There are all kinds of opportunities on the Internet to study the Bible--some of them are online applications, and others are free software. I have tried out all kinds of freebies online and offline; I am sharing some of my faves below:
- e-Sword: I've been using e-Sword for several years now, and it just gets better and better. There are all kinds of free modules and some really reasonably priced premium modules available, and the software is pretty simple to use.
- The Word: I started using this software about a year ago, and I am extremely impressed. The software is very flexible, allowing a variety of layouts and skins. Like e-Sword, many of the modules are free, and the premium modules are quite reasonably priced. Also, The Word is available in a compact format, which can be loaded onto a flash drive. Very handy.
- NET Bible Study Environment: this is an online study site that I've been using for several years. They have recently improved the site, and offer the free version, which is excellent, as well as a premium version that I haven't tried. There is a weatlh of information available on this site, and for the student who really wants to dig into the text, this is a great resource. (UPDATE: a year or so after this post was originally published, bible.org changed the NET Bible Study Environment to a new and improved site, Lumina. That's where the link goes to now.)
- BPBible: I just started using this one yesterday, but so far I'm extremely impressed. The only tricky thing about the program is that, unlike most of the similar products offered by Crosswire.org, downloading new modules to the software is a little complex, until you get the hang of it. Once you do, though, it's pretty cool.
- Xiphos: This is another free program that uses modules produced by Crosswire.org. Like BPBible, I only began using this one yesterday, but it's very good, too. And the downloads are much easier on this one. Some really good free resources.
- HCSB MyStudyBible.com: This is an online version of the excellent HCSB Study Bible. It's a really new site, and kind of limited thus far, but what they have is a pretty good start. I wish they had more translations available (right now, they only have the HCSB and the KJV), but the study notes are quite well done. (UPDATE: Holman later shut this site down completely. This link is dead. I'm leaving the description here just for historical interest.)
- YouVersion: YouVersion is a pretty good online Bible study site. They have a variety of popular translations available, and the ability to bookmark passages, save personal commentary, and several good reading plans. Some of the features, such as the Group feature, are a little confusing. But I understand they also have a mobile app that looks pretty good. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as the case may be) I am not a smart phone user, so I haven't used the mobile app.
- BibleGateway: This is the momma of all online Bible search engines. Not much in the way of extra features, but it is definitely a great place to look up passages. Plus, they recently unveiled the beta version of the site, which shows promise. This is the best place to find the 2011 version of the NIV, and compare it to other versions.
- Biblos: This is really an excellent Bible study site, and combines a variety of excellent resources. When it comes to online interlinear Bibles, nothing beats Biblos. I need to use this one more than I currently do, because it is amazing.
- BibleStudyTools.com: this is another really good site, that offers a huge variety of online resources (as its name implies). A host of translations are available, as well as commentaries, lectionaries, dictionaries, etc. A voluminous resource, expecially considering it's all free!
These are just a few of my favorite resources. If I get a chance later, I may share a few more. But do yourself a favor and check out the sites listed above. You won't be sorry.
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