We often forget that our English Bibles are translations—the Bible was originally written in a different language. So, the more we understand about the original text, the more we’ll understand the truth it contains.
The English language often limits our understanding of the original text. Compared to many other languages, English often falls short in accuracy or descriptiveness.
For example, the Japanese word “tsundoku” refers to the habit of acquiring books and letting them pile up unread. We don’t have a single English word to describe that. Instead, we have to come up with a whole phrase or sentence to explain what we mean. So, one of the limitations of the English language is that it’s sometimes not descriptive or specific enough.
Another limitation is how we use the same word for many different meanings. For example, the word “run.” I can think of five different meanings for the word “run”:
- “I’m going for a run”—a physical activity
- “The train runs on time”—operates
- “The machine is running”—functioning
- “She runs the company”—manages
- “There’s a run in my pantyhose”—a tear in fabric
The same word is used in all of these sentences, but the meaning changes drastically based on the context.
When we study the Bible, a word study can help us understand the deeper meanings and nuances of the original word that might not fully come through in translation. This information enables us to better understand the intended message of the biblical text.
Are You Intimidated By Word Studies?
You don’t have to be a highly educated scholar or biblical languages expert to understand the Bible. Whenever I teach the Bible, I aim to demonstrate how accessible it is to anyone, regardless of their mastery of the intricacies of language.
But word studies can be intimidating. Entire books exist to teach how to do a biblical word study. Some people explain word studies in complicated terms, going deep into grammar, punctuation, verb tenses, and parts of speech. Even though I’m a writer, I find it all exhausting. It bogs me down. I just want to move on with my study of the Scripture without thinking about all those technical details. There’s a time and place for those details, but my personal daily Bible reading time is not it.
Limitations of Word Studies in Bible Study
Word studies are not a “fail-safe” path to completely understanding Scripture. We face three key challenges in word studies:
- Translation challenges
- Comprehension challenges
- Interpretive challenges
Translation is a challenge because, as I’ve already mentioned, Scripture was originally written in languages other than English.
Comprehension is an ongoing challenge because language is constantly changing. What a word meant two hundred years ago might not be what it means today. The technicalities of grammar, punctuation, and other details also change over time, impacting our understanding.
Interpretive challenges arise because language is more than words. Understanding a single word doesn’t always guarantee an accurate interpretation of the text; other factors are involved, such as context.
“Scripture was originally given in languages different from ours, so we face translation challenges. Language is always changing, so we face comprehension challenges. Language is more than mere words, so understanding a single word doesn’t resolve interpretive challenges.”—Davy Ellison
Also, we must remember that a word study is not exhaustive. Sometimes, the Bible addresses concepts or topics without using the word directly. For example, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) beautifully illustrates grace, yet it never mentions the word “grace.” So, if we solely use word studies to find out what the Bible says about grace, we’ll miss out on this completely relevant passage (and others like it that relate to the concept of grace).
Despite these limitations, word studies are still valuable in our “right handling” of Scripture.
5 Word Study “Don’ts”
Before we learn how to do a word study, we must address how not to do one.
1. Don’t research a word only in English sources.
We must reference the original language to understand the original, intended meaning of the text. For example, our English Bibles use the word “love” to translate four different words from the original biblical languages. Studying only English sources that use the word “love” for all four uses will limit our understanding. Instead, we can learn the four original meanings—how they differ and in which context each is used.
2. Don’t prioritize a word’s historical origin.
The history of a word—how its usage and meaning have changed over time—is called etymology. While a word’s etymology can be interesting, the word’s usage in context determines its meaning. So, while a word’s complete history might be fascinating, we must keep it in perspective and remember that our goal is to understand its meaning when the Scripture was written.
3. Don’t ignore information that doesn’t fit your preconceived notions.
We must accept that our understanding may be incomplete or even incorrect. A proper study of God’s Word might lead to findings that challenge our initial understanding. We must allow Scripture to shape our interpretation instead of trying to shape Scripture to fit our limited understanding.
4. Don’t forget context.
Without considering the surrounding context, we risk misinterpreting the passage or arriving at an inaccurate conclusion. Word studies are valuable, but they must be grounded in the broader context of the Scripture.
5. Don’t overload a word with all its possible meanings in a particular context.
Just as the English word “run” can have various meanings, the best meaning should be determined by the specific context in which the word is used.
How to do a Word Study
So, how do we do a word study? Don’t worry! We don’t have to become fluent in Hebrew or Greek to understand the Bible. Thankfully, we can access free Bible tools with the information we need to conduct a thorough yet simple word study.
I recommend three free tools:
How to Choose a Word to Study
Start by choosing a word. Word studies are not helpful for every single word in the Bible. Avoid words like “the,” “and,” or “of.” Instead, select a word that’s:
- Crucial to the verse’s meaning
- Repeated in the passage
- Unfamiliar or hard to understand
Compare Translations
Word studies are especially useful when various Bible translations translate the original text into different English words. One way to quickly determine if the word you chose is a good one to study further is by looking it up in various translations. If it’s translated differently sometimes, take it as a cue to go deeper.
I prefer Bible Hub for this specific purpose. When you search for a particular verse, you instantly see all the different translations on the page. It’s quick and easy to spot differences at a glance, and these differences are often enlightening on their own.
Basic Word Study
A basic word study looks at:
- The original language word
- The definition of the original language word
- How the word is used throughout the Bible
Our goal is to understand the author’s intended meaning of the word in its context.
A concordance is all you need for this basic word study. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance is the most common one, available on all the free online tools mentioned above. It has a number for each Greek or Hebrew word in the Bible and lists every use of each word. Each entry includes the definition of the original language word and the different usages of that word (nuances of meaning, etc.) in the Bible.
Note: Definition is not the same as usage. Usage involves the context. We cannot look at the word and apply any definition to any verse. Context determines the usage or meaning.
I like to use STEP Bible for this.
To study the word “fellowship” in 1 John 1:3, I find the verse in STEP Bible, click on the word, and a word analysis appears in the right-hand sidebar. The analysis includes the word in the original language and its definition(s).
We can expand this study by examining how this word is used throughout the Bible. In STEP Bible, click the number in “This word occurs about _ x” (above the Meaning section).
This section shows us every usage of the word in the Bible.
Another helpful tool is a Bible dictionary (also available for free online on the websites I mentioned).
A Bible dictionary is like an encyclopedia. It provides valuable information about a passage’s historical and cultural context and background information about key people, events, places, and even some animals and plants. This information helps us understand the meaning and significance of words in the Bible.
A commentary can also be helpful for historical context and non-biblical usage of the word. The commentaries on Blue Letter Bible are free.
This basic word study deepens our understanding of the original Greek word and its use throughout the Bible. We see nuances of meaning depending on the context.
What If A Basic Word Study Isn’t Enough?
In most cases, for our personal Bible study, this basic word study using these simple tools will be sufficient for our understanding. However, as I mentioned, word studies can go way more in-depth and involve far more components.
If you’re new to word studies, or if a deeper study with the more complex aspects intimidates you as it does me, but you’re still unclear on a word’s meaning, don’t be afraid to hold off on your interpretation. If you’re teaching the passage to others, ask your pastor for clarification.
It’s also okay to accept that scholars disagree about the meaning of a word. Just knowing the possibilities may be enough for now.
Follow Along on My First Word Studies!
Do you want to see these word study tips in action? Sign up below to download a free copy of my first word studies, including what I learned and how it impacted my understanding of the passage.
