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BibleWorks 101

The following instructions are for BibleWorks 7.0 (released in 2006). This premier Bible software (for PCs only) is currently available for use in the computer labs in Pitts Library and the Candler Media Center. It is available for purchase in the Cokesbury Bookstore in Bishops Hall. Contact the Bookstore manager, John Black, for information about discounted prices.

First, the most important tip: place your cursor into any part of the BibleWorks interface, type the "F1" button, you will see a help screen for that part of the BibleWorks program. Here is the BibleWorks 7.0 interface:

A. To locate a verse of the Bible in a particular translation:

You must first select the Bible version to view. One way to do this is to left click on the Version Button (to the left of Location #1 in the diagram above). Here you find the options to "Choose Display Versions." For example, if you want to display a verse in the New Revised Standard Version, then you would left click on the Version Button, select "Choose Display Versions," view under the "English" versions, and click on the appropriate checkbox (NRS).

After choosing your display version, left click in the "Command Line" (location #1 in the diagram above) and type book, chapter, verse (e.g., 1 John 1:1). *Hint: The command line also accepts shorthand citations, e.g., "1jo 1 1." The verse appears in the Results Window (Location #3 above) in the "Display version" you selected.

B. To read a verse in its context:

Click the "Toggle Browse Mode" option (which is the button with the footprints near the top of location #3). To view the individual verse again, click the footprints button again.

C. To paste a verse into another document:

Highlight the verse in the Results Window, right click, and choose the option "Copy String to Clipboard." You can now paste the verse into your document.

D. To compare translations of a verse:

Follow the steps outlined in part A above, choosing multiple "Display" versions. If you have a grasp of Hebrew and/or Greek, a good strategy is to include the original language versions (e.g., WTT and BGT) along with multiple English versions (e.g., NAS, NIV, NRS). After your verse is entered in the command line, the multiple versions will display in the Results Window.

E. To compare parallel passages in the Gospels:

To open side-by-side windows containing parallel passages from the Gospels, select "Tools" and then "Synopsis Tool" from the main menu. When you open the tool you will see a window with two main parts: 1) The bottom window that displays verses in parallel (when a passage is present in more than one Gospel), and 2) the upper window that displays the names and verse numbers of Gospel passages (e.g., "The Golden Rule – Mat 7:12, Lk 6:31"). Click on the appropriate passage in the upper window to open the text in the lower, results window, or select "Find Verse" under "View" in the main menu. You may also view the Greek text in parallel, by selecting, File > Open > Aland (Greek).

F. To find the location of English words and phrases in the Bible:

You will first need to select the Bible version you want to search. Left click on the Version Button (to the left of location #1 in the diagram above). Here you find options to "Choose Search Versions" and to "Choose Display Versions." Choose the versions you wish to search and to display. If you have a grasp of Hebrew and/or Greek, a good strategy is to search the original language version (e.g., WTT and BGT), and display these along with English versions (e.g., NAS, NIV, NRS).

To search for a word, type a period in the command line and then the word you wish to search (e.g., .covenant). When the word is entered, a list of verses containing the word will appear above the Command Line in the Results Verse List Box (location #2 in the diagram above). Right click on a verse to have its text appear in the Results Window.

To search for a phrase, type an apostrophe (not a period) before the phrase (e.g., ‘holy spirit). To search for a word with different endings or inflections, type an asterisk at the end of the word as a wildcard symbol (e.g., .heaven* will search for heavens and heavenly). There are many other command codes that are used in BibleWorks to express search logic. For a list of these codes, click on the "Common Search Utilities" button (the hammer and wrench icon) to the right of the command line, and select "Command Line Examples".

G. To locate Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible, when you don't know Hebrew or Greek:

To investigate additional locations of the Hebrew/Greek words translated by an English word, it is advisable to include the King James Version (KJV), the WTT (Hebrew OT), and the GNT (Greek NT) in your list of display versions (see part A above for instructions). In the Results Window, move your cursor over the word in the KJV that you wish to investigate (do not click) and wait for the pop-up window to appear. This "Word Tip" window contains information from Strong's Concordance, including the Hebrew or Greek word and a brief definition.

Locate this word in the Hebrew or Greek version that you have included as Display Version in your Results Window (you may also move your cursor over the Hebrew or Greek words to determine their translation). Right click on the appropriate word and select "Search on lemma." The lemma is the dictionary-entry form of the word. You may need to select the appropriate lemma from a list. The Results Verse Box will display all the verses in which this lemma occurs.

H. To look up the meaning of English words in a Dictionary:

To search for an English word in one of the available Bible dictionaries, select "Resources" > "Bible Dictionaries" from the main menu, select the dictionary you wish to use, and type in the word.

To search for an English word in a dictionary while viewing the word and its context in the Results Window, right click on the word in the Results Window, and select "Lookup in Default Dictionary." Not all words will appear in the available dictionaries.

I. To look up the meaning of Hebrew or Greek words in a Dictionary, when you don't know Hebrew or Greek:

To investigate the meaning of the Hebrew/Greek words translated by English words, follow the steps outlined in part G above (identify the Greek word using the "Word Tip" option with the King James Version). After locating the Greek word in the Greek display version (e.g., BGT), right click on the appropriate word, and select "look up lemma in Lexicon Browser" and choose the Greek Lexicon you wish to use.