Resource Showcase

I thought today it might be useful to highlight a few free Bible study resources online for you, and explain how to use them.

Bible Gateway is one of my continual favorites.  From the main page, you can type in a verse or passage, then use the drop-down to select the translation and language.  The bar on the left-hand side will direct you to a number of other resources, including free audio Bibles (in multiple languages and translations, once again), devotionals, and reading plans.  I often use the Keyword Search tool, which functions as a (limited) concordance, but allows you to search multiple translations at once and limit your search to specific books of the Bible.

Blue Letter Bible offers some similar features (in a less user-friendly format), but is fantastic for looking into original Biblical languages - and you don't need previous understanding of the languages to use it!  Once you've typed in your passage, selected your translation, and hit search, you'll see a set of six blue boxes next to each verse.  Each of these are useful tools, and the C box will give you detailed information on the original language, as well as serve as a concordance.  The L box offers commentaries.

Google is also a surprisingly useful tool.  If you remember some words from a verse and don't remember where it is, type in "bible verse [and then the words you remember]" - and then look up the search results in your Bible or on one of the two aforementioned Bible sites.  This is often quicker than using a concordance.

Bible.org is an enormous resource for commentaries, studies, sermons, articles, etc.  It also features the NET Bible, an incredible resource that provides biographies of all people mentioned in the passage, and allows people with no prior understanding of Hebrew or Greek to perform word studies by simply clicking on words.

Got Questions addresses topical issues about the Bible and provides relevant passages to the issue, and is a great resource for introductory information on other religions and cults.

What other free Bible websites can you share that might be useful to our blog community? :-)