Bible Software
by Ted Slater on 05/29/2008 at 3:12 PM
I've purchased two different Bible software packages over the years, and have gotten a great deal of use out of them over the years.
My current favorite, like the previous two, includes a variety of translations and texts. But unlike the previous two, it cost me nothing.
I didn't mind paying for Bible software. Those who worked on them deserve to earn money from their work. At the same time, if I can get it for free, I will!
If you want to try it out, you can download it here:
I use the ESV mostly, but also refer to the KJV from time to time. You can browse all the translations, commentaries, lexicons, dictionaries, glossaries, devotionals, books, maps and images on this page.
BTW, if you're looking for free Bible software for your iPod, click over here, or for something online with lots of versions of the Bible, click over here.
1. Jo said the following at 3:16 PM on May 29:
Ahhh I downloaded that a while ago. Pretty good. :) I don't actually use it much though as I tend to go to biblegateway.com for all that stuff.
2. David Ketter said the following at 4:59 PM on May 29:
For Windows-based systems, I still would continue to recommend E-Sword over Cross-wire. Now that I use a Mac, I can't use E-Sword anymore and that is definitely one major thing I miss.
3. Amir Larijani said the following at 5:47 PM on May 29:
I prefer the free software. BibleTime--which is offered as an optional application with Ubuntu Linux--is very easy to set up.
Yeah yeah...I hear all you Microsofties accusing me of heresy. In spite of the fact that I'm a Microsoft developer at work--ASP.NET and SQL Server allow me to make my mortgage payments every month--I have Ubuntu Linux installed at home.
BibleTime is nice: it comes with a variety of translations--in a boatload of languages--commentaries, word studies, you name it.
And you can't beat the price!
4. James said the following at 6:14 PM on May 29:
My bible software: Human v.24.5, engineering model with salvation module ;).
Oh, and biblegateway.
5. Chris Roberts said the following at 8:02 PM on May 29:
The best free Bible study program for the PC is E-Sword, http://www.e-sword.net/ the best free program for the Mac and Linux does not exist, so the Sword project will have to do.
In the not-free realm, I use BibleWorks and Logos alongside each other. They are my dynamic duo of Bible study. I use a Mac so I run them in a virtual machine. Logos has an early alpha out of its reader, but it still needs a little more work before I can really make use of it.
6. Matt said the following at 9:43 PM on May 29:
I was at church a couple weeks ago and saw someone whip out their iphone to read scripture from. That was a new experience!
Still have to say that the Logos system is the best considering all if offers. That is if you are willing to put out the $$$$ for it!
7. Alex said the following at 10:38 PM on May 29:
I have heard of the Sword project, sounds cool. Have you used E-sword. I love it.
8. Amir Larijani said the following at 5:43 AM on May 30:
James: I have a Larijani 41.5 processor, with about 4TB of hard drive and 10GB of memory. That allows for ample processing of ESV, NASB, NIV, and KJV.
Not bad for an old fogey.
Seriously...I'm not a biggie when it comes to Bible software; while I enjoy BibleTime, I still do most of my studying the old-fashioned way: without a 'puter.
Maybe it's purely psychological on my end, but there's something about actually opening the book to read...
And I can still hold my own with those folks who use the software, so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. LOL
9. obewan said the following at 6:18 AM on May 30:
You can get free e-Bibles and use nice commentaries at www.eveningdew.com as well.
10. NeedACatchyName said the following at 9:55 AM on May 30:
I agree with all of the E-Sword fans. The Sword Project is nice, but I've always preferred the user interface on E-Sword. Of course, that's just a personal preference; both are very capable programs.
And, for those of you who use Macs, you may want to check out Macsword, which I've heard recommended by several people as a good E-Sword alternative on Macs.
11. Joey said the following at 11:42 AM on May 30:
One more plug for e-Sword. It's not only free (great for college students), but it's well-designed and has many good dictionaries and commentaries (favorites: Barnes, Clarke, K&D, Vincent's, Robertson's) also available free. And the ESV is also free. It's a wonderful ministry that has definitely benefited me the last several years. Highly recommended.
12. BDB said the following at 4:20 PM on May 30:
I actually got a Palm Pilot specifically so I could carry around a few versions of the Bible. It came in very handy when taking Bible classes. My primary software is My Bible, and I licensed the NKJV to match my analog, notated Bible I've had for 20 years. But I also added in KJV, NLT and others. It's very quick for trying to find a specific verse when I only remember a few words. Or even when I hear a few words in a song and think it might be a verse, it's a great concordance. Very portable - fit's into my Bible bag.
For one class, I needed Strong's, so I got a different sofware, QuickVerse, which has the full Strong's KJV and Strong's Concordance. It's very handy when we have people with different versions in a Bible study and someone wants to know if the word in two different verses is the same in Hebrew or Greek.
13. BDB said the following at 4:31 PM on May 30:
I did eventually buy the Logos software. But I had very few "research" classes in the seminary classes I took, so I never became proficient. I think I used it to figure out how to deal with all our conflicting family traditions when my sister discussed baptism for her baby, but other than that...
For anyone startng a Bible degree, I'd definitely recommend the software because it will provide lots of sources that will be very good for research papers. I got a really low grade in one class when I realized fa too late that the library was only open when I was at work, so I couldn't do my required research in a timely manner. Late paper = lower grade. Only after the class did I discover that all the sources required by the professor (for word studies, etc.) were in the Logos software, I could have done all the work at home in the evening after work.
14. Jim H said the following at 5:02 PM on May 30:
This does not fall into the category of free software, but I use Libronix and it is awesome. Besides offering various Bible translations, you can get Greek and Hebrew texts along with hundreds of other resources such as Bible Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Commentary sets, and theological works such as "Systematic Theology" volumes from Chafer, Hodge, and Grudem.
It is a little on the pricey side, but you can have a very comprehensive library of works literally at your fingertips.
15. James said the following at 1:09 AM on May 31:
Amir (#8) said, "Maybe it's purely psychological on my end, but there's something about actually opening the book to read..."
I couldn't agree more. Just something I can lay my hand over and feel and flip through feels more personal than verses on a screen. Though the software IS handy when doing research. But that part of bible study is only PART of the why we read the Word. We read the Word so that we (in the words of Paul) "...may know Him and the power of His resurrection." We come to know God through His Word, and that feels more alive to me coming from actual pages of text rather than from graphics rendered on pixels.....though I admit that there's nothing unbiblical about using an electronic bible as your means of reading God's Word ;).
16. NeedACatchyName said the following at 4:01 PM on Jun 2:
Of course, any discussion about Bible study software would be incomplete without Calvin College's incredibly awesome Christian Classics Ethereal Library. You'll want to supplement it with Bible Gateway for viewing more than the default Bible translations, but CCEL has an incredible array of commentaries and works by the church fathers. They tend to focus mostly on writings from the reformed tradition (it is Calvin College, after all), but they have a lot of works from other streams of theological thought. Even as an Arminian, I find it to be possibly the most useful study site online. I always use it whenever I'm away from my computer (and E-Sword) and need something that's web-based.