Is this a good way to do a word study?
Question:
I’ve been working on a personal Greek word study structure because I want to gain a deeper understanding of the original meanings of biblical words. I’ve created a layout for how I approach these studies, and I’d appreciate your feedback. This is what I have so far, and I’d love to get your advice on whether the structure is solid or if there’s anything I could improve.
- Strong’s Number: The reference number from Strong’s Concordance that helps me identify the Greek word in the original text.
- Strong’s definitions: Strong's Definitions is a collection of the unique Greek and Hebrew words and their definitions from the Old and New Testament, organized by Dr. James Strong in 1890.
- Usage: This section explains how the word is used in scripture
And by the way, I'm trying to keep the structure simple. I use the Blue Letter Bible app to assist me with my Hebrew and Greek word studies while reading scripture. However, I prefer to take notes on the Bible using an app called Google Docs, which I use to explain the scriptures I read and also conduct Greek and Hebrew word studies.
Answer:
Strong's word numbering system definitely makes it easier to identify Hebrew and Greek words, but you need to understand its limitations. Strong developed his system to create a concordance where you could find multiple passages that use the same basic Greek word. To simplify the search, he ignored the various Greek endings (approximately 28 of them) that indicate gender, number, and modes of speech. Most of the time, you don't need the variations. However, you do need to know they are there, and Strong's system is not the way to find them.
Strong's dictionary was an addition to his concordance. It is extremely abbreviated, and you can get led astray if you don't realize that he doesn't provide a complete definition, or if you don't recognize his "codes" to make the dictionary entries concise.
Finally, Strong's concordance was tied to the King James Version. This version uses outdated terms and tends to translate terms into a variety of words. The variety reads well to an English speaker, but it doesn't give you a good understanding of what the text actually says in some cases.
Your system is fine, but just understand there are limits. What I would suggest checking into is BibleHub. Type in the passage you want to examine, then click "Lexicon." It will give you the Strong's word numbers and definitions. Click on the Strong's number, and you will get a more complete set of information on the word from a variety of sources.
Response:
I also asked someone else about the Strong’s dictionary, and they told me it provides brief definitions of Greek and Hebrew words. I now know that it's better to use a Bible dictionary to get a better understanding of the original meanings of Greek and Hebrew words. I also use BibleHub to help me with my Greek and Hebrew word studies, and it has been beneficial.
Thank you for the feedback!
