1 How to Use a Concordance If you thought a concordance was for finding a verse reference you have forgotten, you have never discovered the value of using a concordance. Some people might even look up a word and study all of the references listed for the English word, but this only gives you part of the information. It’s like studying one side of a coin without even realizing there is another side of the coin that looks different. When selecting a concordance, make sure you get an exhaustive concordance because that will contain every word in the Bible. Don’t settle for a smaller “complete” concordance because it is like a “best of” version of the concordance. Plus, these smaller concordances don’t contain the original language dictionaries so you can learn the meaning of a word in the original Hebrew or Greek. The most important factor in selecting a concordance is to get a concordance that corresponds to the Bible translation you are using. If you are using the New International
Version, then use an NIV exhaustive concordance. If you use the New American Standard Version, then use an NASB exhaustive concordance. Because so few people seem to know how to use a concordance for thorough word study, I want to provide a more detailed explanation. Here are the steps you might use when doing a word study. These instructions will make the most sense if you have a concordance out as you go through each step. 1. Look up the word in an exhaustive concordance that corresponds to the Bible translation you are using. 2. Look down the list of Bible references for that word until you find the reference of the text you are studying. 3. Note the number found just to the right of the verse reference. When you look up a word, the column of numbers listed to the right of the verse
references in a concordance are the numbers that correspond to the definitions for the original Hebrew or Greek words. 4. Look up that number in the corresponding dictionary in the back of the concordance. If it is an Old Testament reference, you will use the Hebrew dictionary; if it is a New Testament reference, you will use the Greek dictionary. Some concordances use italics as a visual reminder for numbers referring to the Greek dictionary. 5. Once you find the number in the correct dictionary at the back of the concordance, you will see the Hebrew or Greek word and its definition, followed by a list of ways it is translated in that particular Bible version. Each word or phrase in this list is followed by a number in parenthesis. This tells you how many times that word is translated using that word or phrase. 6. Write down the English pronunciation of the Greek or Hebrew word and its definition. 7. Write down the list of English words (and quantity) used to translate this one Greek or Hebrew word. This is your exhaustive list of every time this word occurs in the Bible, even though it may appear as different words in English. (Note: if you had only studied one English word, you would have missed all the other uses of the word in the original language.)
8. Go back to the concordance section and look up each English word on your list. Find the word and scan down the list looking for the same Greek or Hebrew number. Write down the reference(s). Repeat for each English word on your list. You now have a complete list of every Bible reference where the original Greek or Hebrew word was used. 9. If the list is long, you may wish to limit your list to an appropriate context. If you are studying the gospels, you may limit your reading to other references in the gospels. If your passage is in one of the epistles, you may wish to limit your reading to other references in the epistles. 10. Look up each reference in your Bible and reap the rich rewards of seeing the breadth and depth of God’s Word. Observe how the word is used in various ways. Look for similarities and differences. Summarize your findings to explain the basic meaning of the Greek or Hebrew word without using the various English translations of the word. That is, you cannot define love with the word love. By now you have gained a fuller understanding of all the ways the original Hebrew or Greek word was used. This brief explanation doesn’t do justice to the process, but I hope you’ve at least gained a glimpse for the wealth of information contained in a concordance and why you shouldn’t settle for anything less than an exhaustive concordance for the translation you use most. ©2012 Christy Bower. The author grants permission to distribute print or digital copies with the copyright notice intact. www.ChristyBower.com (Image © iStockphoto.com / Jrcasas)
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