What the Bible Says About Having Faith

November 23, 2021

How to Look Up Bible Passages Online

The Bible offers a wealth of wisdom and truth for all areas of life. You can find Bible passages that speak to many circumstances, but it's not always easy to find the right scriptures right when you need them most. If you're familiar with a few simple steps for looking up Bible passages online, you can take full advantage of the wisdom the Bible has to offer.

Find Known Scripture Passages Online

Sometimes you're familiar with a particular scripture reference, but you want to read it yourself and examine what it says. Use a search engine to find a Bible website and enter the reference to read the passage. YouVersion, Bible Study Tools and Blue Letter Bible are good sites with easy scripture lookup tools. Many online Bible sites provide tools and commentaries to help you understand a particular verse as well as Bible translations in hundreds of languages. The best Bible websites also offer apps for your smartphone or tablet to give you access on any device.

Consider the Context of Passages

When you look up a particular scripture, you may not understand exactly what you're reading. It helps to look at it in the context of the rest of the chapter or book. Read the verses before and after the passage to understand the full meaning and prevent misunderstanding. This helps you gain a deeper understanding of what the Bible is communicating.

Search for Bible Verses by Topic

Sometimes you don't have a specific passage in mind, but you know the topic you want to know more about. You can look up Bible verses by topic on various Bible websites or using a search engine. When you search for a particular topic, you can expect to come across multiple verses that address that subject. Reading several passages can help you gain more understanding than a single verse.

Look for Different Translations

When you look up a passage from the Bible online, don't just read one particular translation. Viewing scriptures in different translations — New King James, New International Version, New American Standard and more — can increase your understanding of the verses. Some translations are easier to understand than others, and you can better appreciate a passage in one translation versus another. Some translations emphasize simple reading, while others focus on the marvelous poetry of the Bible.

Conduct a Word Study

Once you've read a specific passage or verse, you can study individual words or phrases to learn where else they occur in the Bible. Take a word or multiple words that stand out in a passage and search to find other occurrences in the Bible. Examine the context of all the passages to gain a deeper knowledge of the meaning communicated by the Bible. On some Bible websites, you can even see the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) words from the Bible. Word studies take a little more time than casual Bible reading, but they can give you an even better understanding and appreciation of the Bible.

Copland Cestruch