In today’s world, you can find a variety of tools for studying the Bible. These Bible study tools make personal study easier and help you understand God’s word better.
There are numerous theological experts and men and women of faith who have provided us with these tools for our bible literacy and personal growth.
As a Christian and a child of God, it is crucial to study the word of God and meditate on it daily. The Bible says in Joshua 1:8 NKJV
This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Studying God’s word does not imply reading it word for word as if it were a novel; instead, it involves taking notes and implementing what you’ve read in your life.
Before Studying The Bible
There are two things you must do before you begin studying the Bible. The first one is to find a peaceful and quiet area to study God’s word, and the second step is to pray.
The Bible says in Luke 5:16 NLT. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. The Bible recorded many instances where Jesus would withdraw himself from the crowd to spend time alone with God.
Jesus would separate himself from the multitude because he realized the importance of communicating with God in solitude. Finding a time and place free of distractions is very important when studying the word of God.
Create that space and make it a habit. Your time in God’s presence should be a daily appointment with God that you do not miss. Studying God’s word should not rely solely on spurts of motivation; study it even when you don’t feel like it.
Prayer is the second step to take before studying the Bible. Before reading your Bible, pray for discernment of God’s voice and understanding his word.
Nothing surpasses making Bible study a habit and spending time in God’s presence; however, grasping what the Bible is truly saying to you might be challenging.
It is common to see people fall prey to inaccurate biblical interpretations. The Bible is God’s voice written down for us, and who better than the Holy Spirit to explain it to you?
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative that is, the Holy Spirit he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26 NLT
The Holy Spirit is our teacher, tutor, and guide, and he is always there to aid us and offer us insight when we are lost or confused. In our hearts, the Holy Spirit will clarify the genuine meaning of his word.
These tools for studying the Bible discussed in this post are excellent for comprehending the scriptures, but nothing can substitute the Holy Spirit’s guidance and teaching. It is the very first tool you should strive towards.
10 Important Tools For Studying The Bible
Bible study tools are excellent for gaining a more profound comprehension of God’s word; they help open your eyes to aspects of the Bible you might not have known otherwise and enlighten you on what the scripture is attempting to say.
In this section, I have highlighted ten important tools for studying the Bible that you should know.
1. Bible Commentaries
Bible commentaries are collections of notes or statements written by spiritual leaders and theologians to interpret a section of the Bible.
Bible commentaries enhance bible study by providing interpretations of bible sections that may be difficult for you to understand. The authors of these commentaries have a great deal of experience studying God’s word.
These commentaries also provide you with a new perspective on the scriptures by seeing what other people say about the passage you just read.
You can get full bible commentaries or biblical section-by-section commentaries. The following are some examples of Bible commentaries available on the Bible hub:
- Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
- Keil& Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
- The Epistle of James, Practically Explained – Neander
- The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, Practically Explained – Neander
- The First Epistle of John, Practically Explained – Neander
- Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
2. Bible Dictionaries
A Bible dictionary is a one-of-a-kind Bible study tool that allows you to look up words in the Bible and learn what they mean.
Some biblical words have roots in Hebrew and Greek, and you may need more context to fully comprehend them.
You can find thousands of words, their meaning, and other related information in simple terms.
For example, in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, you can look up the word Aaron.
In the Dictionary, you can see a description of Aaron, the translation of his name, and what he accomplished. An excerpt from the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary is provided below.
Aaron. (Heb. ahărôn, derivation uncertain, possibly an Egyptian name). The oldest son of AMRAM and JOCHEBED, of the tribe of LEVI, and brother of MOSES and MIRIAM (Exod. 6:20; Num. 26:59).
He was born during the captivity in EGYPT, before PHARAOH’s edict that all male infants should be destroyed, and was three years older than Moses (Exod. 7:7).
His name first appears in God’s commission to Moses. When Moses protested that he did not have sufficient ability in public speaking to undertake the mission to Pharaoh, God declared that Aaron should be a spokesman for his brother (4:10-16)
Some examples of Bible Dictionaries include:
- Vine’s Complete Expository Diction
- Theological Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments
- Anchor Bible Dictionary
- Hawker’s Poor Man’s Concordance And Dictionary
- KJV Bible Dictionary
- Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: New and Enhanced Edition
- Zondervan’s Compact Bible Dictionary
3. Multiple Versions
Using different bible translations to study the Bible can be helpful. You can use a parallel bible or an online Bible app to switch between versions. Each version has its own approach to explaining the Bible text or passage.
Going through numerous versions will assist you in identifying these distinct characteristics and implementing the one that best suits you. Some Bible translations are as follows:
- KJV — King James Version
- NKJV —New King James Version
- NASB —New American Standard Bible
- ASV —American Standard Version
- RSV —Revised Standard Version
- NIV —New International Version
- ESV —The English Standard Version
- NAB — New American Bible
- NLT— New living translation
- REB — Revised English Bible
- CEV —Contemporary English Version
- Good News Bible
- The Amplified Bible
- CEV — Contemporary English Version
- The Living Bible
4. Exhaustive Concordance
An exhaustive concordance is a simple tool that lists every single word in the Bible and where it appears.
This list of terms is organized alphabetically, much like a dictionary.
Most Bibles include a small concordance at the back with a limited vocabulary list. On the other hand, an extensive concordance comprises all of the words found in the Bible.
Concordances are great tools for studying the Bible. It is one of the best bible study tools for pastors and beginners.
- Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
- Englishman’s Greek Concordance
- Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance
- The NIV Exhaustive concordance
5. Bible App
You don’t have to worry about carrying your Bible around anymore; there are free Bible study apps that you can download on your phone.
Bible applications are excellent tools for studying the Bible since they are portable and convenient to use whenever.
One of the best Bible study apps is the You Version Bible App. It offers a friendly user interface and several built-in tools that you may use.
There are over 1,400 Bible versions available in many languages in the You Version Bible app. It also includes devotionals, daily bible passages, concordances, and many other resources.
You may also personalize the You version app by saving, underlining, and adding prayers and comments to bible verses. Using the app, you may also share bible verses and devotionals on social media.
The You version app was genuinely created for you. Aside from the YouVersion Bible app, there are other examples of apps that are great for your devices
Best Bible Study App For Android
1. And Bible
2. Audible
3. Bible Gateway
4. Our Daily Bread
5. Spark Bible App- Best Bible App
Best Bibel Study App For Ios
1. Blue Letter Bible
2. Faith Life Study Bible
3. Bible By Olive Tree
4. Bible Study With Accordance
5. Bible. is – Dramatized Audio Bibles
6. Devotionals
Devotionals are excellent tools for studying the Bible, and they are also excellent bible study tools for beginners.
Devotionals contain messages and scriptures organized by the days of the week.
Every day as you read a devotional, you will get new information for that day. Many devotionals are developed on a calendar basis for each day of the year.
Some devotions are only for a specific group of people, such as children, teenagers, adults, men, or women.
Daily devotionals typically include a prayer or action point and the text for the day, and they can take the form of a book, blog, podcast, or email.
Some examples of Devotionals include:
- The Bible in a Year podcast ( with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
- Jesus calling morning and evening by Sarah Young
- Jesus listens to Daily devotional prayers of peace. Joy and hope ( the New 365- day Prayer Book)
7. Bible Atlas
A Bible atlas contains Bible Charts and Maps about a time in history. Bible Atlas’ are great tools for studying the Bible because they prove that these biblical stories happened to human beings like us. Therefore, it helps us to connect more with them.
Atlases give the Bible a geographical context. In an Atlas, for example, you can see colorful drawings of the landscape and biblical events such as the Exodus from Egypt and the distance the Israelites traveled, Paul’s four missionary journeys, the possession of the promised land Cannan, and many more.
Some examples of Bible Atlases include:
- Paul Missionary journeys by Carl G. Rasmussen
- Holman Bible Atlas: A Complete Guide to Expansive Geography of Biblical History
- The student Bible Atlas by Tim Dowley
- ExperiencingIsrael: walking with Jesus to the holy land by Tony Evans
- Zondervan Atlas of the Bible
- The KJV Study Bible Atlas edition
8. Highlighters And Journals
Highlighters and Journals are must-have Bible tools. When you skim through the Bible without writing anything down, it’s easy to forget what you’ve read.
The Bible is intended for you to study and reflect on what it says to you. Moreover, it’s common to write notes and underline textbook sections when studying.
You can highlight and memorize bible verses that speak to your spirit while reading the Bible.
You can also create visuals to express your creativity and knowledge of the message by writing a commentary or prayers on the scripture you’ve read. In journaling, you can make use of
- Watercolors
- Colored pencils and pens
- Bible Markers
- Highlighters
- Journals
- Journaling Bibles
9. Cross-References
According to the Collins dictionary, A cross-reference is a note in a book that tells you the relevant or more detailed information in another part of the book.
For example, you can use a Bible cross-reference to search for other parts of the scripture related to the one you are currently reading.
The main difference between a concordance and a cross-reference is that cross-references make use of themes while a concordance involves a specific keyword.
For example, if you read the book of Jeremiah 29:11, you can get a cross-reference to verses like Isaiah 55:8-12 or Micah 4:12
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope- Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. Isaiah 55:8 NKJV But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Micah 4:12 NKJV All these have one theme the thoughts and plans of God
Some examples of Bible cross-references include:
- Bible cross-references on Open Bible.info
- The KJV Cross Reference Study Bible – Indexed [brown]
- The book of Joshua, Judges and Ruth Courage to conquer
10. Timelines
A timeline follows a chronological arrangement of the order of certain events. Biblical timelines are great tools for studying the bible and world history together.
A popular example of a biblical timeline is The Amazing Bible’stimeline with world history. It shows a visual representation of the order of events in the Bible in a unique circular format.
In addition, biblical timelines include charts that show history and events in the Bible alongside world history and important historical events. You get to see the years and centuries they lived and how the times overlapped.
For example, did you know that Shem, the son of Noah, was still alive when Abraham? You learn this and more with biblical timelines.
The Bible
It’s impossible to talk about studying the Bible without mentioning the Bible itself. In bible study, the Bible is the most essential tool. None of the tools for studying the Bible can replace it.
While others may think the Bible is full of stories and myths, we know it is the actual word of God, intended for our correction and teaching.
When you spend time studying God’s word, you demonstrate that you love him and want to learn more about him. There are at least three reasons why we should be zealous students of the Bible as Christians:
1. The word of God is for our correction and teaching, The stories in the Bible are not mere stories, but these were human beings like us who lived many years ago- 2 Timothy 3:16
2. God speaks to us through his word, gives us directions and guides us on the best path to take- Psalm 119:105
3. Studying the word of God strengthens our faith and helps us grow spiritually. Our relationship with God is improved when we spend time in his presence- Rm 10:17
Types Of Bibles
Bibles come with unique translations and various languages. The best Bible for you is the one that best fits you and what you need. If you are a beginner in bible study or looking to get a new bible, you will find this list of bibles types very helpful.
- Journal bible
- Study Bible
- Interlinear Bible
- Audio Bible
- Parallel Bible
1. Journal Bible
Journal Bibles are ideal for those who want to jot down their ideas while reading the Bible; they usually contain large sections at the right margin where you can jot down notes and prayers and reflect on what you’ve read.
In addition, some of these journaling bibles feature drawings and illustrations for people who prefer visual study.
All of these bibles are available in bookstores and on Amazon. The following are some examples of journaling bibles:
- The Personal Reflections KJV Bible
- NIV Beautiful word coloring Bible
- ESV single column journaling Bible
- Illustrating Bible CSB Green (Spiral Bound Journaling Bible)
2. Study Bible
As the name implies, Study Bibles are bibles for in-depth study of God’s word. Footnotes, maps, concordances, images, and commentaries from reputable experts and believers can all be included in Study Bibles to help you delve deeper into God’s word. It is a fantastic resource for bible study.
Below are examples of study Bibles:
- The ESV Study Bible
- The KJV study bible
- Holman Study Bible
- NKJV Edition
- The Quest Study Bible
- Thompson Chain-Reference Bible – Zondervan
3. Interlinear Bible
The interlinear Bible is great for those interested in tools for studying the Hebrew Bible. It offers Hebrew or Greek texts alongside the English translation.
You get to see how the Bible passages were originally written in their Greek or Hebrew words at one glance, with the English translations written directly under.
The words are also keyed to a concordance so you can further study each word and find out other places they appear in the Bible.
You can find an interlinear Bible on Bible Hub; it is one of the free bible study apps readily available for you.
Other examples of Interlinear Bibles include
- The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew-Greek-English (English, Hebrew, and Greek Edition) Hardcover
- Greek-English Interlinear ESV New Testament: Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece (NA28) and English Standard Version (ESV) (English and Ancient Greek Edition)
4. Audio Bible
Audio Bibles are fantastic tools that allow you to listen to God’s word on various devices, including mp3 players, DVD players, and cassette players.
Audio bibles come in multiple formats, and some are translated into various languages.
You can also get dramatized audio bibles to help you immerse yourself in God’s word by conveying the emotion of each biblical figure.
- Cassette Player, Cassette Tape to MP3 CD Converter Via USB, Convert Walkman Tape Cassette to MP3 Format, Compatible with Laptop and PC
- The Word of Promise Audio Bible – New King James Version, NKJV: Complete Bible
- The Complete Audio Holy Bible – KJV: The New Testament as Read by James Earl Jones; The Old Testament as Read by Jon Sherberg by Topics Media Group, Jon Sherberg, et al.
5. Parallel Bible
A parallel Bible is a unique bible tool that compares and contrasts several versions or translations of the same bible verse.
It can assist you in recognizing the differences between versions to better understand God’s word. The following are some examples of parallel bibles:
- NIV, KJV, NASB, AMPLIFIED, PARALLEL BIBLE, HARDCOVER by Zondervan.
- NIV, NKJV, NLT, The Message, Contemporary Comparative Parallel Bible, Hardcover: The World’s Bestselling Bible Paired with Three Contemporary Versions by Zondervan
- People’s Parallel Bible KJV/NLT by Tyndale
Conclusion
There are numerous tools for studying the Bible that provide additional insight and are helpful in the understanding of God’s word.
However, no matter how powerful these tools are, they cannot replace the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, it is important that you ask for the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit.
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