Would you like to see what we have written on a subject? Use the search below.

[If you purchase anything on this site, I may make a commission. Disclosure Policy]

Feed Yourself™ Lesson Nineteen

How To Do A Word Study

"All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge." Pr. 8:8-9

In this lesson, we will do a Word Study. Every word in Scripture is divinely inspired. The Holy Spirit chose certain words, not others, to express His thoughts and will. In a Word Study, we examine the words used, what they mean, and how the Holy Spirit used them in Scripture to communicate the mind of God. Sometimes a verse's meaning is so plain that a Word Study doesn't matter; other times, knowing a word's meaning and shades of meaning can add insight not obvious at first glance. Remember the fish!

For example, in John 21:15-17, where Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, our English versions consistently use the word “love” each time. In Greek, Peter and Jesus use different words for love until the third time, when Jesus uses the word Peter had been using. A word study would reveal the two different words used and their different shades of meaning.

To do a Word Study, you need three tools: Your Bible, an exhaustive concordance with Hebrew and Greek Words [like Strong's], and a Bible Dictionary. You may want to review Lesson 12, which covers how to use a concordance. A Bible Dictionary is important because it provides a more detailed definition than a concordance. Several online dictionaries are available, although not all words are listed.

You can download the example Word Study Chart to follow the instructions below.

Step one is to choose the English word you'd like to study and find it in the concordance. If you select a word with many references, you may need to limit some. If you have to limit your verses, make sure you have a representative verse for each Hebrew or Greek word used, and try to select verses from each book where it appears [unless you want to study its usage in only one book or Testament].

For our example, we will use the word "faint." If you look it up in a physical Strong's Exhaustive Concordance [SEC], you will see the note at the beginning of the list: "See also Fainted; Faintest; Fainteth, Fainthearted." A complete Word Study would also examine those words. For our purposes, we will stick with "faint."

For step two, take a quick look down at the numbers in the physical SEC. This shows that many different words have been translated as "faint." The online SEC shows that "faint" appears 41 times in the KJV, but you'll need to look up each verse to see which Hebrew or Greek word was used. Open the Hebrew lexicon. Search for the word "faint." This will give you a list of all the Hebrew words translated as "faint." [Note: each word is listed twice, once for its appearance in the KJV and once for its appearance in the New American Standard Version. For our purposes, we are using the KJV.] In the online versions, the concordance and lexicons are combined to provide the same information, so the concordance is easier to use.

If you are using the online SEC, look up every verse that appears under your search term "faint," then click the word "faint" in the verse. That will provide you with the necessary information. On your Word Study Chart, record the Strong's Number, the word name, the main definition, other words which are used to translate this word, and the Scripture reference. Go to the following reference and repeat.

When you finish the Old Testament, draw two or three lines across the chart, then begin with the New Testament words.

If you are using a physical SEC, record each Strong's number and all references for that number. Then look the number up in the back of the SEC and record the name, the definition, and other ways this word is translated.

Our completed Word Study Chart for "faint" shows that many Hebrew words translate as "faint," with meanings ranging from sickness to exhaustion to discouragement. In the New Testament, only two words are translated as "faint."

This is the foundation. From here, decide where you want to go based on the purpose of your study. You could:

1. Choose one of the Hebrew/Greek words and search out more detailed definitions in dictionaries and lexicons. This is good for studying word usage. Look for how the Bible uses a particular word and in what context. For example, does the Hebrew word for “day” always mean a 24-hour day? If not, do the verses give clues about when it refers to a 24-hour day and when it doesn't?

2. Choose one of the Hebrew/Greek words and look up all the references that use that word, doing a devotional study on selected passages in light of the word's definition.

3. Choose one of the Hebrew/Greek words and look up verse[s] that use that word and analyze the verse or chapter.

4. Do another Word Study

5. Do any combination of the above.

WEEK NINETEEN PROJECT

1. Select a word from the book on which you did your book survey. Do a Word Study on that word. If it is a word with a lot of references, you may limit your study to the New Testament. Download the Word Study Form. Study the sample given for greater understanding.

2. Continue with your daily reading/memorization program.

***********************

Reference Works Used In This Course:

Bible Study Methods by Mrs. Shirley Davis

The International Inductive Study Bible by Harvest House Publishers

Effective Bible Study by Howard F. Vos, Zondervan

How To Understand Your Bible by T. Norton Sterrett, IVP

How To Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur, Harvest House

Independent Bible Study by Irving L. Jensen, Moody

How To Study The Bible For Yourself by Tim LaHaye, Harvest House

Return to Feed Yourself™ Lessons.

Glenn Davis is a Christian author and Bible teacher whose work draws on more than 40 years of study, writing, and teaching in local churches. He has written 700+ articles, created five Bible courses, published three books, and shared 300+ Bible videos on YouTube. Readers can find his books on Amazon, follow his teaching on YouTube or visit Glenn Davis Books. Away from the keyboard, he enjoys time with family, reading, walking, and board or card games.

Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at MeWe, Facebook or YouTube.
Sitemap - Newsletter - Statement Of Faith - Donate

Please note: We no longer have the commenting feature [maybe again in the future]. Joshua Institute students who have questions or comments on their courses can use the contact button and mention the course name and lesson number in the email. Thank you. Glenn

ShareFacebook X Pinterest Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Messenger

Privacy - Disclosure