I have found that with Bible study software, there is a wide range of functionality which varies based on the purpose or intent of the software designers. Some software packages excel with tools for developing sermons, some have different packages for different theologies, some focus on analyzing the text and others come filled with commentaries. I can't comment on all aspects of these software programs because I don't use all of those functions.
I primarily use these tools to study the English text in conjunction with the original Greek or Hebrew texts to get a better understanding of the meaning of the words. I also like programs which provide definitions of the English words used both in the 1800's as well as in modern day. This means that I have a preference for software which has good lexicons and dictionaries and corresponding functions to perform quick lookups and link between the texts and their definitions. I don't spend much time with commentaries or sermon tools.
Below are some texts which I look for in Bible study software:
- Strong’s Exhaustive Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words
- Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT)
- Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT)
- New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology
- New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology
- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
- Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
- An American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster
- Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
- Concise Oxford English Dictionary
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Each individual may have a different preferred set of texts. I am just sharing what I use most frequently. It isn't always easy to find all of these books in a single software package. Also, price and computer preference come into play when picking software. Below is a list of some packages I have used and would recommend. Each one has trade-offs and your decision on software may depend on the computer you use, your budget and how much time you plan to spend on the computer looking up words. :-)
Here are some packages that you may want to consider:
Software | Computer Support | Comments | Price |
Windows or MAC | Very powerful Huge Library Friendly interface A little slow | $$$$ | |
Windows only | Best search engine Limited Library Powerful interface Very Fast | $$ | |
Mac only | Nice tools Good Library Friendly interface OK speed | $$$ | |
Windows only | Basic tools Several free books OK interface Good speed | $ | |
Mac only | Basic tools Several free books OK interface Good speed | $ |
There are also web with useful tools, but I haven't spent much time working with the sites.
I will post blog entries on each one of these as I have time to write the reviews... stay tuned.
