How Does A Bible Concordance Work?

How does a Bible concordance work? What are things that can help us use it properly?

A Concordance

Most Bibles have a concordance or an index in the back but it is not very comprehensive, however a Bible concordance is one of the most useful resources when studying Scripture, writing a theological paper, or in preparing a sermon. A Bible concordance is simply a Scriptural index where particular Bible words are alphabetized for easy location and access and which enables the inquirer to find Scriptures where a certain word or phrase is found. A Dominican Order of Friars created the very first concordance for their own studies back in 1230 but the very first printed concordance was created in 1470 by another Dominican, John Stoicowic, so concordances have been around for thousands of years, but they have vastly improved within the last century of time and today are extremely useful tools in gathering associated Scriptures relating to a certain word.

Buying a Bible Concordance

A so-called exhaustive concordance contains indexes for all the words of the Bible and one of the best exhaustive concordances that are available is the Strong Concordance. This concordance is the classic of all concordances and is among the very best available and is an indispensable aid in studying the Word of God. Complied by James Strong, Strong’s Concordance is among the top choices of Bible scholars, pastors, teachers, and even every day students of the Word. There is one important factor in that concordances are specific to a certain translation. For example, an ESV concordance may not help you much if you’re studying a King James Bible and vice versa. The reason is that some words in the King James Version are different from those in the ESV so the point is if you have an ESV study Bible then an ESV concordance is recommended.

Using a Concordance

When you need help in researching about a particular word in Scripture, the concordance can help you immensely. Some concordances have Hebrew and Greek dictionaries in the very back and these can help the studier to look up the meaning of each word. The Hebrew or Greek meaning can change the way we look at certain words or Scriptures because some translations don’t always give the words that are closely associated with the Hebrew or Greek (there is even some Aramaic too). In this way, as Paul commanded Timothy, we ca be ready to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2nd Tim 4:2) but also have the correct meaning which helps clarify the context of the verse or passages of Scripture.

Online Concordances

One of the best online concordances that I have found is Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) because not only can you find several Scriptures relating to a certain word you’re looking up, they provide “tools” that allow you to see the origin of the word, the original Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic meaning, and the context which this word is written. One example is when you look up the word “grace.” It tells you that “grace” in the Greek is “charis” and it also defines it precisely from the original word. Blue Letter Bible also comes with Vine’s Expository Dictionary and references to Strong’s Concordance and how often a word occurs in each place in the Bible. It will also tell you that “grace” is used so many times, like in the following manner: grace is used 130 times, favor 6 times, thanks 4 times and so on.

Why a Concordance?

We know that concordances are useful tools in finding the location of words but also the original meaning of words, but also how they are used within the context. If you are searching a Scripture like “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), you can find the word “blessed” in your concordance and if you know the verse you’re looking for is in the New Testament, first search the New Testament references to the word “blessed” and you’re off to a good start. It is much better to use key words such as “blessed” rather than “God” because of the enormous number of Scriptures you’ll have to search before finally finding what you’re looking for, so try to narrow the search down as much as possible and use specific words in the Scripture that you think the word is used in and then you can more easily find what you’re looking for.

Conclusion

Concordances are another tool or resource for studying the Word of God but we also need the Spirit of God because the Spirit of God reveals to us Who Christ is and why we need a Savior, but concordances also help us give meaning or clarity to the meaning of certain passages, however without the Holy Spirit’s help, a concordance can only take you so far in understanding Scripture. It will simply be intellectual knowledge but it must move 18 inches away and enter into the heart. This takes the Spirit of God to do this and is just as the Apostle Paul wrote, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (2nd Cor 2:11). Even with the world’s best concordance, without the Spirit of God, it will simply be head knowledge and not knowledge that transforms our hearts.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.