The Best Online Bible Study Tools

With so many on-line Bible translations and study books available it's difficult to determine which are the best ones for your personal use. As a Bible study teacher, I have sifted through many of these sites to find the ones I feel are most helpful and easiest to use. Listed below are my 5 favorite Bible study sites:

1) Logos
This is really an umbrella site for several Bible tools, including:
- A separate Bible verse look-up section at biblia.com with about 50 Bible versions, some unique to this site
- Blogs and forums with discussions of various topics and events
- WBSA (What Does the Bible Say About...) a section which uses New Nave's Topical Bible and helps you find information on specific topics
- A unique sermon section which is "an online Christian community built around user created sermons and illustrations." This is a wonderful resource for either a pastor researching a specific passage, a layperson looking for a message based on scripture or a small group leader looking for illustrations.
- A Wiki Section, where Logos users can share and collaborate on things relating to Logos Bible Software

2) The American Bible Society website
There is a huge variety of resource material on this site, including these sections:
- How to choose a Bible
- Bible reading plans, charts and maps,
- Bible history
- "Behind the stories" section
- Bible geography
- Explanations of objects, plants and animals in scripture
- A Bible search from 10 different Bible translations
- Links to other tools for ministry, including eBulletins for churches
Most of the resources here are free.

3) Just One Word
I love to use this site when I am working on a specific Bible passage. It offers:
- Overviews of Bible passages
- Information on specific words in a verse
- Topical informaion
- Fun online Bible games
- Tools and Widgets to add to your own website or blog
- Search engine based on the NCV Bible (one of my very favorite versions)
- A section to share what you learn with others
An example: I am working on a passage from the book of Matthew for my Bible study. First, I check the overview of the book to get some background details. Next I look at specific people mentioned in text, then I can select a topic in the passage for further study. While the site gives references, you still do your own study. There are no commentaries here.

4) Follow the Rabbi
This is a wonderful, insightful reference collection which is the most unique I have found on-line. Generally it gives the Hebrew philosophy assumed by the writers of the Bible, and how it impacts the meaning of a specific text. There are a variety of sections to give you more information:
- Discussions of specific topics
- Unique maps
- Lessons based on Bible passages
- Bible search section
- Datafiles, which are files which "supplement our Faith Lessons with in-depth, factual information about ancient Jewish culture"

This site adds a new dimension to my Bible studies by helping me to understand the culture of the time in which the passage was written. Often this opens doors to better interpreting the passage. Most sections are free, though some large files include a small fee if you access them.

5) Bible Study Tools, a section of Crosswalk.com
This is my personal favorite site, and the one I use most often. It offers 30+ Bible translations and a great search engine to access them. Also offered free are:
- 12 commentaries
- 3 Bible encyclopedias
- 5 Bible dictionaries
- a Parallel Study Bible

One of the best resources for pastors and Bible scholars is their Interlinear Bible, which is keyed to the Greek and Hebrew text using Strong's Concordance. Here you can read the original and literal Greek or Hebrew text for the passage which interests you.

What I like best about this site
Because it has so many translations, I like to find a verse to study, then click the link and see it in all the versions to compare the wording and meaning each translation offers. You can also see the verse in context to be sure you understand the larger meaning of the passage.

Also available on this site:
- Bible reading plans
- Devotionals
- Interesting articles on a variety of Biblical topics by well-known and respected Christian theologians and scholars
- A great "help" section

If you have never tried these wonderful sites, I hope you will discover the treasures they offer as you look for Bible resources to use.

References:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/
http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1458
http://www.just1word.com/
http://bibleresources.americanbible.org/bible-resources/bible-resource-center/about-the-bible
http://community.logos.com/forums/