabetical order of the Hebrew terms.
You may want to scan the "Table of Words" found at the beginning of each volume - although listed in order by Hebrew word, you may be able to pick out your term by looking at the English translation in bold.
This resources also conveniently lists references to the Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB), the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (TDOT), the Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT), the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT), and the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDOTTE).
Look up your G/K number by looking at the words listed in the boxes that head each article -the numerical order of the G/K numbers, roughly corresponds to the alphabetical order of the Greek words.
Other access points include the List of Concepts at the beginning of vs. 1-4 (you can look up major terms in English), and the Greek Word Index in volume 5 (this can help you find the major word group that includes your particular word). There is also a Strong's and G/K number conversion chart at the end of volume 5.
This resource is arranged in order by New Testament book and verse.
If you are interested in your term as it appears in a particular New Testament passage, look up the passage - terms found in the passage are listed in bold, and will have the G/K number in parentheses.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT)
Greek terms are listed in alphabetical order in the unabridged set (vs. 1-9)
Articles have bibliographies in the unabridged set.
Abridged Volume
Use either the Table of Greek Keywords (for any transliterated words), or the Table of English Keywords - both tables are at the beginning of the volume.
After finding an article that discusses your term, look through the article to find references that look like this: [R. Bultmann, VI, 174-182] - this is a reference to a much lengthier article on the same term in the unabridged set (see below), which will give you more information.
Unabridged Set:
Volume 10 (X) has an extensive list of English words in its Index of English Keywords section at the beginning. You can also find your word by looking up the Strong's number in the Index of Greek Keywords.
Once you find your word in the index, use the information to the right of the word to locate the volume that has the complete article. 'II:284-317' refers to volume 2, pages 284-317.
While the following sites include many older reference resources (in the public domain), they also include many useful Bible searching features, and cross-referencing with Strong's numbers and resources included in Step 3.
"Blue Letter Bible provides powerful tools for an in-depth study of God’s Word through our free online reference library, with study tools that are grounded in the historical, conservative Christian faith."
"This is an online version of the complete text of Nave's Topical Bible, a type of Bible concordance with over 20,000 topics and subtopics, referencing over 100,000 Bible verses. The text is indexed by Nave's 5000+ main topic headings."
A Bible word study is a method for studying the Bible by choosing ONE word and dissecting it to truly understand the meaning of it, why and how it's used, and how it can be applied to your life. It doesn't mean that you have to go and find the Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word for it though.
10 Words in the Bible that Everyone Should Understand
Amen. “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation” (Revelation 3:14). ...
One of the best ways to get to the “solid food” of the Word is through “inductive” Bible study. The inductive method makes observations on a passage of Scripture and then draws conclusions based on those observations. Commonly, this method is defined by three parts: Observation, interpretation, and application.
SOAP is a simple method for reading and applying God's word to our lives. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer and involves four simple steps: Scripture – Read a short Bible passage out loud and/or write it out. Observation – What do you notice about the verses?
1) It's a great idea to start with a book in the New Testament. Many people will recommend you try John or Luke first, mainly because they both cover the life and teachings of Jesus. So much about the Old Testament will make way more sense with the knowledge of what happened in Jesus' lifetime.
Scripture: Write the verse in your journal. Observation: Write down observations about the Scripture. Application: How can you apply what you observed in your life? Prayer: Write out a prayer to God based on what you just learned and ask Him to give you opportunities to live out this truth.
In 1611 the word study meant strive, or be diligent. Thus the New American Standard Bible renders the verse, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
To launch the Bible Word Study Guide, highlight a word and click Study in the selection menu. You can also right-click a word, ensure the Lemma (indicated by the icon) is selected in the left pane, then click Bible Word Study in the right pane. This section displays basic dictionary information about a word.
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