Studying the Bible can be a daunting task, but if you desire to deepen your understanding of God’s Word, there are plenty of tools available: translations and paraphrases, commentaries, and devotions. Unfortunately, many of these resources are expensive, take up space, and can be difficult to transport. I mean, do you really want to purchase every translation and store it for easy access on your bookshelf? I know I don’t. That’s where digital tools for Bible study come in handy. In this post, I’m sharing my favorites as well as a few that I haven’t used yet but you might find useful.
When I was in college, I learned how to study the hard way. The wrong way. My first semester of freshman year, I took a required history class, and for some reason I chose the one that met once a week in the evening for three hours. The professor was not a dynamic speaker. He lectured in a monotone and barely stopped for a breath. At least that’s my memory of it.
The only way I could stay awake was to take copious notes. I wrote down every single thing he said. Or I tried to. I had no clue what was important to remember and what was not.
By the first exam, I had close to a hundred pages of notes in my spiral notebook. With so much information, I had no idea how to study for the test. I re-read everything, shoved all the dates into my brain, and I failed. I passed the class, but not without a lot of pain–I gradually learned how to study better.
Do you remember your studying days? Listening to a lecture, taking handwritten notes, reading books, highlighting key passages? Did you wander the floors of a library, searching for sources? For more advanced papers, I had to plan weeks ahead to order the specialized periodicals that came from a big university before I could even start my research. I’m dating myself here, of course, since my studying days were pre-internet with typewriters, carbon paper, and white-out. Studying was real, hard work–not just mental!
Enter Tech Tools for Studying
So it’s no wonder that when technology entered, I embraced much of it. I was an early adopter for word processing, online research, and other digital tools.
Over the years, I have learned to use both digital and analog. Screens and paper. I love to use paper and pen and highlighters, I need to read real books in order for the ideas to sink in, and I take physical notes when I am learning new things.
But digital tools are also key in my writing, planning, and studying tool boxes. Whether I need to look up the definition of a word or start researching a new project, digital tools have become indispensable to me.
Why use digital tools for Bible study?
I approach studying the Bible in this hybrid way too. I use printed Bibles all the time, especially for Visual Faith® practices. But I also use digital tools often. Why? Because digital tools:
Cost less.
The cost of Bible study resources can really add up. And the cost of tools to help you dive deeper into the Word? They can also be expensive. Many digital tools for Bible study have free versions or are an overall low cost investment for the amount of value they provide.
Take up less space.
Digital tools for Bible study will only take up space on your device’s memory! No need to find a new spot on your already crowded bookshelf or add it to your morning Bible study stack of books. With digital tools, I don’t need to have volumes of books on my shelves. Dozens of resources are at my fingertips!
Easily transport.
Carry it in your pocket or your purse, and you can pull your digital Bible or daily devotion out any time you have a free moment. Maybe you could read a verse or two instead of scrolling social media while you wait at the doctor’s office. Or you could listen to a morning devotion instead of talk radio on your drive into work.
And instead of lugging a stack of reference books to Bible study, you can lean on the resources on your phone to help you dig deeper.
Adapt to learning styles.
Bible studies and Bible study tools are typically in print, but we don’t all learn best by reading. Many digital tools offer audio components so you can study however you learn best.
Are searchable.
Easily navigate to specific chapters and verses, search for a keyword, or even search for a part of Bible verse when you can’t remember where you read it.
What are Bible study tools?
Studying the Bible can be intimidating. It’s a big book made up of lots of smaller books that were written by different authors at different times in different styles–but that are all inspired by God and connected to the beautiful story of Christ. Bible study tools help us read, understand, and study God’s Word more deeply. For example, they help us see all kinds of powerful truths, draw connections between verses, learn what words mean in the original Hebrew or Greek, and so much more.
Bible study tools mostly fall into two categories: 1) the Bible and its many translations or paraphrases and 2) supplementary resources. These tools can help us understand the Bible more deeply by exposing us to various translations, providing historical context, and giving us ideas for application.
Note: It’s important to remember that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) but outside tools and resources are not. Recognize they are written by well-meaning and usually well educated but flawed humans. Don’t depend on one outside resource only; instead, use several reputable resources. If you are a member of a specific denomination, perhaps you know respected pastors, academics, and writers who provide solid resources. Research those. I also highly recommend running the perplexing question by your pastor. The pastor is usually highly knowledgeable after investing many years studying God’s Word.
Digital Tools for Bible Study
Digital Bibles and Translations
Lutheran Study Bible App
This has become one of my favorite digital resources because it morphs a nearly four-pound book into an easy-to-use app on my phone. I have been using this study Bible for many years but didn’t carry it to every church class or worship service. It was too big to travel with, but I would miss it because it’s an excellent resource with pages of background, history, notes on verses, prayers, application, concordance, and key references.
I used to long for this resource to be digital, and last year, the publishers released it. The app also includes easy ways to save, highlight, attach notes, and even share verses through text or social media. This Bible uses the English Standard Version translation. As of this writing, the app is free for some features and $9.99/year for the full version with all the articles, maps, etc.
You Version
YouVersion was the first Bible app I added to my device some years ago. It’s a favorite for several reasons. First, it’s free. Second, it has 73 English versions (and 3,100 total including 2,000 languages) at the tap of your finger. Third, it’s easy to navigate. They also offer audio so you can listen anytime. I just discovered that they have a colorful Bible app for Kids which is an interactive story-telling experience young kids will love!
Dwell
If you are looking for an app where you can hear God’s Word often in your earbuds or your home speaker? Dwell is the one for you. (Did you know that if you listened to the Bible for about 12 minutes each day, you could listen to the entire Bible in one year. Who doesn’t have 12 minutes each day?)
It requires a subscription but it offers oodles of options for listening and for reading. The app itself is a minimalist and beautifully designed one. You can choose from a variety of translations as well as narrators. You can also select your background listening experience. They have everything from church bells and a gentle breeze to guitars or cello. If you choose to read, you have numerous options for font, background, and colors. They also offer a variety of reading plans (Psalms Daily, Words of Jesus Daily, and more). They even have kids’ options.
Right now it’s about $40/year but you can do a 7-day trial to see if you like it. As I recall, they have offered a Christmas special for gift-giving. One year, this was a gift I gave to many family members.
Dwell also offers devotionals–more on that in a little bit.
Bible Study Tools
Bible Gateway
This online resource offers 233 online Bibles in 74 languages as well as Bible study tools, commentary, original languages, and more. There is a free version which is awesome, or you can purchase a subscription to gain access to the original languages and much more. You can use the app on your mobile devices, but I find that the desktop experience is much friendlier.
Blue Letter Bible
Blue Letter Bible is a free searchable online tool for indepth Bible study. I’ve been playing with this resource for a couple years and still learning my way around word searches. If you are familiar with Strong’s Concordance, then you’ll appreciate that you can search for Strong’s numbers in Hebrew and Greek. (FYI, Strong’s Concordance is the resource that indexed every single word in the King James Version back in the 19th Century.) This resource includes maps, commentaries, and other reference materials.
Bible Hub
Similar to the Bible Gateway, Bible Hub resource is a free online resource where you can lose yourself in definitions, Bible summaries, and dozens of other tools. I have not used this one as much as the others but wanted to include this for you to explore.
Logos Bible Study
Logos is an online resource for serious students of the Bible. There is a free version so you can try out some resources, but the paid version is a heavy-hitter and a big investment. It has hundreds of digital resources, though, and you’ll have to spend time digging in to use it effectively. Thankfully, they have helpful videos to teach you how to use it. (I haven’t done this yet!) This would be a great gift for pastors and church workers if they don’t already have shelves of theology books.
Devotional Tools
Dwell App
This app offers dozens of devotions and reading plans which may guide your quiet time each day. Lots of options. These are nondenominational devos, and I like to balance them with others from my own denomination.
Portals of Prayer App
I’ve been reading the small magazine-style version of this devotional for years. (I have been blessed to write for them as well.) These short devos are Christ-centered and include additional Scripture readings. The app, like the hard copy, includes a variety of prayers for upcoming holidays and special occasions (A Birthday Prayer and For Those in Public Office, for example) as well as daily prayers.
And just like my study Bible, the app is always with me. I am thrilled to have it, especially when I travel or want to share a prayer or a particular devotion that resonated with me. Currently, the annual subscription costs $9.99 per year.
I hope these suggestions will give you new digital tools for your study of God’s Word if that is your desire. But remember, all these things are extras. You really only need one book–digital or analog– and that is the Bible itself. “For the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12).
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