There are a ton of online tools that can help you with Bible study. I tend to just use a few, so I thought I’d share them here. A few great tools are better than a bunch of okay tools. Feel free to add links to your favorite quality tools as well in the comments section.

bible.cc

This site provides an interlinear Bible so you can look at a verse in multiple translations.   Ultimately, we try to understand the Scriptures as we can from their original texts (Hebrew for the OT, Aramaic and Greek for the NT), of which we have existing documents to pull from.  But if you don’t know any of those languages, others have tried to capture the ideas from the originals in their translations, and sometimes by looking at a few translations of a verse, you can get some insight into what the verse means.

net.bible.org

I love this site.  You can look up the meaning of words in a translation on the site, getting insight from Strong’s concordance.  It also features articles, other people’s notes, and you can even take your own on it (requires account set up).  Excellent for study.

preceptaustin.org

Want some additional study tools?  This site is loaded with commentaries and notes from scholars and pastors from past and present.  A good place to get additional insights on words, verses and passages.

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Not Virtual? The Thompson Chain Reference Bible

If you are web-allergic and would still like to get your hands on an awesome study resource, I would recommend getting a copy of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible for personal study.  The Thompson provides links on each page to verses that relate to themes and people throughout the Bible, which themselves are all collected in an index system at the end of the book, providing you with a quick way to see related verses all together. The Thompson also gives you some historical and linguistic backgrounds on prominent people, places and things found in Scriptures, as well as an excellent set of maps and diagrams for better understanding some of these people, places and things.

A very versatile Bible for personal study, the Thompson is a little investment, but well worth it   I am still a big proponent of the 1984 version of the NIV for solid understandable translation, but the RSV and the NKJV are pretty solid as well.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105