Biblical and Theological Resources: BibleWorks 10 Guide

A Brief Guide for BibleWorks 10

Union Presbyterian Seminary

 Guide created by Paula Skreslet (Morton Library, Richmond), with additions and modifications by Kevin Davis (Charlotte campus library).

BibleWorks 10 is available for students to use in the Charlotte campus library. The program is installed on two laptops and three desktops. See the circulation desk for help.

 Excellent help files are built into the program, including an array of video tutorials.  To view the videos, click on HELP on the top toolbar, then choose BibleWorks How-To Videos.  That will take you to the video tutorials page.

Other Bible Software Programs:

While BibleWorks sets a high standard for academic Bible Software Programs, there are other programs that are available.  For instance, if you are a Mac user, Accordance Bible Software is another option.  While not suited for rigous academic work, e-Sword is a free Bible program that is online and has more than one might expect from a free program.  There are other programs as well.  Go here to read about other programs.

A Brief Guide for BibleWorks 10

Context Sensitive Help

As you work with the BibleWorks interface, keep in mind that you can get help at any time by placing the mouse cursor over the bit you have a question about, then press the F1 Key. This will open up the BibleWorks Help file at the appropriate place.

The BibleWorks 10 User Interface

 A typical screen would look something like this:

The BW screen is divided into three main sections or windows.   

•  Use the Search Window (the left window) to enter a keyword anywhere in the Bible. It will retrieve all instances where that word is found (like a concordance).

• Use the Browse Window (the middle window) to display a specific chosen passage of Scripture in several different translations or versions (e.g., Hebrew or Greek).   

• Use the Analysis Window (the right window) to study the meanings and usage of individual words in the verses.  

1. The Search Window

Start a keyword or concordance search in BibleWorks by entering a word or multiple words in the text box at the top of the Search Window. The words are preceded by a "control character" that determines the type of search to be done. There are three main possibilities for this control character: a period, a forward slash and a single quote character.

 In order to search for a Bible verse/passage, do not use the “control characters” above. Simply type the reference in the search window: e.g., Gen 1.1, Ex 3.13-15, Jos 11.23. You can use the first two or three letters for the book (e.g, “Ex” instead of “Exodus”) but beware that some books have the same first two letters (e.g., Joshua and Joel), so use the three-letter abbreviation for those.

2. The Browse Window

 You can also use the Browse Window to jump directly to a particular verse or passage. Choose book, chapter, and verse from the drop-down menus at the top of the Browse Window.

 The Browse Window has two browse modes. The first mode shows the single verse (or passage) in the different display versions that you have selected (e.g., NRSV, NIV, Hebrew, etc.). The other mode displays the extended text of a single version (the version you have been searching in). This allows you easily to see the context of the verse or passage.

• To switch back and forth between "Single Version" and "Multiple Version" modes, click on this button at the top of the Browse Window :  

Selecting Display Versions

To select which versions you want to look at, click on View at the top of the BW screen, and then select "Choose Display Version(s)." 

Alternatively, you can right-click on any of the display versions (e.g., NRSV) and select “Add Another Display Version.” You can also select “Make This the Current Search Version.” It is important to know which Search Version you are using when you are using the Search Window.

Recommended Translations: NRSV (mainline Protestant), NIV (evangelical Protestant), NJB (Roman Catholic), and NASB (evangelical Protestant). The NASB displays the Hebrew or Greek when you hover your cursor over any word. The NJB is unique among translations because it uses “Yahweh” for יהוה instead of “LORD.”

3. The Analysis Window

The Analysis Window is used to display information about particular words in the Browse Window.  As your mouse moves over words in the Browse Window, information about that word from reference sources (lexicons, dictionaries, grammars, etc) will be displayed in the Analysis Window.

The most important tabs in the Analysis Window are “Analysis” (the default) and “Resources.”

• The “Resources” tab allows you to select which resources are displayed in the “Analysis” tab: lexicons/dictionaries, grammars, Schaff’s Early Church Fathers, Protestant confessions, and more.

• You can select all (the default) or choose the most important: for example, Brown-Driver-Briggs and Holladay under “Lexicons” for Hebrew.

How to do a Word Study

Type “Deu 5.6” in the Search Window and press Enter. The verse will appear in the Browse Window for each translation and in the Hebrew (“WTT” is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia). Hover the cursor of your mouse over the Hebrew words. In the Analysis window, you will see the parsing and translation of the word. You will also see the resources you have selected: e.g., Brown-Driver-Briggs, Holladay, etc.

Lemma vs. Form: Right-click on any Hebrew word. You will see the options to “Search on Form” or “Search on Lemma.” A “form” search will only search for the word in its present form (e.g., 1^st person, singular). A “lemma” search will search for the word in all of its forms.