Bible Study Tools

There are many benefits of using language tools for Bible study, not the least of which is accuracy in our study of the the text. If we really believe that the Scriptures are the Word of God, then we want a strategic grasp of the Lord’s message to us.

The study of the original language can also be a help in defending against wrong doctrine. For example, some people that come to our doors suggest that John 1:1 says that the Word was a God. Someone who knows a little about the Greek knows that is an impossible translation for that verse.

We also have to be careful today about the “experts.” I would suggest that not everything coming out of even conservative theological seminaries and Bible colleges today is necessarily the best that can be said or done with the original languages. I do know some of the problems from the inside, and there are problems. Knowing Greek and Hebrew is not going to completely transform your understanding of the text. After all, the Holy Spirit is the One who reveals to us the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ in the Scriptures. He is still the vital agent in our illumination of the Word of God. But a little Greek and Hebrew can help us be aware of what is being said by the experts, and not only be aware, but also be able to say: I may not know everything about this particular subject, but I sense something is not right about what this person has said.

A living language does not remain static. That is one problem we face. I use the KJV, and one reason I do that with no apology is because I can say it is a reliable translation from what I know of the original languages. Now there are other reliable translations. Articles by Robert Thomas about the various translations can be found in the Master’s Seminary Journal. Dr. Thomas has gone into great detail in evaluating the usefulness and the accurateness of various translations.

We believe that the Word of God is inspired. We believe that the words that make up the Word of God are inspired individually. Therefore, using a translation that keeps fairly closely to the words of Scriptures is of primary importance. I’m not saying don’t consult other paraphrases and less literal translations, but we have to start with the reliability of the words of God which go to make up the Word of God. So, knowing some Greek and Hebrew will help in that respect. I think that you can develop even more of an appreciation for the doctrines of verbal inspiration and inerrancy the more you  become acquainted with the original languages.

However, a study of the words used by the writers of Scripture not only develops careful interpretation and refutes wrong teaching, but can be one of the richest sources of fresh thoughts concerning the Word of God. Words help to form the tapestry of Scripture by weaving certain ideas through the books, adding vivid color to our understanding.

Let’s see one example: Look at John 18:10, “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear.”

The word “servant” occurs frequently in the New Testament. How do we find out some of the meaning in this word, assuming we know absolutely no Greek?

There are a number of approaches you can take. Perhaps the most straightforward is to have a Strong’s Concordance. You want one that has the Greek and Hebrew dictionaries at the back. Look up the word in the main part of the concordance in the section that lists the occurences of the word “servant.” Come down to John 18:10–“and smote the high priest’s s., and”–where the “s” stands for the word “servant.” We then have a number following. That number is a reference to the Greek dictionary at the back. The Greek dictionary does not assume that you have a knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. That’s why they give you the number. You notice the Hebrew section of the dictionary is in regular numbers; the Greek section uses italic. Our number is 1401. Look in the Greek dictionary section now, under this number. Here is what you will see:

Since you don’t know the Greek, you don’t know what this word is, but it has been transliterated for us. Each Greek letter has been given an equivalent in English (more or less). Don’t assume, however, that you pronounce the Greek letters the same way you pronounce the English letter. If you’re going to use this from the pulpit, be fairly sure you don’t mislead people. We don’t want to pass ourselves off as experts when we really are not.

From this, we can discover: i) from the main listing that there are various Hebrew and Greek words translated by our English word “servant”–shown by the various numbers at the end of each verse quotation (5650, 5647, 7916, 8334, 3816, 1249, 2324, and 1401).  These are Hebrew and Greek synonyms (though not exactly the same, they overlap in their meanings); ii) by scanning down the list of italic numbers, a number of other New Testament references where the same Greek word is used (Mt. 8:9; 10:24-25; 20:27; etc.); iii) the Greek word with its approximate English spelling; iv) the root from which this word is derived (from 1210, deo, to bind); v) a short definition giving a family of ideas–note that the word can mean all these things, not that it does mean all these things in this particular verse; vi) the words listed after the :– are other English words used by the translators for this Greek word (bondman or servant.)–English synonyms.
So our word doulos means “a slave, literally or figuratively, either involuntarily or voluntarily, frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency.” There is a fair amount of information there. And if you want to do further study from this, there is an easier way to do it than scanning the whole list, looking for our number.

Note John 15:20, “The servant is not greater than his lord.” That’s the word doulos again. But when you go over to the word “servants” in John 15:15, the Lord says, “Henceforth I call you not servants.” Now, that might start you thinking. Didn’t Paul call himself a doulos of the Lord Jesus? So what is the Lord saying? In John 18:36, He states, “If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight.” The reference number is 5257, for the word huperetes, translated “minister, officer or servant.” Now originally, perhaps 500 years earlier, this word was used for one of the rowers of a warship. That’s not what the word means anymore. Be careful about your etymologies. Yes, the word did mean that at one time, but by the First Century a.d., does the word still have that meaning?

The point here is that while we may think of ourselves bound by love as slaves to Christ, He does not call us that. Instead, He calls us His ministers, His assistants in the task that He is doing in the world.

Another way of approaching this is to use Young’s Analytical Concordance. Although it is not exhaustive, as is Strong’s, I find it very useful. The various usages of the English word are categorized separately.

Another way of approaching this is by using the Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the NT, a very useful item. You look up in the index at the back to find the English word “servant.” There are eight different Greek words used. They give you the Greek word and then the page number in the early part of the text where the references are listed together. The difficulty here is that the Englishman’s Greek Concordance does not give you explanations. There is also the Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance of the OT.

There is now computer software out on the market that is helpful too. For people who have virtually no Greek, I recommend the Online Bible. Another is QuickVerse from Parsons Technologies. For those with some Greek and Hebrew knowledge, I would recommend Logos software.

How to Use New Testament Greek Study Aids, by Walter Jerry Clark, published by Loizeaux Brothers, is a helpful introduction to the subject. It does not cover everything, of course. Whatever helps you use, you always have to use with caution, but this is a good start.

No matter how much Greek or Hebrew we know or have access to, with whatever tools we use, we need to have humility of mind. That is something I find often lacking in those who think they have some knowledge of the original languages. They feel that no one can tell them anything. Knowledge alone puffs up, the Scripture warns. Just because we can identify what the Greek or Hebrew word means, and some detail about the text, does not mean that we are getting spiritual results. As always, the true application of the text in the life is not something that is arrived at by knowing mere facts. May God give us a greater appetite for His Word, a greater accuracy in our study, and a greater appropriation of the truth in our lives.

Dr. Kelly Osborne received his Ph.D. in Classics (Greek and Latin) at the University of Washington. Currently he teaches at Hope College in Holland, MI. This article is excerpted from his seminar, Language Tools for Bible Study, at Mission93.