References and Software

There are a lot of excellent tools available for studying the Bible. These are the resources I use most often while preparing Bible By Example, along with a few alternatives I’m comfortable recommending. This isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list, just the resources that have consistently proven useful in my own study.

Ultimately, every tool on this page exists to serve one purpose: helping us better understand what the biblical authors intended to communicate. Software, translations, commentaries, and reference works are valuable tools, but they remain tools — they should point us back to the text, not replace it.

Software

There’s still great value in getting a print copy of the Bible, a good notebook, and various commentaries in “dead tree” editions. But as an IT guy at heart, I lean heavily toward digital tools.

e-Sword

The main program I use is e-Sword. I’ve been using it since around version 7 or 8 on Windows, and over the years I’ve used it on Pocket PC, Android, and macOS. It’s been a staple of my Bible study for years.

The Windows version is free and comes with a solid collection of translations, commentaries, and dictionaries. You can grab extra free resources over at BibleSupport.com, or pick up commercial add-ons from eStudySource (which frequently runs sales).

The Android, iOS, and macOS versions are inexpensive, work offline, and let you share paid modules across devices without buying them twice.

Lumina

Lumina is a free web tool provided by Bible.org, the home of the New English Translation (NET). It’s lightweight, easy to navigate, and gives you direct access to the NET Translator Notes and Dr. Thomas Constable’s notes — a combo you don’t always find in other web tools.

Logos Bible Study App

Logos is one of the most comprehensive Bible study platforms available. While it’s built around paid resources and subscriptions, it has earned a strong reputation among pastors, teachers, and academic scholars.

Blue Letter Bible

Blue Letter Bible offers an excellent collection of Bible translations, classic commentaries, lexicons, interlinear tools, and mobile apps. It’s one of the best free online study resources available.

YouVersion / Bible App

YouVersion published under that name when I first started using their Android app, though they apparently changed the name of the product to Bible App. It is excellent for reading across dozens of translations on nearly any device. It also supports offline reading and simple cross-references. While it includes a large library of devotional material, I recommend approaching user-contributed content with discernment.

Bible Translations

The NET Bible is my main reading translation for Bible By Example. As I prepare each episode, I compare it against several other translations. When those versions differ in a meaningful way, or when the translators make a noteworthy choice, I’ll point those differences out.

These aren’t the only good English translations around, but they are the ones you’ll hear me mention most often.

New English Translation (NET, NET Bible)

The New English Translation is the primary Bible used throughout this series. While the translation itself is clear and readable, its greatest strength is the extensive translator notes, which explain manuscript evidence, translation choices, and alternate renderings in remarkable detail. Few modern study resources are as transparent about why they translated a passage the way they did.

New Revised Standard Version Update Edition (NRSVue)

The New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (2021) is one of the most widely respected modern scholarly translations. Produced by an ecumenical committee of scholars, it reflects current textual research and serves as one of my primary comparison translations.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The English Standard Version is an essentially literal translation that balances formal equivalence with modern English readability. It’s one of the most widely used translations among conservative evangelical churches and provides another valuable comparison.

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

The Complete Jewish Bible emphasizes the Jewish context of Scripture by preserving many Hebrew names and expressions. I find it particularly helpful when exploring the cultural and historical background shared by both the Old and New Testaments.

King James Version (KJV)

The King James Version has shaped English-speaking Christianity for more than four centuries. While I won’t use it as a primary study Bible, I’ll occasionally reference it because many familiar quotations, older commentaries, and classic theological works assume its wording.

Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV)

The Catholic Public Domain Version provides a modern Catholic translation based primarily on the Latin Vulgate. It includes the Deuterocanonical books and gives me a freely available Catholic perspective when comparing traditions.

Commentaries

No commentary is inspired. Whenever respected scholars disagree — and they often do — I try to understand why before reaching a conclusion. You’ll occasionally hear me reference multiple commentaries that arrive at different answers to the same passage. That’s intentional. My goal isn’t to collect opinions, but to compare them against the biblical text itself.

These are the commentaries I’ll consult most often while preparing each episode.

NET Notes

The NET Translator Notes are my single most-used study resource. They explain textual variants, manuscript evidence, translation decisions, and alternate renderings with a level of transparency that’s difficult to find anywhere else.

Albert Barnes (Notes on the Bible)

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible remains one of the best concise, verse-by-verse commentaries available. Although it was written in the nineteenth century, it continues to provide thoughtful pastoral insight and practical explanation.

Dr. Thomas Constable’s Expository Notes

Dr. Thomas Constable’s Expository Notes strike an excellent balance between accessibility and depth. His outlines, historical background, and practical observations make these among my favorite modern commentaries.

The edition available through BibleSupport.com is based on the 2012 release. Dr. Constable continues to update his notes, and the most recent editions are available through Sonic Light.

Expositor’s Bible

The Expositor’s Bible focuses more on exposition than technical analysis, emphasizing the broader themes and flow of each book.

I disagree with a number of its conclusions, yet I continue to consult it regularly. Good study isn’t about reading only the authors who already agree with us.

Keil & Delitzsch

Keil and Delitzsch’s Old Testament commentary remains one of the classic scholarly works on the Hebrew Scriptures. Though older and more technical than many modern commentaries, it continues to offer valuable grammatical, historical, and linguistic insight.

John Gill (Exposition of the Entire Bible)

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible frequently draws from rabbinic sources and earlier Christian writers. While written from a Reformed Baptist perspective, it often preserves historical observations that remain useful today.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges provides concise historical background and literary commentary without becoming overly technical. It’s particularly helpful for understanding the setting of individual books.

Jewish New Testament Commentary (JNTC)

Written by David H. Stern as a companion to the Complete Jewish Bible, this commentary highlights the first-century Jewish context of the New Testament. It’s invaluable for catching Jewish customs, idioms, and rabbinic references that modern readers easily walk right past.

Reference Works

Commentaries aren’t the only tools that help illuminate a passage. Concordances, dictionaries, cross-reference systems, and historical reference works often answer questions about language, culture, and how different parts of Scripture connect together.

Concordances and Dictionaries

Strong’s Concordance remains one of the most widely used tools for connecting English words with their underlying Hebrew and Greek terms. While I don’t recommend building theology from Strong’s numbers alone, they’re an excellent starting point for further study.

I’ll also regularly consult Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and other reference works whenever historical or cultural background helps clarify a passage.

Cross-References

Cross-reference systems such as the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK) and the Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury (UCRT) help trace themes throughout Scripture. Comparing several cross-reference systems often reveals connections that might otherwise be overlooked.

Word Studies

Resources such as Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament and Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament provide valuable discussions of Greek vocabulary and grammar. I treat them as informed commentary rather than the final word, but they often provide useful insight into difficult passages.

Historical Background

Works covering Second Temple Judaism, ancient Near Eastern history, and Jewish customs frequently help explain details that modern readers naturally miss. These resources provide historical context, but Scripture itself always remains the primary authority.

Supplemental Perspectives

From time to time I’ll also consult authors whose conclusions I frequently disagree with.

Chuck Missler is one example. He was a prominent popularizer of Bible prophecy and exposition and I listen to his audio commentaries and reference his handbooks because his material remains widely influential in many Bible study groups.

However, I approach his work with caution. Missler relied heavily on speculative theories and outdated research — such as Sir Robert Anderson’s timeline calculations in The Coming Prince or Alexander Hislop’s controversial historical claims in The Two Babylons. I reference his work not as a primary authority, but to address ideas and interpretations that are still widely circulated today.

I believe it’s important to understand an argument before critiquing it. Reading broadly — and carefully — helps keep me honest.