What Is A Bible Word Study?
If you are looking to deepen your understanding of the Bible and its teachings, one of the most valuable techniques you can learn is how to do a Bible word study. This process involves taking a closer look at individual words in the text to gain a deeper understanding of their meanings and significance.
The Concept Behind Biblical Word Studies
Scripture was written in a specific cultural and historical context, and understanding that context can be crucial to understanding the text. The Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, and each language has its own nuances and subtleties. Ancient languages tend to carry multiple meanings and can be hard to translate with absolute accuracy. A biblical word study allows you to look up the word in its original language and get a better understanding of its meaning.
The Importance Of Rightly Dividing The Word Of God
2 Timothy 2:15, instructs, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” By doing a Bible word study, you can handle God’s word correctly and deepen your understanding of God’s truth. In turn, you’ll become a more knowledgeable and effective worker for His kingdom.
Why You Should Study Biblical Words Individually
Doing a word study can help you apply the text to your life in a more meaningful way. By understanding the original meaning of a word or phrase, you can gain insights into how it applies to your life today. For example, the word “repentance” is often used in the New Testament, but its meaning goes beyond simply feeling sorry for one’s sins. By studying the original meaning of the word, you can gain a deeper understanding of what it means to truly repent and turn your life around.
Words and Definitions Change Over Time
You may have noticed that words and definitions can change over time. It happens in our culture more frequently than many realize. The same is true of bible translations. Even the most accurate translations can miss the nuances of a particular word or phrase. This is why it’s so important to do a biblical word study.
To Understand Words In Their Original Contexts
One of the most important reasons to do a word study is to understand words in their original context. As mentioned earlier, the Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, and each language has its own nuances and subtleties. For example, the Greek word “agape” is often translated as “love” in English, but it has a much deeper meaning than the English word can convey. By studying the original language of the Bible, you can gain a deeper understanding of the words and phrases used in the text.
Another reason to do a word study is to ensure that you’re getting an accurate understanding of the text. While most translations are accurate, they can still miss important nuances or shades of meaning. By doing a word study, you can check the accuracy of a translation and get a more complete understanding of the text. Additionally, it can aid in ensuring that Bible verses are not used out of context.
Want to jump straight to the ‘How To?’ Scroll to the bottom!
How To Choose A Word To Study From A Bible Verse
When it comes to doing a Bible word study, choosing the right word can make all the difference. While some words may seem more significant or weighty than others, the truth is that any word can be studied individually and can provide insights into the text. Here are some tips for choosing a word for your next Bible word study.
The Importance Of Daily Bible Reading
First and foremost, it’s important to make daily Bible reading a habit. By reading the Bible regularly, you’ll be exposed to a variety of words and phrases that can spark your curiosity and inspire you to dig deeper. Whether you’re reading through a book of the Bible or using a devotional guide, pay attention to words or phrases that stand out to you.
Which Word Should You Choose?
Once you’ve identified a word or phrase that interests you, it’s important to remember that any word can be studied individually. While some words may seem more significant or weighty than others, even the smallest word can hold important meaning and insights into the text. Don’t be afraid to choose a word that seems simple or insignificant; you may be surprised at what you discover.
That being said, choosing weighty words can also be an effective way to deepen your understanding of the text. Words like “salvation,” “grace,” or “righteousness” are often used throughout the Bible and have significant theological implications. By studying these weighty words, you can gain a deeper understanding of key themes and concepts in the text.
Writing Notes During Bible Word Studies
Bible word studies can be incredibly enlightening and powerful, but it can be easy to forget what you’ve learned if you don’t take notes. Writing notes during your study sessions can be incredibly helpful for a variety of reasons, and can help you get the most out of your study time. Here are some reasons why taking notes during your Bible word studies is so important.
The Benefit Of Future Reference
First and foremost, taking notes during your Bible word study can be incredibly helpful for future reference. By writing down what you’ve learned, you can easily go back and review your notes at a later time. This can be especially helpful if you want to revisit a particular word or concept, or if you want to refresh your memory on something you learned previously.
So the next time you sit down for a Bible word study, be sure to have a notebook handy and start taking notes. You may be surprised at how much of a difference it can make!
Accomplishments Make You Feel Good
Additionally, taking notes during your Bible word study can be a source of pride and accomplishment. As you accumulate more notes over time, you’ll be able to see how much you’ve learned and how your understanding of the text has deepened. This can be incredibly motivating and can help you stay committed to your study practice.
Finally, taking notes during your Bible word study can be helpful in solidifying what you’ve learned. Writing things down can be a powerful tool for memory retention, and can help you internalize what you’ve learned on a deeper level. By taking the time to write down your thoughts, reflections, and insights, you’ll be better able to remember what you’ve learned and apply it to your life.
Breaking Down Biblical Words With BibleStudyTools.com
Are you ready to do this thing?! Me too! Let’s get started.
Imagine you’re in the middle of your daily bible reading, and you happen upon a word or phrase that really catches your attention. “I wonder if there is more to that than meets the eye?” you think to yourself.
Congratulations! You just identified a prime candidate for a word study!
In this case, let’s pretend you’ve been reading Psalms 119. When you get to verses 15 and 16, the word meditate stands out to you. “I think I know what meditating is. But I wonder if there is a deeper meaning here?”
15 I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways.
Psalms 119, NASB
16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Using Your Resources
You open a new tab in your web browser and pull up BibleStudyTools.com. Then you navigate to the verses, click on the settings wheel, and turn on Strong’s numbers.
After that, you click on the blue word ‘meditate’ and open up its Strong’s dictionary entry. In doing so, you notice that ‘meditate’ is Strong’s number 7878, or siyach in Hebrew.
“How interesting!” you exclaim. “Meditation has a much larger meaning than I thought.” It means to put forth, mediate, muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder, or sing.
You expected to see defining words like muse and ponder, but commune, complain, and sing really surprised you.
You decide to scroll down a little further and see other ways that word 7878 has been translated into the English language.
After clicking on 1 Chronicles, you see that the English word ‘meditate’ is not used. Instead, it’s translated as ‘speak.’ In context, it’s speaking of singing praises to God.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
1 Chronicles 16:9
Interesting. You go back and view more verses. Here’s another one:
Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Job 7:11, NASB
This one is most definitely not directed at singing God’s praises. In fact, Job is experiencing deep hurt and is complaining from the bitterness of his soul! How strange that this is still the same word! The best practice would be make your way through all the verses that Strong’s number 7878 is used. It’s important to get a grasp of what the word truly means, not only what you think it means. That’s best done by seeing how the word is translated and used in biblical context.
Connecting The Biblical Dots
It seems that this single Hebrew word has been translated into several different English words. And, most interestingly, these words are not synonyms of each other.
Complaining and singing certainly do not carry the same ideas in the English language. Unless, of course, you happen to be singing a country song.
And what about the context of the verse in Psalms 119? David is definitely not saying that he will complain about God’s precepts all day. No! Quite the opposite! So what is to be made of this?
All in all, it seems that meditation can be done in a positive manner or a negative manner. You can meditate on God’s goodness, or you can choose to meditate on how poorly someone treated you earlier in the day.
As a result, your constant contemplation begins to take over your mind. You start talking to yourself about it in the car. That leads to you talking to others about it. No matter if you have chosen to dwell on God’s love or something else, you have still been meditating.
Drawing Conclusions On Your Study
Now that you have a further understanding of the true, biblical meaning of the word, go back to the original scripture.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways.
16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
So what is David communicating here?
He is explaining the great depths that he will go to in pursuit of living a godly lifestyle. When he says ‘meditate,’ he means so much more than simply thinking about the ways of God. Indeed, he is speaking of being mentally consumed to the point where it begins to come out of him.
The meditation will lead to opening his mouth and speaking them out loud. Maybe softly at first. He may talk to himself throughout the day as he remembers and thinks on the path of righteousness.
Then it will lead to talking about it with other people. It becomes a part of who he is and his mind is consumed with the things of God. That becomes his favorite topic of discussion because it’s what is on his mind continually.
From there, the joy and excitement overtake him and he bursts into song. We know this to be the case because David wrote many of them down in what we know as the Book of Psalms.
Wrapping It All Up
In conclusion, a Bible word study is an in-depth analysis of a particular word or phrase in the Bible. It involves examining the original language of the text, the context in which the word appears, and the various meanings and connotations associated with the word.
There are many reasons why you might want to do a Bible word study. Words and definitions change over time, translations are not always 100% accurate, and it is important to understand words in their original contexts. By doing a word study, you can deepen your understanding of the text, gain new insights into key concepts and themes, and grow in your faith.
When it comes to doing a Bible word study, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, choose a word that interests you or stands out to you during your regular Bible reading. Remember that any word can be studied individually. Weighty words like “salvation” or “righteousness” can be especially powerful, but seemingly insignificant words sometimes hold hidden gems!
Finally, it’s important to keep notes during your Bible word study. Not only do notes provide a future reference, but they also help you solidify what you’ve learned and create a source of pride and accomplishment. Writing things down can be a powerful tool for memory retention, and can help you internalize what you’ve learned on a deeper level.
All in all, a Bible word study can be a powerful tool for deepening your understanding of the text and growing in your faith. By choosing a word, considering its context, and keeping notes, you can gain new insights and develop a deeper appreciation for the richness and complexity of God’s word.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.