Author: Henry E. Neufeld
Much of this material parallels that in the Participatory Study Series pamphlet Bible Study Tools (PDF). Further information on these Bible study tools can be found by following the links in each section marked For Further Study.
Links for book titles in this document are to purchase the listed title through Bookshop.org or Amazon.com (affiliate links). There may be additional links to reviews of these books.
The following are some suggested resources for Bible study.
They fall into 7 categories:
Bible Versions
You will need a Bible version that you can understand without having to consult an English dictionary too often.
Watch for further links both to review pages and to specific editions of the various Bible versions.
- For quick reading (overview):
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
3rd or 4th grade reading level; high degree of accuracy within the context of its aim for easy readability.
The Message
Heavily paraphrased with cultural terms translated. This version is fun to read, but will tend to obscure elements of the original cultures.
New Living Translation (NLT)
A more accurate revision of the Living Bible. This is the easy-reading Bible for evangelical Christians.
- For study or reading:
New International Version (NIV)
The always popular NIV is the Bible of choice for evangelical Christians.
Revised English Bible (REB)
This version was translated by an interdenominational committee with interfaith review. It contains some British English which may be hard on American ears. - For study:
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Bible of choice for mainline Christians needing a study Bible. The NRSV is often criticized for gender neutral language. It has also received interfaith review.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
An alternative to the NRSV that is more conservative in its renderings. It is also often a bit less readable. Very literal.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Aimed primarily at fundamentalist and conservative Christians who prefer the manuscripts and text behind the KJV, but prefer updated English. Very literal and often a bit clumsy to read. Includes such disputed passages as Mark 16:9-20, John 7:53-8:11 and 1 John 5:7 & 8 which no other modern version includes.
Study Bibles
Study Bibles usually contain introductory articles giving Bible backgrounds, information on methodology and overviews of various themes in the Bible. They will also include introductions to each book and comments on difficult passages.
Study Bibles will reflect religious views of editors and authors, some more than others. Care should be taken to distinguish the Biblical text from the comments, and facts and opinions within the comments.
This is my favorite study Bible built on my personal favorite Bible translation, the REB. Extensive articles, excellent introductions to Biblical sections and books, good, concise notes, extensive references, and inclusion of the Apocrypha make this an excellent study Bible for study and interfaith dialog. Evangelicals will find some of the notes a bit liberal, but they are not radical, but rather reflect the consensus of scholarship in general.
A solidly evangelical study Bible based on the bestselling NIV. I have a more extended review on my blog.
This Bible, based on the NKJV, is a very different approach from other study Bibles on this list. It is charismatic in the lean of notes and exercises, and these notes are primarily about application more than interpretation. It can enhance your Bible study by directing you toward both spiritual practices and action,but may disappoint you in terms of expanding on the text.
I find basing this particular Bible on the NKJV a suboptimal choice, as application notes would be better mated with a translation that is easier to read.
This is another evangelical staple, but based on the much more readable NLT. You can find other editions at the link provided as well as a discussion of the translation style. This is a broadly valuable study Bible.
This is a valuable study Bible for those in mainline denominations who would like both to understand what mainline scholarship tends to hold regarding interpretation, but would also like some keys to understanding and relating it to current theological discussions. I usually have this one in reach when preparing to teach. Based on the NRSV.
Bible Handbooks
Bible handbooks provide historical and cultural information, usually with a number of general articles and then comments on particular books and passages. Using a Bible handbook along with your Bible is like having a Bible with study notes, though usually having a handbook in a separate volume will mean that the handbook contains more exhaustive information.
Bible handbooks, like study Bibles, will reflect religious presuppositions of the editors. Use them carefully. You can supplement the viewpoints of your study Bibles through choosing a handbook with a different perspective.
An updated and expanded (2014) edition of a classic. Popular amongst conservative evangelicals, but also generally valuable.
Shorter, evangelical.
Another reasonably compact evangelical guide.
Zondervan handbook is a fairly general and valuable guide. I have not read from the fifth edition, but feel confident in recommending it.
Background Documents
Pritchard, The Ancient Near East, Volume 1, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures
Charlesworth, James H. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 volumes). This work is a standard for editions of these extra-Biblical works.
Concordances
Concordances may be exhaustive, complete, or concise. Usage of these terms is not 100% consistent. In addition they may either be either organized by words or topics.
Many Bibles contain small, concise concordances. Many study Bibles contain topical concordances.
Exhaustive concordances contain every reference to a word listed under every word. Complete concordances contain references to each and every verse, using significant terms, though not necessarily under every word in the verse. Concise concordances contain selective references and may not reference all verses.
Concordances with Greek and/or Hebrew Lexicons can be useful, but one should remember that translation is not so simple as just picking a word from a dictionary definition. Such concordances with lexicons are very often abused in discussions about the Bible.
This concordance is an excellent alternative to Strong’s. It’s based on the NIV and keyed to the original languages. If you tend to use the NIV in your regular study, but also like to do word studies, this is an excellent investment.
This is a good choice if you use the KJV in your study or if you are comfortable working the language in the KJV. Since I grew up reading the KJV, I’ve found it extremely useful, as I frequently remember verses as they are worded in the KJV. It is also often useful in tracking theological terms (at least more traditional ones) through scripture.
A more concise edition of Strong’s (see above).
Bible Dictionaries
Bible Dictionaries provide definitions of various Biblical terms, information about places and people, and introductory information about Biblical books. Most information contained in a Bible handbook can be found in a Bible Dictionary, but it will be organized much differently.
The religious views of authors and editors will impact the content of a Bible Dictionary.
I regard this as a fundamental resource for the serious Bible student. The contributors span the range of Biblical scholarship, and the articles are well selected, concise and to the point. Since this is a single volume Bible dictionary, it has obvious limitations of space, but every bit of space is well used. There are 1248 pages of text plus maps. (Note is on a previous edition.)
The perspective of Roman Catholic publications can be very helpful in your study. As always, I recommend using resources from more than one perspective.
An evangelical perspective with good presentation.
New from Zondervan. This would be an excellent and inexpensive tool.
Bible Atlases
An excellent, concise, well-selected Bible atlas. You may have maps in the back of your Bible, but if you want to keep oriented to the geography of your Bible study, this is an excellent companion. (Note: My experience is with the 3rd edition. Link is to the 4th.)
From the people who produced the CSB.
I have not used this myself, but after reading the description and looking at the list of contributors, I think it’s work looking into if you’re willing to spend a bit more on this reference source.
Guides to Bible Study
I am the co-author of this book, and so, of course, I recommend it! This book is an outline of this method with suggested exercises to build understanding. I recommend that group leaders look at more than one guide to study, since people differ, and their strengths and weaknesses differ. The book is also available directly on Energion Direct.
Gordon Fee is one of the foremost evangelical exegetes of the New Testament. His work on the New International Commentary, both as editor and as author is exemplary. He has a good eye for what is of practical interest to the preacher. This book, co-authored with Douglas Stuart will give the serious student the tools necessary to make his or her own reading of the Biblical text and to do so with confidence. It requires more effort than LaHaye’s book (above), but is not as difficult as more serious and specific works, such as Fee’s New Testament Exegesis or Chisholm’s From Exegesis to Exposition.
A basic level introduction to Bible study, somewhat reduced in value by the extent to which the author’s view of the Bible and particularly his specific prophetic interpretations color the text. Nonetheless, the new Bible student will benefit especially from the early chapters.
This guide overlaps with Bible handbooks, but it is designed to work well with How to Read the Bible for all Its Worth which is listed above. It covers less of the history, archeology, geography and other general factors and focuses on introductions to each book along with outlines and comments to help the reader draw his or her own conclusions from the text. The theology is evangelical.
Some Definitions:
I intend these definitions to be helpful in guiding your choice. I do not mean them to be an evaluation of the positions in question.
Mainstream: Materials which would be suitable for use in departments of religion at secular universities. This does not imply more or less correct in content.
Interfaith: Involving persons other than those of one faith (Christians and Jews, for example). Distinguish from interdenominational.
Interdenominational: Involving persons from more than one Christian denomination. Distinguish from interfaith.